Transformers: War for Cybertron

Since I am in fact something of a mega-dork I have a strong passion for the Transformers. I grew up as most of my generation did playing with the toys and watching the cartoons. In 2007 Michale Bay brought us his take on the franchise which wasn't half bad. Last year he tried it again and it was...well it was very bad. Fast forward to 2010 and you see the release of Transformers: War for Cybertron, a game promising to be a solid Transformers experience. Is this game lame, or is there more than meets the eye? (yeah, Im that lame.)

The game takes place way, way before any of what we have seen with the Transformers Universe. A couple million years, in fact. The war between the Autobots and the Decepticons is in full swing, and things aren't looking so good for the Autobots. The
Decepticon leader Megatron has tons of new followers ready to do his bidding and the brave Autobot leader Zeta Prime has fallen in battle. So, its time for our hero Optimus Prime to step up and save the day. The game contains two campaigns; an Autobot campaign and a Decepticon campaign. Each has their own individual story and is quite lengthy. While there isnt a whole lot wrong with the story itself, I could have liked to have seen a richer story line. The game kind of presents itself how it is and events unfold before your eyes. While this isnt bad, I am sure they could have done a little better with it.

The gameplay is top notch using the Unreal Engine that powered games such as Gears of War. War for Cybertron is essentially a 3rd person shooter. It is what it is and it does it well. Expect tons of action and a TON of explosions. The combat is very, very fast paced and can get very confusing at times, so be ready for almost anything. Your character can carry two weapons at a time and has a melee attack that can be accessed by the right stick. The left stick is used for transformations which are very, very cool and slick. Transformation from robot to vehicle in combat has never been so awesome. Yet another thing they have done right this time around.

The graphics in the game are good. Not perfect though. There are some issues with the screen rippling when the camera is panning, but then again that might just be my TV. The amount of lag is next to none. This is amazing considering all of the hectic action that is happening on screen. One aspect that really stood out to me is the look of the Transformers and their world. All of the bots are extremely classic. They are a mix of "generation 1" and Michale Bay's new take on them. Luckily we get more "generation 1" in the mix so the hardcore fans will be pleased. All of the voice acting in the game is very well don with the original Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen, reprising his role.

In short, Transformers: War for Cybertron is a big love letter to the fans. It has all of the look and feel that IS Transformers. Hopefully we see a sequel where are of the small bumps are smoothed out. While it isn't perfect, this really is the Transformers game that we have been waiting for.
I give it a 9/10.