Transformers: Devastation Review

As an avid Transformers fan who missed out on reviewing the last console game based on the franchise, I don't think there was any way Transformers: Devastation could have made it up to me more. In a nutshell, it’s a third-person action-brawler which sees you running about a city and beating up Decepticons, occasionally transforming into an alternate mode.

Often both!

There have been two Transformers games released recently, which have echoed the style of the original cartoon -- called Generation One by fans. Angry Birds Transformers, which I reviewed and liked and Transformers: Battle Tactics which I’m glad I didn’t review, because I suck at tactics. Rovio even went the extra mile with Angry Birds Transformers, and hired Vince DiCola to create a song, as he was the composer for 1986’s best PG-rated sci-fi movie: The Transformers: The Movie.

"One shall stand, because the other will be bum-rushed by five Autobots!"

I’ll spoil the suspense -- Vince DiCola was totally brought on board for the music to Transformers: Devastation! As someone who watches The Transformers: The Movie at least twice a year, this may be more of an important fact to me than anyone else. Man, I love that soundtrack… This game’s music isn’t as catchy, but it’s still a pleasant rock beat to listen to.

The game takes place some time near the start of the second season of The Transformers, or at least that’s where I would place it in my head-canon. It’s a linear action-brawler with set missions in a small open world, meaning there is a lot of fist-fighting, swords, axes and the occasional bit of shooting, plus driving because you’re a car-robot. Except for when you’re a dinosaur…

The available characters are Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Wheeljack, Sideswipe and, of course, Grimlock. Each one plays quite differently, and that’s not just because Prime is a truck and Grimlock is a T-rex -- although their alternate modes handle just as different as their fighting styles. Each one has specific weapons which they can use, such as rockets or huge mallets, and each one of those is upgradeable from inside the Ark (the Autobot base), which is accessible from certain glowing points. You upgrade by using parts from other weapons and credits, which may also add an ability like faster movement speed or a better chance to dodge.

Why, no, Bumblebee did NOT dodge...

There are a lot of enemies, but only a few different enemy types, sadly. There are generic car troops and flying Seekers, as well as upgraded versions who hold shields, and slightly tougher versions. There are also lieutenants which are the same but harder to kill and brutes which are huge versions of the cars. Combat with these can be boring and very much the same thing over and over again.

However, combat against bosses is the opposite. The bosses are, of course, the Decepticons with names: Soundwave, Shockwave, Motormaster, Starscream, Blitzwing and Megatron (who turns into a tank, not a gun). There are also the Constructicons who you fight individually, as well as in their gestalt/combiner form of Devastator, whom has been on most of the promotional material for the game. It’s fun to use a giant robot to swing a sword at an even bigger giant robot, and the boss battles always mean you will have to think on your feet.

Transformers means BIG

When I found out that Devastation would be based on Generation One, I was overjoyed. Peter Cullen back as Optimus Prime, Frank Welker as Megatron -- and several other cast members reprising their roles too! In fact, only two of the voices didn’t sound right, and that’s because Chris Latta passed away 20 years ago, and Corey Burton no longer seems to want to be associated with the franchise. Though I know not all of them were the original actors, they were very good impressions.

Four of the five Autobots had the original voices.

But as it turns out, the game is only based on Generation One in a tangential sense, as Hasbro have come out and stated that it is part of their ongoing Combiner Wars theme. It’s an overarching storyline which covers the comics, an upcoming web-based series and the toys, as well as the game. And there is certainly scope for a sequel to Transformers: Devastation, given that Combiner Wars is only the first part of The Prime Wars Trilogy which will carry on through to 2017.

The storyline is very much an 80s cartoon with some changes, which certainly works. No humans die, everything returns to normal afterwards, but unlike the one-shot cartoons of the era, it does hint at a bigger story. There are several side-missions which don’t add to the story, but do give you items (health and buff packs) and weapons. Outside of the story mode is a Challenge mode, levels of which open up depending on what collectables you pick up and missions you complete. The challenges boil down to ‘kill a certain amount of Decepticons in a certain amount of time’, kind of like the challenges in the Batman Arkham titles.

The limited ammo only really affects the challenges, too...

Graphically, Devastation is very nice to watch in motion, with the cartoonish style fitting due to the overall feel of the game. I had to frown once or twice, as a character leaned  and his solid metal skin stretched, but other than that I had no issues. There are some extra character skins which also look great, though I hated Goldbug’s forced inclusion in the cartoon and found it difficult to like the alternate Bumblebee skin…

Cybertronian steel doesn't bend like Megatron's stomach here...

This is very much a game for fans, by fans. There are a lot of little touches from the voices to one of the collectables being a creature called Kremzeek, who only appeared in one episode. There’s lots of replayability, but again it is very samey when you go from mission to mission -- most of which are to destroy several Decepticons, get a rank, then head on to the next group.

I used the Nemesis Prime skin in my playthrough, because it's awesome

There are a few missions which are different -- one changes to a side-on view as you race across a bridge, another goes top-down as you have to get from one section of the city to another. They help break things up a little, but there are too few of these.

It's literally a new angle on the fights

I thoroughly enjoyed this as both a gamer and a fan, but I can’t get over the fact that it wasn’t as varied as I hoped. However, if you’re a fan of the original Transformers, or are following the Combiner Wars storyline, this is a must.