Time To Roll Out:

For those who own the PS3 version of Transformers, before you actually do get to roll out, you will need to install the game. This can take up to 20 minutes by the time it is finished. You can pick either the Decepticon or the Autobots to start the game. The chapters are in order, so if you want to have the full experience of the game, you are forced to start as a Decepticon. This is not a bad thing at all. You certainly do not need to go through the 5-7 hour campaign alone, so you can go on XBL or PSN and Co-Op with your friends. Unfortunately there is no option for split screen Co-Op, but who does that anymore?

Soundwave Reporting:

If you have ever heard my opinions on voice acting then you know that I absolutely hate bad voice acting in video games. I thank the gods that in Transformers: War for Cybertron we do not have bad voice acting at all. Cheesy lines and sometime monotone voices sure, but we should be used to it by now having watched Transformers since the early 80's. You can hear the different personality of each Decepticon and Autobot as you are going through the campaign. Like the Decepticon, Breakdown, where in one of the missions you can hear him whine at a small section of the level and when you complete it, Breakdown is relieved and Megatron response is “Yes Breakdown, your incessant whining has seen us through.” I am glad that they didn't leave out the humor in the game so it wouldn't feel so cold in a world like Cybertron. Of course it does help when you have voice actors like Peter Cullen to make the game that much more memorable.

Why Don't You Take A Look At Him?:

Not only did High Moon Studios get it with the way the game sounds, but they nailed it right on the head with the way they look. Yes, they don't look like what they were in the original Transformers back in the 80's before they landed on Earth. But they do have that War Within look to them, which I really like. The game is being run on the Unreal Engine 3 and you would think the game would be a bit more colorful and smooth. In this case the world is more gray and dark than you would find in any other Transformers game. It is certainly nothing how it is in the live-action games. The character models really come to life when you are idling and you see parts moving on their bodies. Sure there are times where you will notice where there might be a few slowdowns or graphical errors but it does not affect the overall experiences of the game.

Help Me Take Control:

The controls are simple. If you have played Gears of War or something similar to a 3^rd person shooter, then you will get used to the controls easily. The controls are solid enough where you will barely have any issues. By issues I mean getting used to the layout of the buttons as they are about as simple as it could get. The one thing you will have to get used to is having your character a bit off center to the left. In the grand scheme of things, it should not affect your game play at all. With the amount of different weapons in the game, you will be able to play the game in your own style. It ranges from your typical sniper rifles to a Gatling gun. Even with such a large armory, I found myself using the gun that was best suited for the mission or boss battle I was about to encounter.

More Than Meets The Eye:

Transformers: War for Cybertron has joined the ranks of many games and added a multiplayer component into the game. An aspect I really enjoyed was the "Create a Transformer" that allows you to create an Autobot and a Decepticon in one of the following four classes that they have in the game - Scout (Fast cars), Scientist (Planes), Leader (Large Rigs) and Soldier (Tanks). You can spec out your class the way you want to play your character online. The leveling system is similar to pretty much any other multiplayer game that has a leveling system. The better you do the higher the experience points you receive.

There are different modes that are available for you when you are online. Of course, you have your typical “Death Match” and “Team Death Match,” but along with that you have “Conquest.” Conquest is a capture-and-hold style mode. It is similar to the conquest mode in Star Wars Battlefront. In the mode “Countdown to Extinction,” players need to take the active bomb and place it at the enemy base. “Power Struggle” is the game's equivalent to Capture the Flag. “Code of Power” is a mode where in two and a half minutes rounds, teams vie for a giant melee weapon.

There is another mode in the game that surprised me was present.  Entitled "Escalation," the best way to describe this mode is to say this - If you have played the Gears of War "Horde" mode, you are prepared to take on "Escalation." Non-stop waves of robots attack you until you are defeated. Sounds about right.

Prime I Think We Have A Problem:

There are a couple of things that really bugged me about the game. In the single player campaign you will find yourself looking for the one thing that is important in any shooter - ammo. There were times where I found myself using melee just to conserve ammo for the next group of enemies I was about to face. Yes, you may have to do a bit of searching just to find ammo, but normally you will be able to find something either right before/after a battle.

Another thing is when you create a Transformer you will find that you can customize your character's weapons and abilities, but you can't change their looks at all. What you see is what you get and I was hoping you could customize a bit more. Can you imagine it? Optimus Prime's head on Megatron's body. Or a modified Starscream head on a modified BumbleBee body. Oh to have the ability to customize would be great.

My Take:

After going through Transformers: War for Cybertron I can say that I am really glad I was able to pick this game up. I can safely say that it is by far the best Transformers game that has ever been released. It is such a fan service game that I want to personally thank High Moon Studio for making this game the way they did. Is it worth the 60 dollars? For the die-hard transformers fans and those who like to play online, then yes it is. It does have its flaws, but they are very minor and are overshadowed by the retro feel that you experience when you are going through the game. Overall it is a solid rent at least and worth giving it a shot.

Transformers: War for Cybertron was developed by High Moon Studio and published by Activision for the PS3, XBox 360, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, and PC on June 22^nd. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes. I played through the entire single player mode on normal and played a few rounds online and have "Escalation" mode a couple of times.