Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is High Moon Studio’s third take on the franchise, following its prequel War for Cybertron and the movie license Dark of the Moon. And while nobody wants to talk about Dark of the Moon much, War for Cybertron was praised by critics and fans alike as the first really good game to ever come out of the Transformers franchise.
Fall of Cybertron’s campaign is a fairly meaty thing, covering the final week of war on Cybertron before both the Autobot and Decepticon forces flee the dying planet and make for the stars. You’ll switch between both sides of the war as the story progresses, taking on the role of many fan-favourite characters like Optimus Prime, Megatron and the heavily-advertised Dinobot Grimlock.
The playable robots aren’t just clones in different sizes and colours however, there’s a big emphasis on each Transformer’s unique special abilities. Jive-talking Autobot Jazz’s grappling hook makes for more platforming action, Cliffjumper’s cloaking leads to some fairly intense stealth sections, and Grimlock’s rage meter-based Tyrannosaurus Rex transformation is perfectly suited for smashing through endless hordes of enemies.
Even the more basic bots are treated to plenty of really cool action sequences, including more than a few high-speed escapes that definitely encourage you to make use of your much faster vehicle form.
One weakness in the game compared to its predecessor however is the lack of big boss fights.
War for Cybertron had plenty of boss battles scatted throughout its campaign, making their absence for almost all of
Fall of Cybertron even more notable. It does try to make up for this with some pretty good encounters towards the end, but High Moon has already proved it can do better.
Aside from all this, the basic gameplay and controls remain very similar to those of
War for Cybertron. There have been some significant shake-ups however. Most notable is the removal of the double jump, making the robots feel much heavier and less mobile. To make up for this, even the heftiest of robots can now quickly dash or roll sideways, even in mid-air. This helps you move quickly through fire-fights even without transforming.
Every chapter will lead you through some fairly massive environments, and while you could probably blast your way through each one fairly quickly, the game does its best to encourage slowing down and exploring whenever possible. Not only are there old-school in-jokes and Easter eggs hidden throughout the game, there’s also a collection of audio logs that expand on some of the supporting characters and the story of the game. And if you’re more concerned with practical, useful things, there are plenty of blueprints hidden throughout the game that unlock new weapons at the shopping terminals found all over Cybertron.
This brings us to another of
Fall of Cybertron’s strongest points - a creative and diverse array of weaponry. While there’s a perfectly respectable range of assault rifles, shotguns and sniper rifles on offer, High Moon really takes advantage of the futuristic setting to come up with plenty more exotic weaponry.
There’s a gun that blasts groups of enemies with chain lightning, a gun that fires ricocheting razor blades that cut straight through enemies, a grenade launcher that dumps corrosive acid on foes, all sorts really. And with all kinds of neat little death animations depending on the weapon used for the kill, High Moon has made it a lot of fun to blow away anything that stands in your way.
Even better, once a weapon has been purchased at the shop it becomes available for upgrades. These upgrades don’t just increase accuracy, damage and ammo reserves; there are plenty which actually have a more drastic effect on their performance.
Little has changed about the multiplayer since the first game. Perhaps the most notable new feature is the complete overhaul of the character creation system. You can now assemble your own customised robots using the dozens of interchangeable parts available and slapping a coat of paint on the whole thing.
The same four classes have been brought over from High Moon’s previous efforts. The Scout relies on stealth and is a small, fast-moving target while the Titan is a towering lumbering behemoth armed to the teeth with heavy weaponry.
The Destroyer class is a middle of the road choice with a selection of powerful weapons. Finally the Scientist uses its flying jet form to quickly travel across long distances and outmanoeuvre foes while healing his allies. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses that give it a suitable role on the battlefield, which can be tweaked somewhat by altering the weapons and upgrades equipped by your bot.
