It's...uh...rated T by the way. Also PEGI 12.
As popular as Transformers are, you'd think that the concept would be perfect for a video game and other entertainment mediums: giant, colorful, transforming robots battle each other for robo-glory/Earth/Cybertron! A truck fights a jet--but WAIT! They're both bipedal robots now? Huh?! Sadly, it's not that simple, as Michael "Explosions Everywhere" Bay has proven, along with the various vapid games that accompanied the live-action films. High Moon Studios had two rock solid Transformers titles in Fall of Cybertron and War for Cybertron, but with the void recently filled with such robo-wreckage like Rise of the Dark Spark, who would dare answer the call? Thankfully, PlatinumGames of Bayonetta and Vanquish fame has arrived to dole out the nostalgia trip that is Transformers: Devastation!
Graphics
The first thing you'll notice about Devastation is the art style. "Where are the incomprehensible metallic bundles of angst?" Bay film fans may whisper to themselves (as I sob quietly and watch The Rock again, wishing Michael "Money Over Everything" Bay and Nic Cage would reunite). Well, out with the old, in with the...well, older I suppose. The animation hearkens back to the 1980s cartoon, commonly referred to as part of "G1" (generation 1) by the fans who grew up smashing together plastic Autobots and Decepticons. I, however, did not grow up alongside the likes of Optimus Prime and Starscream. I smashed together Batman: The Animated Series figurines instead. And, perish the thought, mixed Star Wars figures with them! The personal nostalgia factor here is low, though if you are a huge fan of the 80's cartoon you ought to do yourself a favor and go buy this immediately. It is the cartoon through the lens of modern technology, allowing for animation that comes alive and jumps off the television. Simply put, this is the cartoon in controllable form. Unlike past Transformer titles, where shootouts could be "flusterclucks" at times as you fired at what seemed to be other metallic objects firing back at you (as everything had a bunch of shiny moving parts), the style is clear so you can differentiate between friend and foe. Though aside from a few occasions where an NPC transformer joins in on the fun, you won't really need any help figuring out who to fight. The animations are fluid and vary across the numerous enemy types and controllable heroes, with the best animations often reserved for the slick transformations. Optimus Prime striking one enemy and instantly morphing into vehicle form to smash another is always satisfying.
Sideswipe unwinding at the end of the day, basking in the sunset!
While the animations and characters look great, there are a few problems with the cartoon palate. The environments are sometimes repetitive-looking arenas with little variation. As exciting as the robo-battles can look, the backgrounds are a bit blank and do not have the same attention to detail as the transformers and their movements. There are some fantastical settings, sure, but chasing Decepticons through the same sections of Earth on multiple occasions had my crying out for more variety. However, I noticed that this is similar to the cartoon, and though the game is negatively affected by the lack of new areas, fans will appreciate that the environments are not too busy, resembling the simple set-ups of old. No over-complicated transformations here, just a good, clean, simple, and vibrant cartoon animation style that fits well and offers a nice change of pace from past titles. I never ran across any slowdown or screen tearing either, so the fluidity was never hindered. The graphical package was my favorite part of the experience!
Sound
The sound design of the game is well done, with many voice actors from the original cartoon reprising their roles and other roles being filled out by solid soundalikes. Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime has the expected wise, booming voice, and though some voices are on the annoying side, they fit the cartoon theme ably. Fans will love to hear the characters sounding the same decades later, and I appreciated the care that went into crafting the performances that so closely hew to the original series. The metallic cracks and clangs of battle are captured well enough, and the music (unsurprisingly) recalls the guitar-based rock that fills the show. Aside from the guitar-shredding that accompanies most of the game, some scenes include a softer orchestral score that is a bit generic but plays its part well enough. Some riffs got the blood (or oil?) pumping, but after a few hours, some shredding tunes became a bit much. I didn't love the music all the way through, but I enjoyed the high-octane score in certain places. I particularly enjoyed the Ark theme, which has layers of sound stripped away as you progress further into the customization menus, going from crunchy guitars into an percussion-based electronic pulse. A nice touch indeed.
That burger looks scrumptious, and I don't even like burgers all that much!
Gameplay and Story
In classic cartoon fashion, the Transformers plot is wonderfully simple. The Autobots (the good robots) fight the Decepticons (bad robots) in an attempt to protect the Earth and its people. Note: you will never see any people in the game, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. They are apparently evacuated almost instantly when the Decepticons arrive, so no Shia LaBeefBrisket here. The plot beats lead to boss encounters, the bosses are defeated, and the Autobots live to fight another day. If you're looking for a riveting storyline, you should know better! This truly is a cartoon game, with the villains discussing their evil plans for extended periods of time. I had flashbacks to my brother watching the Yu-Gi-Oh cartoon, with each villain explaining away their motivations and exact plans for 16 of the episode's 20 minute running time. I chuckled at some of the bad puns and insults some of the transformers throw at each other, though I'll leave them for you to discover in all their cheesy glory (if you purchase the game).
Thankfully I screenshot an A rank! These show the side scrolling and isometric sections.
