REVIEW -- Transformers: Devastation

Transformers: Devastation is an action hack and slash video game based on the Transformers franchise developed by Platinum Games and published by Activision. It was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One in October 2015.

The Plot:

In New York City, a swarm of Insecticons and giant metal claws emerge from below, wreaking havoc. The Autobots arrive to investigate, battling Megatron and the Constructicons, who form Devastator. Megatron escapes into a hatch leading underground and reveals the attacks are the automatic defenses of the Proudstar, an Autobot ship which crashed on Earth millions of years ago that Megatron now controls, and announces his plans to use the Insecticons to cyberform the Earth, turning it into metal and creating a new Cybertron.

Optimus Prime explains that the Proudstar, captained by Nova Prime, was a ship meant to convert uninhabited planets into ones suitable to support Cybertronian life, and that its Ferrotaxis supercomputer contains a record of Cybertron's history and culture which had been lost during the Great War. Entering the ship, the Autobots fight off Soundwave and attempt to access the plasma core powering the Proudstar and the Insecticons, but the security system ejects the core from the ship. Emerging, the Autobots learn the core's location from Thundercracker and follow the trail. While they are distracted by fighting Blitzwing, Starscream arrives to take the core back to the Decepticons, but loses control of it due to a storm and crash-lands. The Autobots beat Motormaster to the core, but find it damaged and at risk of explosion. Before they can shut it down, the rest of the Stunticons arrive and form Menasor. The combiner throws the core to Megatron, who takes it to Cybertron to be properly repaired.

The Autobots follow the Decepticons through the Space Bridge, but are delayed by Starscream and Shockwave, arriving too late to catch Megatron. Conversing with Shockwave, Optimus discovers that during the Proudstar's voyage, Nova Prime and the crew were corrupted by Unicron and had begun to cyberform inhabited planets as well, planning to do the same to Earth before they crashed. Returning to the Proudstar, the Autobots try once again to disable the core, but it ruptures and becomes inaccessible, leaving the Ferrotaxis, now in Megatron's possession, as the only way to stop the cyberforming process. The group head for the Proudstar's control room, fighting off the Decepticon forces as they ascend. Megatron escapes, ordering Devastator and Menasor to finish them, but the Autobots defeat them and follow Megatron, fighting him for the computer.

As he is defeated, Megatron fires the Ferrotaxis from his cannon into orbit, and Optimus rides an Insecticon into space after it, with Megatron in pursuit. The two engage in a final battle above the Earth, with Optimus emerging victorious, but cannot shut down the Insecticons due to Megatron's tampering. Left with no choice, Optimus destroys the Ferrotaxis, stopping the cyberforming and preventing the plasma core's detonation. As he falls back to Earth, Optimus declares Earth is now their true home, and they must protect it at all costs. Later, with Defensor andSuperion's support, Optimus commissions plans for the Optimus Maximus project.

In a post-credits scene, aboard the Proudstar, Nova Prime is seen awakening from stasis.

The Verdict:

I felt like a kid again playing this game. From the second it started to the ending credits, I felt like I was back in the 80's eating a bowl of cereal and enjoying watching my favorite Transformers foil the recent plot cooked up by the Decepticons. A lot of the original voice acting talent return to reprise their roles from the animated series from the 1980s and it really adds to the nostalgia. Platinum Games went with a detailed cell-shaded look for the game that captures the look of the original cartoon perfectly, even though it looks as good as the Blu-Ray copies of Transformers: The Movie if I'm perfectly honest.

Autobots, transform and roll out!

In terms of gameplay, this is a Platinum Games title so you should know what to expect for the most part. The action is best described as the original Bayonetta reskinned as Transformers. You have weak and heavy attacks, with different combinations of those buttons will yield combos of various results. Most players could simply mash weak attacks to victory with very minor resistance on Normal difficulty. The thing that makes the combat system a tad different than Bayonetta's is the fact that during combos, each of the Transformers can transform into their vehicle or dinosaur (if you're playing as Grimlock) and do an additional follow-up (or two if you're really sick with your combos) that does massive damage compared to your normal attacks. Another feature that is carried over from the Bayonetta series is Witch Time or "Focus" as how it's referred to as in this game, where if you evade an incoming attack with precise timing, everything slows down around you to allow your Autobot(s) to unleash a devastating counterattack. This is where the combat truly shines as you're taking all of these concepts and putting them together as every enemy encounter becomes a creative experiment to see what ways can you utilize your Autobot's combos, ranged weapons, vehicular attacks, and even each of their unique abilities in combat.

This definitely keeps combat interesting for the most part, despite the game recycles a lot of the same enemy types throughout the game before adding more periodically over the course of the narrative. For example, you will fight Devastator twice, then each of the Constructicons that he consists of as mini-bosses before reaching the finale of the game where you face Devastator and Menasor (the Stunticons' combiner led by Motormaster). I was kinda surprised that PredaKing wasn't in this but I guess Platinum Games are saving them, along with appearances by Metroplex, Protector, and Tripicon, for an inevitable sequel down the road.

During the last portion of the game, ALL of the Autobots work together against multiple
waves of enemies and bosses. This results in a lot of craziness as seen above.

Unfortunately, this game has the same problem Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance had in terms of dealing with airborne foes. The Autobots are only playable in this game (so far in terms of DLC content) and you are left to rely on your ranged weapons, all of which that have limited usage, to force airborne foes to come down to ground level for you can take them out. It's not as annoying to deal with like in Revengeance, but becomes easier to deal with after gaining more powerful firearms and weapons throughout the course of the story. At least with this game, you have MUCH better firearms and subweapons integrated into the combat system so you don't feel awkward switching to them when needed.

Between levels and at specific checkpoints throughout the game, players can teleport the Autobots back to the Ark, where they can purchase new weapons or even create new ones via synthezation. Synthezation is something that is worth experimenting with as two weapons are combined together to create a stronger one, oftentimes carrying the abilities and attributes of the discarded weapon. Everything in the Autobots' arsenal is customizable in combat to suit any players' particular playstyle. I highly suggest investing credits into purchasing the extra skill moves in the shop as well as they allow you to acquire the ability to break enemy shields without moving, the ability to parry enemy attacks (sorry but it's nowhere as flawless and borderline overpowered from the original Bayonetta) or more means to utilize the Focus ability.

Rent it, Buy it or Don't Bother?

At this point, this title is easily $20-30 brand new, but back when it originally released at retail it was $59.99 full price. Back at launch, I would have said rent it as it's an easy weekend rental to breeze through on a weekend, but at the current price, you might as well buy it. The amount of nostalgia for Generation 1 Transformers fans is uncanny with a lot of the original cast on board to voice the Autobots and Decepticons. Platinum Games made this game a blast to play, despite getting a little repetitive by the end of the campaign but that just comes with the territory in these types of games.

I don't know why this game and TMNT: MiM got low reviews but you should know what to expect from these types of games by now, especially from what you're getting from a Platinum Games-made style beat 'em up, action game.