Transformers: Devastation
Developed by: PlatinumGames
Published by: Activision
Platforms: PC, XONE, X360 PS4, PS3
Rated: M
and reach lengths.
HEX
Transformers: Devastation is brought to us by PlatinumGames, makers of the Bayonetta series, known for their over the top fights, and minge montages.
BAJO
Rest assured, you won't be seeing any crotch montages from Optimums Prime, but you will get to punch some giant robots in the crotch, in what is a pretty crazy take on Transformers. Hex, you know I'm a mega G1 Transformers fan, and this game kind of came out of nowhere so I went in with tempered expectations. But it's actually a great 3D brawler!
HEX
Yeah, it really is! Insecticons are taking over Earth. They're trying to terraform it to become a new Cybertron; homeworld of the Transformers. Naturally, this is bad news for the human race.
BAJO
Yes, especially when Megatron gets wind of it. He's not a fan of humans, and sees this as an opportunity to wipe them all out and make earth their own, or his own.
HEX
The game then becomes a massive chase of sorts, bouncing around locations as the Autobots try to stop Megatron. And initially it does kind of feel like a bit of a movie tie-in game. The locations are a little bland and boxy, and the combat can be repetitive. But then the game forces you to go deeper.
BAJO
Yes - as the fights get more epic and complicated, the mechanics of the game slowly start to reveal themselves and become very important to master. This is a fighter first, with a few cutscenes and transition bits in between the battles. But there also some really inspired lines of dialogue. There's a good theme here - this is a story about a race who've been cut off from their dying homeland, trying to make peace with the natives and co-exist. These kinds of ideas were threaded through the original cartoon, and they allow for a lot of drama.
HEX
Well, let's talk about the combat. It's hard to learn, and even harder to master! You've got light and heavy attacks. Combos can chain in a vehicle move which are important to getting through fights. Each of the 5 playable Autobots have their own special move as well, such as shields or Sideswipe's dash. There's also a spectacular super move which you can activate once you've built up enough power through attacking. And in the big fights, you need to pretty much nail all of these fighting systems, while also constantly dodging and evading attacks.
BAJO
Yeah, this really is a game about countering and evading damage. And those bosses just do so much - a third of your health in one hit sometimes, while you're biggest moves do a sliver of damage. It's quite disheartening. And that's on normal difficulty!
HEX
On top of all that, there are some very expensive moves that you can purchase, and if you want to beat this on normal or higher then you'll need to buy and master them too.
BAJO
I like their approach to ranged weapons with this, because ammo is very limited, so you mostly use them to pick off flying enemies and get them to the ground. And this makes it a melee focused game, which is very different to the 'War for', and 'Fall of Cybertron' games, which are the only other Transformers games out there worth talking about.
HEX
I liked this Bajo, it felt good to punch robots instead of just shooting them. And it looks so great too.
BAJO
Doesn't it?! I love the choices they've made with the art. At times it looks almost identical to the 2D cartoon, but then everything has this slight 3D element to it.
HEX
I love how, when you beat a boss, you get their weapons. And there's heaps of gear to collect and upgrade too, which is essential to making it through the game.
BAJO
I found all the weapons, in particular, really reminded me of being a kid in the backyard and playing with these little toys and moving all the guns around. It's nice to see Grimlock in the game too - because he's one of my all time favourite Transfomers - but he's not as much fun as the other Autobots in this because he's not as mobile. But Hex, this was all about Bumblebee for me; that dash between the legs of Decepticons - so good.
HEX
The way the camera moves in these chaotic fights is quite sophisticated too. And that's quite an achievement, because usually 3D fighters are pretty frustrating in general, but they've nailed the right amount of assists and camera tracking, so you don't feel like you need to be readjusting all the time. My only criticism is that you can sometimes be a little too close - you know, it would be nice to see more of the action.
BAJO
Yeah, and a lot of the level design is repeated in small arenas, so you do feel a bit boxed in.
HEX
Yeah, the city zones in particular are like that. So, what did you think of this overall, Bajo?
BAJO
The difficulty imbalance is this game's biggest problem, it's just too easy on easy and too hard on normal. But even so, I think if you're a G1 Transformers fan, you kind of have to play this, for the spectacle alone, and the story even has a bit of heart. So, I'm giving it 3.5 stars.
HEX
I think they could've done a better job of just teaching players how all of the game's systems and upgrades work. But if you're into these kind of chaotic fighters, there is a lot to get stuck into here. Plus, you know, I'd put it in the top 3 Transformers games ever made. I'm giving it 3 out of 5 stars
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