On the gameplay side of things, Transformers definitely bears the stamp of PlatinumGames, and that's a wonderful thing. Aside from the forgettable detour that was the Legend of Korra game, Platinum has created a couple of the best melee-focused experiences of the last console generation, including Bayonetta, Vanquish, Anarchy Reigns, and Metal Gear: Revengeance (yes that's a real game name). The aforementioned titles contain loads of fast-paced action and strong melee combat, and Devastation is no exception. The combo-based system provides numerous ways to dismantle the pesky Decepticons, and it's satisfying enough that it rarely becomes repetitive. It's responsive, fast, and great fun to look at. I particularly enjoyed the slow-mo that occurs when you dodge an enemy at the perfect moment (much like in Bayonetta), allowing you to get in a few more hearty attacks with speed on your side. The slow motion effect that accompanies the destruction of the final enemy in an encounter is also a nice touch, as it transitions from combat into a small score display for your past fight. It doesn't have the same complexity that Revengeance or Bayonetta both bear, which is a little disappointing, but the less precise combat allows for a more casual approach to be taken, at least on the lower difficulties. An easy game, this is not. In some ways, the game’s length works to its advantage, as the game mechanics don’t have much time to grow stale, although the earthly locations do. With five playable characters, the bite-sized length of the game becomes more palatable.
Had the game contained one character and the same amount of content available, I’m not sure I could recommend this to non-fans or even some cost-conscious (read: cheap like me) individuals at such a price. The move sets differ across each playable character, soothing the sting of the main game's short runtime of around 5 hours (not counting the 50 level challenge mode, which takes place in areas pulled straight from the campaign mode). They offer a multitude of options in combat, and they all handle uniquely and well-enough that you’ll want to spend time playing as each of them, which means you'll likely play through the main story mode more than once. I played the game mostly as Sideswipe on my first run, due to his combo of speed and medium strength, but Grimlock was good fun, as instead of transforming into a car or jet or computer, he transforms into a raging robo-dinosaur. The ranged combat works pretty seamlessly into battles, and the number of ranged weapons at your disposal is most excellent. The most surprising part of the game for me was how well the Transformers control in vehicle form; the combat is tight and moves fluidly, and the vehicular forms handle almost as well. You don't feel like you're attempting to turn an aircraft carrier on a dime, steering a wayward pirate ship like you're in Tokyo Drift. Thankfully, throughout all of this action, the camera does a solid job following your character at even the most heated moments. It failed me only a couple of times, and never frustrated me.
Grimlock may not be the sharpest, but he makes up for it with brute force!
The loot system, though a welcome addition, is a bit disappointing, with most weapons not even worth an equip in their initial state, rather requiring you to synthesize weapons back at base. I appreciated that there were numerous melee and ranged weapons to level up and equip, adding different play styles to master, and I was pleased to grab so many weapons initially, but I spent more time combining them into slightly better weapons than actually enjoying the different approaches they allow. The RPG-lite elements were also unexpected and welcome, such as leveling up your character and buying new moves, but far more time should have been committed to fleshing out these aspects of the game. Side scrolling and isometric sections don't make for worthwhile changes of pace as these sections are not substantial nor quite as effective/fun as I’d hoped. The platforming and very light puzzle-solving elements, which don't come into play too often, are serviceable; they are certainly not as stimulating as the combat. The few chase sections, where you maneuver your vehicle in high-speed pursuit of those damn Decepticons, fit most comfortably aside the combat encounters. Just a few more dollars in the budget and I think PlatinumGames Inc. could have made the game a truly essential purchase for even non-fans (okay, a few million more dollars). Co-op would have been a wonderful addition, and it would also have been sweet to have a fully destructible cityscape to battle through. Maybe next time!
Where there's smoke, there's fire. And towering robot arms.
Even with a short runtime, Devastation has some spectacular fun packed in. It's relatively linear and straightforward, allowing enough leeway in environments to compel you to search for collectibles and "mini" side missions (often a quick target practice challenge or the like). More than one playable character almost always helps the value as well. It's an easy recommendation to Transformer cartoon fans, as it admirably resembles the 80's toon, but for the length, it may be a stretch purchase for those unfamiliar with Transformers. I believe I owned a Sideswipe figure as a kid, along with a couple cheap ones that probably came with a fast food meal. I saw the bits of the CG Beast Wars as well, and found the concept cool at my young age. I also watched a minuscule amount of the cartoon from the early 2000's, but aside from these instances and the negative experiences from the last three Bay entries in the film canon, I have little prior knowledge of Transformers; I know some of the main protagonists and villains, and that's pretty much it, yet I still enjoyed it. It's a good all-around action title, but, coming from a non-fan, the $49.99/£39.99 price point may be a bit steep for the amount of content for other non-fans. It almost made a real fan out of me, though! Until next time, keep riding the wave. The SOUNDwave! (pun intended, but hastily apologized for)
7.75 out of 10
Graphics: They pop! It's a cartoon feast for the eyes, as simple as some elements might be, like several nondescript backgrounds.
Sound: The guitar-based music grated a bit on me by the end of the game, but it fits well with the 80s cartoon it's hearkening back to, as does the aces voiceover work. Some performances are a bit..."robotic." (forgive me!)
Story: Not a strong suit of the title, but that's sort of the point in this case. Save the Earth and get back the ultra-powerful technology that was misappropriated by the Decepticons.
Gameplay: Smooth controls and combat. There's enough variety that a sense of repetition did not set in until the end of my first go-round. Multiple playable characters strengthens the replayability factor, as they are unique enough to each warrant a lengthy try.
Replayability: The main game clocks in at around 5 hours, though higher difficulties bring tougher Decepticons to do battle with. The 50 challenges do a solid job of adding value, but for $49.99/£39.99, you may want to a wait for a sale if you're not a big fan of action games or Transformers.
Reviewed on Xbox One with a review copy rented (old-school!) by me. All screenshots captured via my personal Upload.
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