Xbox Gaming in South Africa

When I was a kid back in the 1980s there was nothing cooler than Transformers. Here was a range of toys and an animated series that consisted solely of giant transforming robots that waged war with each other using fantastically weird and wonderful weapons. It was simply put, "pure awesome". But time can be a cruel mistress, and over the years the Transformers franchise faded into nothing but a fond memory. Fast forward to the present day, however, and thanks to the likes of Michael Bay, Transformers is once again hot property, with millions of dollars pouring into new Transformers' ventures, including video games.

Transformers: War For Cybertron is the second Transformers video game to launch on the Xbox 360, but unlike the previous title, WFC has opted to avoid the fatal movie to game conversion and instead carves its own story using the rich history of the Transformers universe. The story takes place on Cybertron, the home planet of the Transformers, and neatly moves in-between the Autobot and Decepticon campaigns to unravel the story of what happened before contact is made with Earth.

All missions involve two other Transformers at your side and can be either controlled by the AI or by two friends over Xbox LIVE (split screen/local co-op isn't available). The AI is competent enough to look after itself and help out in firefights, including boss fights which require some basic flanking tactics. Speaking of the boss fights, the battles seen in Transformers: War for Cybertron are impressive in scale, with developer High Moon Studios making great use of the Unreal engine to create massive vistas with levels which involve  you travelling through large cavernous rooms or open expanses as battles wage on between the Decepticons and Autobots in the distance. The levels also make great use of the fact that you can transform into jets, supercars and other vehicles, with several levels interspersing the fights with objectives that see you either flying or driving across the levels all while fighting enemies and dodging obstacles in your way. It’s not taxing in the slightest but it’s a welcome break from the shooting segments. The transformation animations are also worth noting; seeing your Transformer change in mid air from a jet before landing a killing blow to the head of an enemy with a giant energy sword all in one move is wonderful to behold.

The single-player campaign isn't without its faults though. For example, many of the weapons lack solid feedback when compared with each other. The EMP shotgun and assault rifle feel exactly like the sniper rifle and rocket launcher, and there’s just no feeling of weight behind the weapons. You’re supposed to be a giant hunk of metal that’s shooting some rather gigantic weapons, after all. The single-player campaign is also rather short in length, with the Decepticon and Autobot campaigns together adding up to a couple hours of play at best. There are a few collectibles up for grabs to help with re-playability, but most will move onto the multiplayer mode.

While I’d compare Transformers single-player campaign to Gears of War’s third person shooting action minus the cover mechanic, I’d say that its multiplayer component has more in common with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. It’s got a similar class structure, with the leader, soldier, scientist or scout class available to the player, each with its own set of weapons and perks, and you gain experience points for kills and assists that help level your soldier up and unlock new weapons and perks. You can even unlock killstreaks. Transformers isn't shy about taking the best multiplayer game out there and substituting giant robots in place of generic soldiers. There’s a sizable selection of game modes as well, with deathmatch and team deathmatch sitting alongside Conquest, Countdown to Extinction, Power struggle and Code of Power. All the modes are variations on popular online game types (such as the Horde-like mode of Escalation), but with so many on offer, there isn't much to complain about.

Usually the voice over work in games isn’t anything to rave about, with the usual selection of voice actors trotting in to repeat their dialogue in the same deadpan tone before heading off to their next game. Transformers: War for Cybertron on the other hand has some rather superb audio work from its voice actors, with talents such as Nolan North, Kari Wahlgren, Steven Blum, Crispin Freeman and Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime making an appearance. Throw in some excellent guitar riff based music and you’ve got a stirring score that befits a game based on heavy metal robots.

Transformers: War for Cybertron is a game that I really didn’t expect to like, with my fond memories having  been somewhat tainted by the recent movies. But after spending time with High Moon Studios' take on the Transformers world, I've fallen in love with its charms. Transformers: WFC might not be all that original or groundbreaking, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s a game that takes already proven gameplay elements and wraps them in a Transformers body, and does it well enough that even non-Transformers fans will find enough entertainment value to make this game a worthy purchase.

Pros:

• True to the Transformers universe
• Large selection of online modes
• Great use of the Unreal engine

Cons:

• Short campaign length
• Weapons lack feedback

Rating: