High Moon Studios was responsible for the last two Transformers titles: War for Cybertron, a delightful breath of fresh air followed by a Dark of the Moon tie-in game vomited up by Activision, hashed together in what seemed like a fortnight and thrown out into the wilderness for the wolves and jackals to feast upon. Expectations for Fall of Cybertron were tepid at best, but High Moon Studios have gone above and beyond, delivering an even better experience than War for Cybertron, previously the highest rated Transformers title to date, Fall of Cybertron steals its crown then kicks it in the peculiars.

Fall of Cybertron looks absolutely stunning, it would’ve been all too easy to make somewhere like Cybertron appear as little more than dead husk of nothing, but even in its dying breaths it somehow feels more alive than ever; thus planet of metal feels more organic than most depictions of earth in games. An impressive variety of metallic textures give both the environments and Transformers a huge amount of variation and depth, some of the shinier finishes even really glisten and shimmer in the midday sun.

Even more astounding is the level of detail in virtually everything, Transformers themselves have very distinct silhouettes, with delicate moving parts and mechanical gizmos whose intricacy  really shine through when changing weapons or undergoing transformation. Levels are even more impressive, showcasing this level of detail on a far grander scale, with distinct periods of Cybertronian architecture, the Sea of Rust level rife with what can only be described as Transformers Gothic. The most impressive environments and worlds in games are universally those which depict both the present state, but also how it came to be and Fall of Cybertron achieves this expertly.

Controlling a Transformer feels just perfect, each with enough weight and swagger to give the convey the bulky brute force of a Transformer, but still possesses a finesse which doesn’t make them feel too cumbersome or unwieldy. Gunplay and overall is a treat, especially when it comes to some of the more iconic Autobots and Decepticons. The essence of Megatron has never been more accurately captured than now, his ability is but to fly 20ft above the ground and deal 1.5x damage, but absolutely nothing makes you feel more supremely badass than when controlling this hover-bastard; one of the best gaming moments of the year for definite.

Each character’s special ability and transformation is unique, tailored to them perfectly suited to the character themselves, Grimlock getting angry enough to turn into a giant fire-breathing T-Rex, like every Monday morning ever, perhaps lacking enough opportunities to transform but the shooting elements are so solid enough to overlook that, special abilities will be used far more than a full-scale transformation.

Fall of Cybertron would probably benefit from the introduction of a full-on sprint rather than the rather fleeting ‘dash’, and Transforming being bound to L3 means many transformations will be entirely unintentional. The difficulty may also be a little bit on the hard side, even on easy some portions weren’t exactly a breeze, especially for a game which is almost exclusively about open shooting rather than utilising cover.

That said, the story is solid, with well-written dialogue that caters to adults and younguns alike, the interplay between Cliffjumper and Jazz is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny in places, even if Nolan North can’t but help inappropriately bring back memories of Nathan Drake.

The final battle frenetically swaps between playing as Autobots and Decepticons with all the fervor and intensity you could wish for, with an equally satisfying quirk at the end of the game. Fall of Cybertron’s strength is in accurately demonstrating the diversity and sheer scale of both Cybertron and the Transformers universe, each location carries a huge sense of proportion and  some rather daunting moments. Combat is solid and the large number of characters give it great diversity and never becomes dull. The special abilities are well utilised and rarely feel pointless, even if transforming often seems like the less favourable option, only Grimlock has you eager to change, largely because his ‘ability’ is his transformation, much more powerful than his regular state but with a time limit. Fall of Cybertron is certainly worth a purchase and even if the campaign is on the short side, the multiplayer will more than tide you over until only the most tantalising autumn releases finally get here.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.

Activision and High Moon Studios have opened a new website where you can input your location to watch Dinobot and Shockwave go head-to-head and fight to the finish. It uses Google Earth obviously and is quite fun to watch.

Matt Tieger, Game Director at High Moon Studios explains: “Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is set amidst an apocalyptic war between the Autobots and Decepticons that ultimately sees the planet decimated. We wanted to give Transformers fans an even more personal experience that would allow them to truly understand the epic scale of the battle and the size of these two enemies as they unleash fury on each other on Earth.”

In Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, Grimlock is a virtually indestructible Autobot with a personal grudge to bear against Shockwave. Shockwave’s experiments left Grimlock with a malfunctioning voice processor and an alt-mode inspired by a primitive world.

Shockwave does not show emotion. He is scientific and detached, using logic to further the Decepticons’ plans. He experiments on prisoners of war by reformatting them into abominations from other worlds or galaxies.

You can check out the website over here. Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

In short, you have the Multiplayer Havoc Pack (now available), Dinobot Destructor Pack (available for PS3 on September 12th, but now available for XBox 360 and PC) and the Massive Fury Pack (September 25th for XBox 360 and PC, 26th for PS3).

Check out the video for more, including the single-player items.

