Prime brought friends for the sequel.
As hard as it is to believe, Hasbro’s Transformers have been around for over 25 years. Wee lads and lasses who wiled away many an afternoon staging epic Cybertronian battles have grown into adults with little children of their own. And just like its audience, the Transformers brand has undergone its fair share of changes over the years. From the computer-generated wizardry of Beast Wars to the Michael Bay blockbusters… the Transformers have become an indelible part of popular culture. That said, utter the word ‘Transformers‘ to fans, and chances are they’ll go back to the where it all began.
This period of Transformers history, commonly referred to as Generation One,  begins with the Autobots and Decepticons awakening on Earth after millions of years in stasis. Over the course of the animated series, it’s explained that civil war turned their home planet into a barren hunk of metal. High Noon Studio’s two Transformers games delve into the events which led them to our planet. While a good game, 2010’s War for Cybertron was riddled with issues such as a repetitive singleplayer campaign and uninspired visual design. For the most part, Fall of Cybertron fixes these issues and does an admirable job of building on its predecessors strong points.
Picking up shortly after the events of the first game, FoC depicts a planet in its death throes. The Autobots are scrambling to evacuate the planet and the Decepticons are hellbent on keeping them there. Instead of two separate campaigns, FoC features a single interwoven experience which sees the player controlling various Autobots and Decepticons. This results in a more coherent and impactful narrative.
This shifting perspective also drives the entire campaign’s level design. Unlike the first game’s endless shooting galleries, each character possesses a unique ability which fundamentally alters their playing style. High Noon Studios has crafted each level based on a specific character’s abilities, ensuring that each chapter feels different from the last. Â Stand-outs include the Cliffjumper and Jazz chapters which have been designed to prominently feature their respective invisibility and grappling hook abilities. Then there’s Bruticus and Grimlock…
This isn’t going to end well.
Bruticus is a Decepticon combiner who boasts a melee attack and a flamethrower. Grimlock wields an energo sword in robot mode and transforms into a fire-breathing Tyrannosaurus Rex. Both are gargantuan walking tanks who can deal and withstand tremendous amounts of damage. And playing as both is an absolute blast.
Playing as Grimlock involves managing a rage meter, which allows him to transform into his T-Rex mode when filled. In his alt mode, Grimlock is capable of even more devastation, chomping enemies to pieces in a single bite. The developers have done an amazing job in imbuing both titans with a dizzying sense of brute strength whilst maintaining gameplay balance. Unfortunately, the Bruticus and Grimlock chapters feel a little brief, leaving the gamer with a sense of bitterness towards whoever the next character is. I’d often find myself getting comfortable with a character, learning the ins and outs of their abilities, only to realise that the chapter was over and I was back to square one. However, all is forgiven once you hit the final chapter. This chapter sees the player jumping between multiple characters in succession, deploying all the abilities they have come across in an epic conclusion which nicely bridges the games and the classic animated series.
High Noon has also added a new role-playing wrinkle to the series. Players can choose to spend collected energon shards to upgrade their weapons and gear. This is done through Teletraan terminals scattered throughout the game world. You can choose to upgrade your primary rifle with more ammo in the clip, boost the damage on a heavy weapon or add permanent perks such as a reduced cooldown time on character abilities. It serves to encourage repeat playthroughs and might provide newcomers with the edge to tackle higher difficulty levels.
The biggest knock against FoC is the removal of co-op campaign. Although disappointing, it’s an understandable concession given the renewed focus on crafting a more engaging story. Any lost replay value is also negated by the multiplayer suite and Escalation mode.
The multiplayer and Escalation modes have not changed a great deal from WfC’s, but it’s just as fun as it ever was. As with most games post-COD4, the multiplayer features a persistent career which rewards continued play with unlocks such as weapons , abilities and perks. The four character classes add an element to strategy and the ability to transform ensures that FoC‘s multiplayer is distinct from all the other military shooters on the market.
Escalation is FoC‘s answer to Gears of War‘s Horde mode. It’s become a staple of shooters and work remarkably well in the Transformers universe. It’s incredibly fun taking out waves of enemies with a couple of friends. Each kill earns credits which can be used to purchase equipment or unlock new areas of the map. This can lead to some interesting situations where teamwork and strategy becomes a necessity to survive and progress.
Playing as Grimlock is as fun as it looks.
Built on the Unreal Engine, FoC  is quite the visual jump from its predecessor. Each character spots a great amount of detail with shifting pistons, gears and transformation animations which rival the handiwork of Industrial Light and Magic. The designers have obviously taken some of the criticism levied at WfC to heart, creating some interesting and varied locales to battle in. From an ancient Cybertronian tomb to a holographic star map chamber… there’s a surprising amount of variety peppered in with all that rusted metal. There are still moments when I found myself turned around because of one too many metal corridors, but it’s far less frequent. The frame-rate occasionally stuttered during large scale battle sequences and there were instances of texture pop-in, but it was never game breaking.
The score is reminiscent of many action films; loud and bombastic. It’s a functional, but unmemorable piece of work which simply exists to fill in the moments of silence with deafening clashes. Â Thankfully, the sound effects are punchy and possess the necessary amount of weight. The only gripe is that some of the heavy weapons can feel a little weak when compared to the primary weapons.
Peter Cullen returns as the sagely Optimus Prime and Gregg Berger voices Grimlock for the first time in 25 years. Other cast members include Fred Tatasciore, Nolan North and Steven Blum. In general, the voice acting is pretty solid, but does venture into hammier territory on occasion. The dialogue is crammed with easter eggs from the animated movie and is sure to bring a smile to any fans’ face.
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is a fun, but flawed game. It demonstrates the potential of the license and is sure to entertain fans of the series. Only one question remains: where does High Noon go from here?
This game was reviewed on Xbox 360.
