Transformers: Devastation

For many children of the ’80s, the Transformers cartoon offered an early taste of serialized science fiction storytelling, complete with outlandish technology, character betrayals, and thwarted plans for world domination. Platinum Games clearly has affection for that early incarnation of the Transformers, as the newly announced Devastation embraces the look and story vibe that governed the adventures of those defining robots in disguise.

A bright, cel-shaded aesthetic powers the visuals of playable characters Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Wheeljack, and Grimlock. Characters pop into idle animations that reflect their overblown character archetypes, from Prime’s authoritative crossed arms to Bumblebee’s relaxed hands behind his head. Many of the cartoon’s original voice actors return, including Peter Cullen and Frank Welker. Behind the action, an appropriately thrumming metal rock soundtrack accompanies the battles.

The story finds the Autobots working to once again thwart Megatron, who has happened upon mysterious technology that is cyberforming Earth into another version of the Transformers home planet. In one scene, Optimus Prime descends into a lost Cybertronian ship deep beneath the Earth, fighting past a horde of Insecticons before confronting Soundwave and his tapes in a furious boss battle. In another sequence, Bumblebee drives circles around enemy Decepticons on an embattled bridge. A third level finds Sideswipe’s slick sports car form chasing after Megatron, who is crouched in the back of dump truck-formed Longhaul, firing fusion blasts. Most exciting, one section of the demo had us confronting the massive combiner robot Devastator in an impressive battle in a city’s central square.

Action stays close to form for Platinum, whose previous work includes Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Much of combat is melee combo driven, with special moves for transforming into vehicle form and slamming into enemies. Other character-specific moves take advantage of the characters’ morphing physique, like Prime summoning his trailer for a room-clearing donut spin. In addition to brawling mechanics, Devastation also includes ranged combat, providing everything from sniper rifles to slow-gel launchers. All told, the game boasts 150 distinct melee and ranged weapons, of which four can be equipped by a given character at one time.

Beyond combat, Transformers: Devastation includes a leveling and upgrade system. Each of the playable leads can increase their eight stats through play, as well as acquire and improve weaponry that scales in quality from 1 to 99. Weapon synthesizing combines the best traits of two weapons into a new and improved version, while timing-based minigames allow the creation of equippable tech items that boost everything from health to item find.

In keeping with its cartoon inspiration, Platinum’s game is lighthearted yet action-packed, and I witnessed a number of allusions to the source material, from obscure character references to nods at ’80s arcade game culture. But even with the strong nostalgic undercurrent, the sequences I played were characterized by responsive and smartly paced action that should appeal to any action gamer.

Platinum promises a 50-level challenge mode for hardcore players looking for an additional layer of difficulty.

When all the characters, story missions, and extra modes are added together, there’s good reason to hope that Devastation will offer the vision of Transformers that lives in our rose-tinted rear view.

The Transformers franchise is hugely popular, but your first experience with the giant robots in disguise probably varies depending on when you were born. I didn’t catch up on the cheesy goodness of the G1 cartoons until years after the blockbuster Michael Bay films raked in bad reviews and big bucks. Even without the marinating effect of nostalgia, Platinum Games’ run at the iconic franchise is an impressive sight to behold with fun, demanding gameplay.

During my recent hands-on time with the game I played through an intro level that feels ripped straight out of the ‘80s. Megatron has allied with a giant, mechanical menace lurking beneath the Earth’s crust, which thrusts its clawed tentacles up to wreak havoc on the evacuated city. Meanwhile, the Decepticons are also trying to clear out the rest of the city by attaching high-powered wind engines to the sides of skyscrapers, which slows Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots’ pursuit.

We’ve previously played with the beefy Optimus and nimble Bumblebee in combat, but this time we tried out three other Autobots. The gameplay should be familiar to fans of Platinum’s challenging action games like Bayonetta, with high-precision dodges, flurries of combos, and dramatic vehicle-transformation finishers. The engineer, Wheeljack, bashes Decepticons with wrenches and has a useful sticky gun that stops speedy enemies in their tracks. Sideswipe can fire devastating missile barrages and boost across long distances in his sports-car form. The Dinobot leader, Grimlock, specializes in chomping enemies with careful timing, spewing flames out of his maw, and alternating between his dino and robot form mid-combo.

Don’t let Devastation’s Saturday-morning-cartoon aesthetic fool you; taking on Megatron’s forces isn’t as easy as scarfing down a bowl of sugary cereal. The Challenge Rooms specifically test the player’s ability to read narrow attack-cue windows and react. One room pits the Autobot of your choice against all six Constructicons, culminating in a huge showdown with their combined Devastator form. Thankfully, the weapons that you earn and upgrade in the rooms transfer over to the campaign, so you can beef up your plasma guns and Energon swords however you like.

Transformers: Devastation’s level of difficulty and visual polish is shaping up to be a treat for both Transformers diehards and Platinum fans alike. High Moon Studios set a high bar with the Cybertron games, but Platinum could deliver an even more intense and frenetic battle between shapeshifting robots.

If you like your action games to be fast-paced and filled with action, you might wish to take a look at Transformers: Devastation. This 2015 release by PlatinumGames was well-received at the time, and was well-liked among transformers fans. By sticking to a more bombastic design scheme that felt more like the original Transformers compared to the movies, you get to enjoy something a whole lot more interesting than you might have first expected.

An interesting take on an awesome IP

Transformers is a massive series, with all manner of content and a host of video games made over the years. Action-based hack and slash titles work best, and Devastation done what it could to stay in line with that simple buy effective theme. If you have ever played other PlatinumGames titles, such as Bayonetta, then you will be fully aware of what to expect.

You can play as a range of the Autobots, and you fight off against the various Decepticons and Insecticons who are fighting against you. Gameplay is about combinations, counter attacks, blocking and dodging the attacks of your foes. It’s a simple enough game to play, with a story mode and various other modes including the Challenge Mode.

A fun hack-and-slash held back by minor repetition (8/10)

If your main aim when playing a Transformers game is to feel that power rush, then you will absolutely love Devastation. The fighting is fast-paced and thrilling, while the graphical design ensures that it matches up with the nostalgic love that most associate with the 90s Transformers. It’s a great game for those who like to play as the Autobots and who like to have a bit of control over the battles.

Other Transformers games tend to leave you feeling quite clunky; this leaves you feeling like you are really in control of a Transformer. The biggest problem, though, stems from a repetitive gameplay loop and the games extremely short length. Compared to the level of detail that could have gone into the game, you might find that the fun comes to an end a shade too quickly.

The high-octane energy and the action pairs up well with the games desire to promote a nostalgic glance at the series as a whole. For those who grew up watching the series, the bombastic action, comical lines from the Transformers and bashful colour schemes should immediately resonate.

However, a lack of length and the repetitive nature of the gameplay despite the obvious differences from character to character can make playing this for a prolonged period feel like a bit of a drag. It’s a fun game, and genuinely matched up with the first generation of Transformers very well.

Pros:

• Excellent attention to detail on the character and colour schemes
• Design matches the 90s Transformers cartoon, invoking nostalgia
• Fun and engaging story that provide an enjoyable journey (though short)

Cons:

• Lacks the length that it arguably should provide
• Repetition in the combat can become a minor irritant