Harsh? Maybe but after Transformers: Fall of Cybertron provided so much Transformer goodness by featuring both Metroplex and Grimlock, it’s hard to argue against. And High Moon Studios is looking on capitalising on the latter with it’s latest DLC, the “Dinobot Destructor Pack”.

Set to release next week, the pack offers Grimlock, Slug, Snarl and Swoop, both full body along with individual parts, for use in the multiplayer character creator. Finally, we can wreck jurassic havoc on our enemies AND look cool saying it.

The “Dinobot Destructor Pack” will be available for release on XBox 360 by September 11th but Sony fans will have to wait another day, as it releases on the Playstation 3 on September 12th.

Would some new single-player missions, even if they were just Grimlock mouthing catchphrases, been too much to ask for though?

About Transformers: Fall of Cybertron :

Game Overview:
TRANSFORMERS: FALL OF CYBERTRON features some of the most recognised voice talent in the franchise, with the iconic Peter Cullen and Gregg Berger, the legendary voices of OPTIMUS PRIME and GRIMLOCK from the original TRANSFORMERS animated TV series, reprising their roles for the game. Also joining the team are voice-over veterans Nolan North (BRUTICUS, CLIFFJUMPER and BRAWL), Troy Baker (AUTOBOT JAZZ, JETFIRE and KICKBACK), Fred Tatasciore (MEGATRON, RATCHET and METROPLEX) and many more.

Publisher: Activision

Developer: High Moon

Platforms: PC, PS3 and X360

Release Date: Already released

Stay tuned to Gamingbolt.com for more news and updates.

About the game:

TRANSFORMERS: FALL OF CYBERTRON features some of the most recognised voice talent in the franchise, with the iconic Peter Cullen and Gregg Berger, the legendary voices of OPTIMUS PRIME and GRIMLOCK from the original TRANSFORMERS animated TV series, reprising their roles for the game. Also joining the team are voice-over veterans Nolan North (BRUTICUS, CLIFFJUMPER and BRAWL), Troy Baker (AUTOBOT JAZZ, JETFIRE and KICKBACK), Fred Tatasciore (MEGATRON, RATCHET and METROPLEX) and many more.

***Please note this walkthrough was not uploaded by GamingBolt.com.

Special thanks to Youtube user VolitileGabe for uploading this walkthrough.

Check out more video game walkthroughs here.

Without further ado, let’s begin!

Fight through some of the most pivotal moments in the Transformers saga with Activision’s latest title, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, available now at retail outlets nationwide.

Created by acclaimed developer High Moon Studios and serving as the official canon story for Hasbro’s legendary Transformers series, Fall of Cybertron gives gamers the opportunity to experience the final, darkest hours of the civil war between the Autobots and Decepticons, eventually leading to the famed exodus from their dying home planet.  With the stakes higher and scale bigger than ever, players will embark on an action-packed journey through a post-apocalyptic, war-torn world designed around each character’s unique abilities and alternate forms, including Grimlock’s fire-breathing Dinobot form and the renegade Combaticons combining into the colossal Bruticus.

“This is where it all began, it’s the epic story of the Transformers leaving their home planet,” said Peter Della Penna, Studio Head, High Moon Studios.  “From day one, we knew we were going to create the definitive Transformers video game, a phenomenal action experience combining a deep, emotional tale with one-of-a-kind gameplay that lets you convert from robot to vehicle whenever you want.”

“This is the fall of their homeworld, and by far the biggest scale we’ve ever seen in a Transformers game,” said Mark Blecher, SVP of Digital Media and Marketing, Hasbro.  “We could not be any happier teaming up with the great talent at High Moon Studios to deliver the official backstory of the colossal battles that led to the Transformers’ exodus from Cybertron.  We can’t wait to have fans and gamers experience this amazing title.”

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is available now on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

The trailer depicts several gameplay elements, including Grimmlock in action and overall insanity as Cybertron falls into ruin. Of course, there is one course of salvation: A little planet called Earth, which the Decepticons and Autobots are scrambling to get to before they go down with their world.

Of course, annihilating each other in the process wouldn’t hurt. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron releases this week for PC, XBox 360 and Playstation 3.

The successor to acclaimed developer High Moon Studios’ highest-rated Transformers game of all time, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron allows players to experience the darkest hours of the war between the Autobots and Decepticons as they vie for control of their dying home world, playing through both sides of the Transformers’ most epic battles that culminate in their legendary exodus from Cybertron.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is due for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. The game is being handled by Activision.

Players get to experience the very first mission playing as Bumblebee, fending off waves of Decepticons whilst onboard an Autobot starship. Gamers will also get use of Vortex, showcasing Fall of Cybertron’s aerial combat for the first time, should you choose to transform. Vortex’s level also showcases some of FoC’s level design, allowing multiple approaches and catering for almost every battle style.

The demo also highlights not only the online play in Team Deathmatch and conquest game modes, but also the breadth of the online customisation at your disposal.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is out on 24th August.