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Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (Miscellaneous)

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron review

Game: Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
Platform: PC
Genre: Action (Sci-Fi)
Developer: High Moon Studios

Reader review by darketernal

September 20, 2012

Let me get this out in the open. I've never been a big fan of the Transformers show, even if I do fit in the demographic that was at the right age in the late eighties. We had our robot needs covered with Saber Rider and Voltron. Still, not living under a pop culture rock made me well aware of Optimus Prime and the fact that he is, if the Internet is to be believed, Mecha Jesus of some sort. Naturally, that made me interested in the video games in which you bash the crap out of other robots, which is always an interesting pass time.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is a sequel to the fairly well received Transformers: War for Cybertron(and now that I think about it, the spoiler for the first game is sort of in the name of the second one), and it continues the story where the first one ended. The Homeworld of all transformers, Cybetron is facing destruction, and, needless to say, two opposing forces are fighting in this chaos for dominion. They are known as the heroic Autobots, that want to save their world, under the guidance of the righteous Optimus Prime, and Decepticons - renegade robots that want to rule the world with their, quite literally, iron fist.

From the beginning, it's obvious that Cybetron is doomed. Carnage, debris and war torn landscape is proof enough that the transformers will have to find a new location in which to live in, and our blue little planet Earth is quite the appealing option. Before any journey is taken, though, Autobots and Deceptioncs need to destroy each other? Why? The reason is that there is not enough Energon, the fuel of the Transformers universe, to bring all of them to our little galaxy.

At first glance, most modern gamers will think that this title is a pure copy of the Gears of War games, due to the similar interface and gameplay. You control your robots through the familiar over-the-shoulder look, and guide them through the world of Cybertron, using walls for cover and destroying various enemies with a large arsenal of weapons.

Similarities soon end, though, when you see what your characters are really capable with. Be it Autobot or Decepticon, there will be a whole palette of moves at your disposal. Weapons are many in quantity, from sniper rifles, futuristic Gatling guns that would make Painless from Predator hide in a corner from self esteem issues, to shotguns and heavy weapons such as rocket launchers, lasers and fragmented mines. Every one of those weapons can be upgraded via "points" that you receive by eviscerating/blowing up/just plain slaughtering enemies.

Besides the "classics", I must mention the abilities that are unique to each Transformer. For instance, Optimus Prime can order a huge robot to lay way on the battle field from the sky with a barrage of weapons, while Megatron can fly just enough before using his body like a meteor to smash into the ground and destroying everything around.

That leads us to the point about that makes transformers… well, transform. Like in every other medium, each of the robots can change form into a vehicle that is unique to him and gain new weapons, or enough speed to pass over hard terrain. For instance, the always fly (and if Michael Bay taught us anything, he can also break dance) Jazz can transform into a fast car that will get him through the stage in seconds, while the strong Swindle from the Decepticon camp can become some weird tank hybrid thing with an automatic machine gun that will tear everything apart.

My greatest regret with this title probably comes in this area, since the amount of time you'll spend transformed is minimal, when compared to the roaming in your robotic form.

Still, the amount of characters you can control is rather impressive, since each of them is unique in his own way.

In multiplayer, this becomes even more apparent, since a particular move set can do a lot for you, if for instance your transformer can turn into a chopper, or if his unique abilities are just what is needed for victory.

Naturally, for every Transformers experience to be complete, one must mention the voice acting. Peter Cullen provides the voice of Optimus Prime, which he had been doing since the very first Transformers show. Fred Tatasciore is here to reprise his role as Megatron, as well.

Some will prefer the dark tone that the game takes, since it shows the horrors of war pretty well, and it makes you forget that these are robots, and not humans dying out on the field of battle. While the title itself is very scripted, you can find various audio logs that will tell about various tests that took place on Cybertron, and learn about the story from a different perspective.

Since this was designed with consoles in mind, I must also compliment the PC conversion which is very well done. The graphical presentation is mouth watering, and the control input - in case you are using a keyboard, is very well done.

Like I said, I didn't come into playing, or reviewing this title with much hope. Michael Bay butchered the franchise, and I thought that the game would be similar, just a money making machine, but I'm glad I was utterly and completely wrong. Transformers: Fall of Cybetron is a fantastic title that covers everything that makes a game fun. Good presentation, no bugs that I encountered, and an interesting story -- all those are gems that should draw any robot enthusiast, while those that are into Transformers more than me, probably already have this title in their collection.

Rating: 9/10

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