Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Review
Game Emblems
The Good
The Bad
This game manages to even beat its predecessor "war for cybertron", and thats quite a challenge indeed !
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron offers some entertaining action, lots of explosions, and too many technical hiccups.
The Good
- Flight levels are great fun
- Several sequences make you feel remarkably powerful
- Roller coaster of a final level
- Strong cooperative and competitive play.
The Bad
- Unfocused campaign is too often more exciting to watch than to play
- Final encounter is a joke
- Level design at odds with shooting model
- Numerous technical and performance issues.
The Transformers may be more than meets the eye, but Transformers: Fall of Cybertron has an obvious goal: to let you control numerous Autobots and Decepticons while filling the screen with as much fire and brimstone as possible. Developer High Moon strives for metal-on-metal sensory assault, which is both a strength and a weakness. When the game thinks big, your eyes and ears are treated to larger-than-life spectacles; gargantuan robots sprawl across your view, and you annihilate mechanical monstrosities with the touch of a button. But Fall of Cybertron's most exciting moments are those you watch, not those you play. It can be a lot of fun, but the visual thrills don't consistently translate into stimulating gameplay.
There is excitement to unearth, however--it just takes a while for it to come into focus. The first half of the single-player campaign never finds a groove. You spend several levels in control of the kingly Optimus Prime, who sounds more than ever like an elder statesman, morally incorruptible and in complete control of his emotions. As in Transformers: War for Cybertron, you can morph from robot form to vehicular form and back again, though shooting, driving, and shooting-while-driving aren't Prime's only skills. He also fires artillery, ducks under beams, orders air strikes, lifts heavy objects, comforts his subordinates, and pulls levers.
That's normal shooter stuff, of course, but Fall of Cybertron's first half has you spending so much time watching explosions, performing single-button tasks, and occasionally hitting a button to make things die, that the full-fledged action seems like an afterthought. There aren't many extensive shooting sequences here. Instead, you get tossed from one task to the next without any kind of rhythm developing. Battles heat up just in time for you to find another door to open or another scripted event to witness. Aspects of the flat early hours carry over to later hours as well. Every major showdown between main players is interesting to watch but boring to play. That includes the game's final encounter, which you conquer not by overcoming a challenging enemy, but by responding to button prompts. Prompts that involve only one button.
Yet even before you leave Optimus Prime behind for other Transformers, there are momentary pleasures that keep you invested. Some of these moments are power trips: you speed across a bridge, mowing down the nameless bots that dare cross your path. Others build atmosphere: a facility morphs around you as you walk through it, making you wonder what might be causing such an anomaly. All the while, you get a real sense that the planet of Cybertron has reached its expiration date. Environments are in various stages of collapse, and the skies burn with sparking metal and the blistering exhaust of Decepticon dropships.
From here, Fall of Cybertron cycles you through various Transformers, changing up the gameplay--and then changing it up again just when you get the hang of things. One mission encourages stealthiness, having you go invisible and sneak behind sentries for a one-button execution. As Jazz, you play as a sort of bionic commando, grappling from platform to platform, using your mobility to stay out of the sights of the foes that continually hound you. Aside from the levels in which you soar through the skies in vehicular form, careening about as Jazz is one of the most enjoyable things to do in Fall of Cybertron, in part because you must stay light on your feet if you want to stay alive. The controls are smooth and the animations are fluid, so zipping from spot to spot is never a struggle, just a joy.
Land battle sequences play out as a standard third-person shooter and are generally solid, though there is an odd disconnect between the mechanics and the level design. Most Transformers are glass cannons--that is, you might do a lot of damage, but you're also surprisingly vulnerable, considering you're a huge hunk of metal. The game even encourages you to use cover, and indeed, several areas seem ripped right out of a cover shooter. Friends and enemies regularly use cover, but you yourself cannot; you can't even duck. Wading directly into the fray is sure death, and more time than you'd want is spent trying to find a safe spot for your shields to replenish, rather than standing strong.
Larger levels fare better, encouraging you to morph back and forth from bot to vehicle. The best of these have you zipping through the air and dropping death on your foes in aerial form, and then landing on platforms and finishing off the survivors. Sadly, there are only a few such levels; others are more interested in sending you on a power trip than in making you earn your triumphs. In several instances, such as when you stomp about as Grimlock, you lose ranged weapons in favor of melee attacks, wreaking havoc on waves of foes by slashing, swiping, and breathing fire. There's little strategy involved--you just press buttons and view the dramatic display of death that ensues. It's exciting to watch, but you're not working very hard for the victory.
