Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Review

Game Reviewed: Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

Release Date: August 21th, 2012

Developer: High Moon Studios

Publisher: Activision

Platform: [Reviewed: Xbox 360], PlayStation 3

Genre: Action

Rated: T for Teen

What do you do when Decepticons try to do everything to finish off Cybertron and the Autobots? Pull all of your squad together and fight back. This is the meat of High Moon Studios Transformers: Fall of Cybertron.

It’s a turn from the norm as Cybertron, and all of the glory it’s known for, crumbles in front of Optimus Prime and his followers.

Fall of Cybertron is well developed third person game. There is plenty of cinematic scenes that draw you in, perfectly blended through gameplay. The issue, however, is that gameplay itself fails to stay consistantly fluid. When you’re in the midst of the action, FoC keeps you entertained.

You’ll go through the ropes of how to transform , change and use weapons, dash and more. After training comes to an end, expect some epic battles playing as a few of your favorite Autobots. It all slows down when navigating to checkpoints. It’s not all bad, just slows down the fun every now and then. In all, 13 chapters with an upscale story will continue to draw you in, making the 10 hour story feel a lot shorter.

You’ll have plenty of chances to update weapons by collecting blue prints, and there’s a handful of weapons that will water your taste buds. Graphics are decent, but not up to par as other games today. The soundtrack on the other hand is possibly one of the best this year, hand and glove. At times, though I knew I was playing, it felt very theatrical; I started looking for Sam Witwickey.

Multiplayer plays a strong role for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. The mechanics were there and throughout gameplay experienced zero lag. What I did notice was plenty of gamer laying waste to the competition.

You’re offered Team Deathmatch; in which the first team to 40 kills win, Conquest (Domination), Capture the Flag and Head Hunter. Head Hunter could be considered Kill Confirmed,Transformers style. After getting a kill, your opponent will drop a spark that you must return to a node to earn points. You can play as the preset of Infiltrator, Destroyer, Titan or Scientist whom all have their own unique combat styles or customize your own Transformer to what best fits you.

When you’re wanting to just test your credibility skill for slaying anything that’s against you, there’s Escalation. This is the cream of the crop. It’s like Halo all over again, except you couldn’t transform. You, along with friends, can group up to four in an attempt to survive up to 15 waves of pure mayhem. Each wave difficulty increases, becoming more noticeable around wave 7 or 8.

You begin isolated in one area and have to earn enough money to open doors and buy weapons and perks. Yes, now it’s beginning to favor COD Zombies. Communication could help, but Escalation didn’t feel like one of those modes that required it. Then again with all the money people earn, you may need to know what areas are being unlocked.

As mentioned before, the overall online experience is FoC’s better moments. I for one was quite surprised with the amount of fun one can have with TD or Escalation. Graphics may not been High Moon’s strong points, but gameplay and a sense of replay value was.

The Scores

Gameplay: 4/5

Visuals: 4/5

Audio: 4.25/5

Controls: 4.25/5

Value: 4/5

Overall Rating: 4/5