by the ESRB
Fall of Cybertron Rises Above Movie Tie-ins
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For years now many games that were tied in with movies have struggled to make any impression on me and other gamers whatsoever. Transformers: Fall Of Cybertron has changed my outlook on games that have movie tie-ins.
The graphics in Fall Of Cybertron are excellent, especially considering what I expected to find. It's probably the first thing you will notice. When I first started playing Transformers I immediately noticed the detail and makeup of the autobots. It was spectacular.
The best example of this was when I first saw Bumblebee. He looks so real, I felt as a gamer that I was really in control of him every time I got to play his character. If you have played the transformer series before, it would certainly be noticeable that Bumblebee has been upgraded considerably. It's easy to spot.
The first time Bumblebee transformed into a car from his autobot form, I felt I was really driving, and had one of those rare experiences that gamers remember their whole lives. That experience was feeling like I was there in the game, really taking part in the battles.
And it never got boring visually either. Throughout the game, each battlefield has a unique look to it. Overall, I say the graphics are spectacular from the weapons to the autobots themselves to the environment.
The audio in Transformers certainly stood out too. When I first heard Optimus Prime speak, I felt as if I was having a real conversation with him. The only complaint I had with the audio is that the weapons could have had a little more bass in them. Other than that, the audio was excellent. Hearing the thundering footsteps of the Transformers was truly amazing.
Look, I know a lot of games have spectacular audio, but the Transformers take it to a new level. I didn't feel like I was playing in my living room. I felt I was on Cybertron. There are not many games that truly impress me audio-wise, but Transformers easily did.
Gameplay for Transformers was one of many features that truly made me want to continuously play this one nonstop. Transformers certainly isn't your typical title. You have to use the strengths of your character in order to succeed.
The third person shooting, along with excellent and varied objectives is just one of many things that makes it so fun. The campaign mode is excellent. Objectives such as gathering supplies to keep various parts of the autobot ship going made the game awesome. Not to mention the controls on Transformers are truly smooth, and this is one thing that separates a good game from a great one.
The one thing that I know a lot of gamers will be disappointed in with Transformers is that there is no cooperative play. But there is little reason to worry, because Optimus Prime brings a full crew along for the whole experience. I didn't really miss playing with friends, though it would have been nice to have this included in some way. In place of this, we do get Escalation mode. That allows players to fight against increasing waves of enemies to try and defeat them. For those who crave action even over story, Escalation mode will be key.
I think Transformers is truly a fun game to play, especially if you are a big Transformers fan, but really anyone can enjoy it. I'll admit that I was skeptical at first because the Transformers series never really impressed me before. But The Fall of Cybertron changed my mind. Even if you have written off this series in the past, its worth another look now.
Overall, I gave Transformers: The Fall of Cybertron four out of five GiN Gems. I was truly impressed with the gameplay, and just about everything else with this game. I hope that other movie tie-in titles take note, because this is how you do it. The developers at High Moon Studios really outdid themselves. It's a solid title with a lot of replay value.
Jordan Smith loves any game that has to do with sports, fighting, or any high-octane action title.
Jordan Smith, Activision, High Moon Studios, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC