Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Demo Impressions
I’ve never been that big of a Transformers fan. I never watched the show, rarely bought the toys, and cannot stand the Michael Bay films. However, there is something inherently satisfying about seeing giant robots turn each other into scrap metal while turning into cars. And while the Transformers franchise has seen its fair share of crappy tie-in games, 2010′s Transformers: War for Cybertron from High Moon Studios was rather well received. So, upon noticing that a demo had been released for the upcoming sequel Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, I decided to check it out.
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron may be the surprise shooter of the year.
The Transformers: Fall of Cybertron demo allows players to try out two different missions, one from the Autobots’ campaign and one from the Decepticons’ campaign. For the Autobots segment, players take control of Bumblebee aboard an Autobots ship fleeing from Decepticons. Naturally, the Decepticons board the ship and begin laying waste to all of the good guys. This portion of the demo is your standard 3rd person shooter affair, taking potshots at enemies from cover. At several points, you’ll be forced to transform into your vehicle mode to speed around the ship following waypoints to your destination. Granted, even though it was the tutorial, this part of the demo felt like it was trying to hold the player’s hand too much. The scope of the action is very cool though, as Bumblebee does his one-man army routine through the ship, hellbent on assisting Optimus Prime. And while the Autobots segment felt a little mediocre, the Decepticon portion of the demo really left me with a good impression.
In the Decepticon campaign segment, you play as Vortex, a helicopter-based bot. When your mission starts, you must fly behind a fellow Decepticon, weaving in and out of incoming laser fire into different pathways. Eventually, you reach ground and fight off a few Autobots before your’re given a task to complete in a large, open room. The room is littered with enemies on walkways, so I walked forward to engage them. However, I realized that I could change into my helicopter form, which opened up a slew of new tactics I could use. Firing rockets from the air, I took out several Autobots before changing back into a robot and taking the rest out from behind. I love Vortex’s transforming animation as it looks slick and happens near instantaneously, so i would often change from robot mode to vehicle mode just to close the gap with an enemy, and then switch back to perform my area clearing shockwave attack. I loved this concept a lot, and was a little sad when the demo ended shortly thereafter. However, if the rest of the game is anything like this part of the demo, then I absolutely cannot wait for the full game.
Much like its predecessor, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron has a multiplayer mode, also available in the demo. You can choose to play as one of four different multiplayer class archetypes (stealth, defensive, heavy weapons, and medic), each with different weapons and perks to unlock as you gain experience. The multiplayer is fast, frenetic, and fun, as you team up with other bots to annihilate the opposing team. There is quite a bit of a focus on teamwork, as medics end up being your best friend. However, I did extremely well when I played a stealth character, cloaking at just the right moment to surprise enemies with shotgun blasts then darting away in vehicle mode. Hopefully, I can convince some friends to ditch more traditional multiplayer games in order to play this. Again, if the full game’s multiplayer is still just as fun, I cannot wait.
The Transformers: Fall of Cybertron demo is, for the most part, short, sweet, and effective. The end of demo video shows several truly epic combat scenarios and, well, ROBOT DINOSAURS! I had a blast and its genuinely surprising to see a licensed property based game work so damn well, compared to what’s come before. You can give the demo a shot for yourself on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 now, and be sure to check the game out when it releases August 21st. Autobots, transform and roll out!
What did you think of the Transformers: Fall of Cybertron demo? Let us know in the comments!