This constant flipping from one type of gameplay to another is a departure from the monotony that crept into War for Cybertron. At times, the game focuses so much on mixing things up that it loses focus: developer High Moon never deepens or strengthens any single mechanic before it moves to the next. But in the final levels, something miraculous happens: Fall of Cybertron weaves these disparate threads together into an exciting sequence that puts you in control of one bot after another so quickly that all you can do is ride this overcharged roller coaster and relish in its hyperactivity and visual excess. A boss fight featuring the agile Jazz might again be the highlight here, as it is one of the few times in which Fall of Cybertron puts a clever spin on mechanics it previously explored.
By
Kevin VanOrd, Senior Editor
Kevin VanOrd is a lifelong RPG lover and violin player. When he isn't busy building PCs and composing symphonies, he watches American Dad reruns with his fat cat, Ollie.
83 comments
If no one here likes the reviews given out by Gamespot, then why the Fack do you all pay for a subscription to the site?!?!?!?
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@Gelugon_baat Than how the fack do u have a subscription like account? When I first joined I had to sign-up for a subscription, either that or get next to no features when using this site...
I'm seeing a slight disconnect between this review and my experience playing on PS3, and I know some others have been as well.
SOME players on PS3, not all, are having serious graphical issues. Some have EXTREMELY minor issues beyond the occasional slowdown the XBox version sees. Then some of us, like my-very-lucky-self are getting the full-quality experience.
The demo's graphics were visibly worse than WfC on a lot of people's consoles, but for me, they were slightly better. The release version is another step above that for me. A lot of people who complained have seen major improvements comparing demo to full version, some have seen no change. It's unreliable on PS3, but I'd recommend a "try before you buy" approach for anyone who would prefer the PS3 version but is unsure about the issues.
Wow, High Moon studios. I've been waiting for this game since it was first announced and now I have to play an inferior and crap version on my PS3? Wow...
@termadoyle I JUST posted a comment after yours... try it for yourself before saying that. A lot of PS3 gamers (myself included) are getting a perfectly good product. The problems with the game are inconsistent, and don't affect everyone.
1 Like @obliviondoll Thanks. I will download the demo as soon as my internet lets me and try it out. I still hope they patch it up though. Because I will be buying this game soon anyway and I don't have a gaming PC.
@termadoyle I hope they fix it for the people who have problems too, even if it's not a problem I have to deal with. And I hope you're in with the majority seeing a great product instead of the few who have problems.
2 Like Personally, I'd give this game an 8. The multiplayer is fun, I didn't find the campaign unfocused at all, and didn't encounter near the amount of technical issues the reviewer did. That's not saying there aren't some technical issues- the game did lock up on me twice, necessitating a restart of my system, and in the later chapters there was some framerate slowdown, but it was brief. Overall I found the graphics to be well done and the controls respond well in both single player and multiplayer. Definitely well worth checking out, especially if you're a Transformers fan and enjoyed T:WFC. Just my opinion.
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1 Like @Gelugon_baat as you can see my comment was removed... Truth usually hurts.... and its always hidden....
let me guess, you are some fat ass that sits all day in front of the screen monitoring everyones review so you can catch someone disagreeing with gamespot reviews.... do cry, this is a mere speculation....
I dont want you to understand me... your little monkey brain is not quite capable of that. so lets not go down that road, you might not like what you find. your a funny person...ahahahahah thanks for making me laugh....
@Gelugon_baat I dont you think you are understanding my point. Like I said enough said. Why bother poking on websites? then read my last comment, obviously you were not paying attention..... I really don't care about reviews or reviewers. there no such thing as conspiracy theories and allegations of corruption, there is only truth........ only hidden from public....i would tell you what my job is and perhaps you would shut up, but i would be jeopardizing myself and there is no need for that. no need to be here fighting for it. end off. Cheers and peace
@Gelugon_baat you claim to have a better knowledge about the incident than me... its good to be full of certain, but do you really know about that better than me. i doubt it. Jeff was not the guilty... I admire hes truthful review... Reviewers scare to give bad reviews to big name publishers just in case the same happens...its not the reviewers fault, its the big bosses that are constantly on their asses, all they care (so does everyone else) is money and profit. I refuse to rely on reviews from any website to judge a game. i make my own judgement by playing it. I think most of gamers are the same. Only thing i do when comin to websites like gamespot is to look at good videos and screenshots. the rest is sham.... enough said.
@Gelugon_baat your a sad person and need to wake up. look at this : http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/246679-10-screw-gamespot-crooks-liars
@Gelugon_baat Why the anxiety? are you working for gamespot? a journalist pherhaps? or just a nob that don't have anything else to do?
@twztid13 I got my own sources to say that.... IGN follows the same path.... unfortunately...Oh well never mind. Not worth arguing over this....
5 Like Aaaand another round of whining and moaning over the low score of a game you obviously already own and know and like and want to see validated by others. If you like it, fine, if not, then a high score won't make your purchase less of a waste of money. Read the reviews, ignore the score. Babies.
2 Like I ve been looking the last reviews in Gamespot, and one game that had the same sovore, 6,5 was Lollipop Chainsaw, really? they have the same Fu#$ing score? are kidding me?
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1 Like @Gelugon_baat are you monitorating these comments here? nobody can say anythling about the bad score made by Gamespot that you are there to defend it? Is it you kevin Vanord?
Surely you understand that Kevin would face remarks from people saying he IS a fanboy if he gave it a higher score, and many thought it was undeserved. Since he puts up with that no matter what his review score is, he most likely goes with what he truly believes & let the chips fall where they may. Just my opinion.
@Gelugon_baat hahaha... i never asked to change it, i just don't agree, could have said that he loves Hittler, he'll be an idiot, but still i won't tell him to change...
@Gelugon_baat Yes. you're the one who said that is the protector of the opinions!
And when you do some idiot thing, i'll call you idiot.. wait, are you really idiot, aren't you? hhahahahaha
1 Like @Gelugon_baat when i see something that i don't agree i give my opinion buddy... No, i'm not whining, if whining is give my opinion, so it's... but what do you want? that everybody enters here and say "oh Mr. Reviewer i'll never oppose your opinion, you're totally right!" You said about opinion, you're the one who doesn't respect others opinion, trying to say to the people what they should do... i just gave my opinion about the work of a professional, if his next review be good and consistend i'll congrat him, otherwise i'll criticize...
@SnappySnake and one more thing, if it's not important, why they do it? why are we reading it? IT IS IMPORTANT!
@SnappySnake aah... that's what i'm telling him buddy... if anyone come here thinking: "I'll read the FoC review, and see if it's worthy!", and come here and see this score won't even give the game a chance! most of people don't have time to search more for the game, in my opinion the score is essential, if you make a test where you do fine, and your classmate don't make so good as you and the valuer says that you get the same score that your classmate, would you say, "well, okay then, that's your opinion" and i didn't say that i won't buy it, I WILL! But it's a desappointing to see such a big site as GameSpot don't give the credits that it deserves, even when you don't like something as a game, like an RPG, you must recognize what is good as a professional, Kevin can't be a fanboy, he must be professional and analyze the game right!
1 Like @Gusz2 A good score is important? What, are you some kind of sheep? You'd take your advice from someone else's review without playing the game yourself and making your own opinion of the game? FINE. Be part of the flock of sheep and listen to the reviewers without ever picking up a game for yourself. Follow the thoughts that are given to you. Do not think for yourself.
2 Like @Gelugon_baat I have my doubts...
i repeat, you despise the likes of me, who can't take a diffrent opinion.. so i should enter here and just agree? If i don't agree i won't just stay quiet, i've got my own opinion! Scores are made to compare, it's like a test of 0,0 to 10 that's it...and you everytime that i enter here and see a good or great game being downgraded i'll give my opinion, because many people don't have time to analyze a game, so a good score is important! it's not math, but somethings aren't so diferent, how come all other sites gave a 8,0 to 8,5? Are they kind? WTF...
@Gelugon_baat are you following me or what? so.. that's the point buddy, COMPARISON, have compared these two games? Compare and answer later!
1 Like In my opinion, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is yet another disappointment for a Transformers video game from High Moon Studios for the Playstation 3, because it was port poorly. How can they screw up the Transformers franchise yet they did justice to the Bourne franchise with Robert's Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy makes no sense to me.
@interrasteral7 For many PS3 gamers, it works and looks great. It's a minority having issues, HMS have acknowledged the problem, but maybe you should help them fix it by emailing them at feedback@transformersgame.com instead of ranting about it somewhere they'll probably never see?
WTF... These last of Reviews of Gamespots are kin... idiot, i dunno... only strange Scores, the game is great, why 6,5???
