Until all are one
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron continues the story from War for Cybertron as the Autobots attempt to flee their dying planet. While the core game remains mostly intact from the original there have been enough changes this series another look.
The campaign follows the story of both the Autobots and Decepticons but this time is told through a more cohesive timeline. No longer are there separate Autobot and Decepticon campaigns but rather the entire story is told through individual characters. This is good as the story has a much more natural progression from beginning to end and allows the character to play through a variety of their favorite transformers. The bad part about all this is you no longer get to pick which transformer you get to play as each chapter is told from the perspective of a single character.
Each character feels unique each in his own way. Whether it’s in the way they move or the powers they are given. There are a couple powers that carryover between a few characters, with cloaking being the most common, but overall each character is given ample screen time and gives you just enough variety to not be bored.
During the campaign you’ll earn a form of credits in which to spend on a variety of upgrades and blueprints you’ll find throughout the 5-8 hour campaign, these upgrades persist between acts and factions and allow for a small level of customizability for the player to between characters. There are audio logs to be found throughout the environment as well to give a little back story of what your character or about the place they are in.
Playing as single character in the campaign is also one of the slight drawbacks of the campaign when compared to its predecessor. Lack of co-op campaign no longer means seeing the campaign online with a couple of friends but it does give it a nice sense of polish to the overall story. Also there is no “previously on” to catch players up who might be a bit rusty on the events of the first game.
While there is no campaign co-op play Escalation, horde mode, returns and seems to have remained mostly intact. Up to four players can compete against AI bots in wave based survival that at times can feel a little cheap. Players gain credits in which they can spend on upgrades in the map; whether that is purchasing ammo or health, weapon upgrades, or gadgets in which to help one survive just a little longer. The mode is fun but can be incredibly brutal when playing with pick up groups that aren’t coordinating through a headset.
Multiplayer returns as well with some significant but somewhat puzzling changes. The four core classes return but no longer does each class have vehicle ability. No more barrel rolling planes or scout cars flipping out of the way which in some ways is puzzling as none of the core vehicle abilities felt overpowered in the original game. Scouts can still cloak, leaders provide battlefield support, tanks still take and dish a lot of damage and Flyers zoom around the battlefield harassing enemy units. Flyers seem to have the most significant change to their class as they no longer can disguise as an enemy but seem to offer a better support role with their healing ability.
Leveling and upgrading seem mostly the same but the real change comes in the amount of customizability for each class. Gone are the two basic subtypes and now each piece of the body gets a decent variety of options to pick from. Upgrades are purchasing using credits earned through playing similar to Black Ops and there are even character load outs to pick from if you choose to go that way.
The biggest drawback about the multiplayer seems to be the maps. Some maps are just not made for some game modes and are either too large or too small. While those maps are few and far between it should be noted that the core game experience doesn’t change much. Each class never feels overpowered compared to another and there are a variety of items and paths to be found in throughout each map to make playing fun.
If you played and loved War for Cybertron there is only more to love here. From balanced competitive multiplayer, to Escalation, and well told campaign there is definitely something for everyone. Even if you haven’t played the first game but love Transformers you’ll definitely find something to keep you coming back. Now if you’ll excuse me I have some robots to kill.
