GAMING
Critical Gamer reviews the latest games
Transformers Fall of Cybertron games reviews
* Format: 360 (version reviewed), PS3, PC * Unleashed: Out Now * Publisher: Activision * Developer: High Moon Studio
* Site:
www.transformersgame.com/
Set a non-specific number of years after the outbreak of the war between Autobots and Decepticons, Fall of Cy- bertron centres around the closing moments of said war as the last of the Autobots led by Optimus Prime prepare to flee their dying planet. They’ve lost the war and the opening tutorial shows their attempt to flee being impeded by their enemies, before flashing back in time a little to show how events led to that point across thirteen varied chap- ters playing as both sides.
The biggest change in terms of the main campaign this time around is that there is no drop-in/drop-out co- operative mode for up to three players. It comes across like this was perhaps a purposeful decision meant to allow for a more focused story designed around a single person but, in practise (bar only one or two small sections), there is little in the game that doesn’t feel like it would have been a better experience if you could have at least one other player there with you. Listening to criticisms made of the pre- vious game, it’s obvious that High Moon has tried to make the planet seem more alive and varied. You’ll visit quite
20
a few different locations (though there is still a familiar feel between them all despite the colour palette change) and switch it up between characters who fly, drive or have unique abilities like Jazz’s tether for hooking your way through open areas. The biggest selling point they have focused on this time though is the addition of the Dinobots. Who doesn’t want to stomp around as a huge robot T-Rex? They even made it plausible within the confines of the story how they came to be. As in War for Cybertron, the game is littered with references to the 80s cartoon, the more recent movies, com- ics and the newest iterations of the cartoon as well. Fans of all ages will simply love noticing the carefully place parodies or nods and references made to all these different sources, and it strongly reconfirms that High Moon is a group of individuals who know and understand the Transformer universe very, very well. Once again it is Peter Cullen that leads an overall decent cast lending their voices to the characters. With the years of experience under his belt it is to be expected that he knows what he’s doing, but it’s still impressive to hear him manage to make Prime sound as good as he does even now. Music is a little less noticeable than the previous game but still nice enough. On a technical side the only things of note we would bring up is that we suf- fered one crash during a playthrough of the main story, and stages begin-
ning off the tail-end of a cutscene would often have visible texture load- ing. There were a couple of instances where there was so much happening at once that the frame rate would vis- ible suffer and stutter also.
A Horde style mode returns and is the sole form of co-op available for up to four people. The multiplayer also re- turns and a majority of changes from the previous game are all bad. The four selectable classes are far less diverse, with only one ability quick slot (instead of two) and two powers to chose from (instead of four). Rather than provide class specific kill-streak rewards, powerful usable items are now just scattered around the stages too. This promotes rewarding the camping of these items (in particular one which regenerates health far too well) and fails to reward players that are doing well naturally.
Money-grabbing disc based DLC aside (*coughdinobotscough*), Fall of Cybertron is a good game. To a fan of Transformers it would be an amazing game and it’s clearly who it was made for. Those who aren’t fans my still find something here since it’s not every third person shooter available that also lets you change into a vehicle at will or com- mand a giant robot the size of a city.
written by Critical Gamer’s Ian Dawson
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44