Platinum perfect gameplay and Transformer fanservice galore.
Admittedly I am extremely biased when it comes to anything and everything Transformers related, being one of those kinds of fans of the franchise to the point where I feel no shame at all about the fact my life is practically defined by my love of everything that encapsulates it.
And alongside that I would say I'm pretty crazy about Platinum games too and this game is yet another incredibly polished very fun release of the popular studio's roster of fantastic titles. No-one understands character action the way they do and I think it's safe to say they have set the industry standard by now.
Devastation certainly is no exception but just like their previous lower-budget release based on the Korra franchise its clear they were only given a relatively modest development time and budget to work with on this title. As satisfying as the game is it certainly comes in on the short side of things with little else other than a single player campaign and a series of challenge maps to spend your time with. My initial play through clocked in just under five hours and that's only become shorter on repeat plays outside of my gradual goal of getting through on hard and extreme which certainly provides a much greater challenge than normal for those who seek it.
Like any Platinum game, or character action title in general you have your light faster attacks and heavier slower attacks, your combo moves, your specials and various weapons and items to augment your play style with those elements. The game features five playable characters each with a distinct special ability whether it be Optimus' sweep attack (in which he summons his trailer) or Sideswipes speedy dash alongside their super move that is gained from performing regular strikes until you have the ability to use it and is best saved for the likes of bosses or large groups of enemies you'd like to dispatch quickly.
The combo system itself isn't exactly in depth, with very simple inputs being required and as someone who has a long history of never being able to remember involved combo moves I appreciated this but at the same time wish their was just a little more attack variety, especially given you'll often be fighting the same exact enemies several times over and once you figure out the perfect rhythm of attacks and when to dodge and use your specials you'll soon have all the basic enemies easily dealt with.
Thankfully this is generally broken up very nicely by the numerous boss fights you'll come across from high speed flyers such as Starscream to towering giants like Devastator to the more interesting fights with guys like Shockwave who create environmental hazards to avoid.
And the distinct characters are certainly what always make Transformers what it is, so seeing so many show up in a single game is a real treat though any die-hard fan will surely be wishing countless more made an appearance. If ever their was a game I'd love to see a bigger and better sequel to this is it, especially with its more modern fan-focused inclusion of certain lore and story elements tying in to the various years of Transformer comics that helps to make the more standard G1 stuff that much better.
Additionally a loot system is present within Devastation which helps to provide many reasons to re-run the story mode over and over if loot lust is something that manages to hold your interest as it does me as doing so will grant you a whole range of weapon types, each with its own move sets though the inputs themselves for each rarely vary, they at least tend to have their own animations, showcasing the thing Platinum does best which really just comes down to every attack having that satisfying powerful feel when you pull it off successfully and always being presented in the most over the top but kick-ass way possible. I tend to prefer the faster sword weapons myself.
I'd also be remiss to not mention just how absolutely gorgeous this game is and not even in a technical sense as it's very standard in that regard but gets by on raw style with Platinum absolutely nailing what I consider to be the best 3D representation of Transformer characters (or 2D animated characters in general) I've ever seen in a game outside of the equally impressive Ninja Storm games. The way the cel-shading works on the bots in and out of their alt modes is just beautiful and I almost want an animated series alongside this that looks as nice.
Dotted throughout the story is plenty of references and in-jokes die hard TF fans will love and appreciate but the real question is can this game be a justifiable purchase for a more average person who isn't crazy about these cartoon robots? I'd say probably not. The game is short, simple and in my opinion, even as someone who absolutely loves every second of it, a little over priced right now. But certainly whenever you can find it for thirty five or less I very highly recommend it and perhaps even non-fans will then have an easier time checking it out.
Note: I actually played the PC version but GB for whatever reason has no option to select it, the port is absolutely perfect, no issues at all and plenty of settings to tweak if you so desire though seems to run great maxed out on my older machine.