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1 Like so... that's why.... and tell me why all the other sites game unless score 8,0 to this game, can you answer mighty Gamespot's Greatest Fanboy?
@Gusz2 @Gelugon_baat When it comes to an opinion about a game, there is NO right and wrong (Journey being the exception that proves the rule, because any dislike for the game is provably false). EVERY person, reviewer or otherwise, will have a different opinion. Also, NO, an individual reviewer does NOT always speak for their entire site.
I, personally, have the PS3 version and haven't, with my copy of the game on my PS3 with my TV, had anywhere near the issues this reviewer has mentioned. The majority of reviews, even PS3 specific ones, make no mention of the problems. BUT it's mentioned on most forums for the game, and has been acknowledged by the developers themselves, that there are problems FOR SOME PEOPLE which have a significant negative impact.
If you want a LEGITIMATE argument against the score, the above can be taken in context and mentioned, since it was known BEFORE RELEASE that a small minority of PS3 players were having graphical problems, and that HMS were working on it for the release version. If the reviewer had done their research (even reading up about the game on their own forums would have been a nice start), they probably wouldn't have treated the "bad porting" of the PS3 version as quite such a serious flaw.
@Gelugon_baat there's Wrong and Right, oh yes sir, there is! but it's just the guy who Review it? i don't think so, his opinion represents the site's opinion!! You say that you defend anyone's opinion, but you see the other's comments and reply like the person can't complain about the score, it's my opinion, i don't you defend it? oh, because you despise the likes of me, that have got own opinion... what you say, doesn't make sense, you protect the other's opinions but you can't accept the likes of me...
@Gelugon_baat so... you mean that all the other reviewers are wrong and gamespot is right? Are they more capable to review? i don't get it then, you don't agree with GameSpot, and with me either, but you defend them... why are you against the "likes" of me? if you wish the others to respect the opposing opinion, why can i oppose GS opinion? wow... you're an idiot..
3 Like I think the big difference for a lot of Transformers fans, such as myself, is that we already have a lot of characterization associated with each different playable character, so we have been filling in the gaps ourselves where the game comes up short. For TF fans, this game is an easy 9.0 (at least it is to me so far). The characterizations that I have so far encountered jive really well with what I already think of the characters, so it's nice to see them behave and talk in a way that I was hoping to see.
The gameplay itself is definitely a HUGE step up from WFC. I've only touched the main campaign so far and I have been enjoying the hell out of it. The set piece challenges have been a lot of fun, and exploring around looking for recordings and blueprints has been fun too.
The SUPER HUGE BOT that shows up during the first few chapters is a super well done sequence. I absolutely loved it when it happened, because I really didn't see it coming until very shortly before it happened. I knew he was in the game, but assumed he might not show up until later.
@palass_96 @Bgrngod good job numb-nuts!! some people haven't played this game yet and now you ruin the surprise!! and Yes, I hold both you you responsible for this travesty!!! at least Palass_96 didn't out right give it way way, but ruined when it happened... he stabbed with the knife, you (Bgrngod) just twisted the knife till the surprise was killed. Good Game...
@JunoWalker @palass_96 @Bgrngod Oh, you mean the demo that INCLUDED THE METROPLEX TRAILER? That demo? Yeah...
@JunoWalker Omg spoiler! I've got news for you. Metroplex has been in Transformers since the 80s so he is a pretty well know character. Plus if your going to cuss spell the word right because it makes you look like a moron.
@JunoWalker @obliviondoll @palass_96 If you like surprises to much then perhaps you shouldn't be soaking up all the info in a comments section...
@obliviondoll @palass_96 @Bgrngod And Maybe, just maybe, some of us didn't ever watch anything about the game except play the demo. And therefore you facked it all up!! Why play the game if you watch someone else play through it in different gameplay vids. I only check the vids if I'm still unsure after the review and there's no demo. Otherwise I like to find out what happens as I play the damn game seeing hows I coughed up $60 and I want my monies worth!!
@JunoWalker @palass_96 @Bgrngod Yeah, total spoiler that wasn't mentioned in any of the pre-release trailers... OH WAIT!
But they never had multiple previews centred around his appearance... OH WAIT!
Pretty sure the devs spoiled that one all on their own. Multiple times over. It's about as big a surprise as seeing Grimlock after he's been plastered all over the box.
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Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
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- Publisher(s): Activision
- Developer(s): High Moon Studios
- Genre: Action
- Release:
- ESRB: T
Transformers: Cybertron Navigation
