Transformers: War for Cybertron

No longer burdened with the need to tie in to the brain dead Michael Bay Transformers movies, War for Cybertron offers a refreshing allusion to the classic 80s animated series whilst being a fantastic third person shooter in its own right

75%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

stability, atmosphere

90% User Score Based on 945 reviews

Critic Score 68%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $1950

About

"Transformers: War for Cybertron" is a warfare shooter game that offers multiple modes, including 2-player co-op, multiplayer, and single-player campaigns for both Autobots and Decepticons. The game features an intriguing story, great gameplay, spectacular visuals, and a phenomenal soundtrack. Players can also create their own Transformers character and participate in online multiplayer modes, including the wave-based Escalation Mode.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Transformers: War for Cybertron screenshot

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 952 reviews

story149 positive mentions

stability6 negative mentions

Great storyline that stays true to the Transformers lore.
Fun gameplay with the ability to transform between robot and vehicle modes.
Excellent voice acting and character representation from the original series.

Multiplayer is largely dead with a very small player base.
Game is locked at 30 FPS, which can be frustrating for some players.
Controls cannot be remapped, making it difficult for players with different preferences.

story
323 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
51%
3%
The story of "Transformers: War for Cybertron" is generally well-received, praised for its engaging narrative that explores the Transformers' lore and the civil war on Cybertron. Players appreciate the ability to experience both the Autobots' and Decepticons' perspectives, though some note that the plot can feel linear and lacks depth compared to other story-driven games. Overall, fans of the franchise find the storyline nostalgic and enjoyable, while newcomers may find it less compelling.
- “The story is well written and well executed by the voice actors.”
- “The storyline is neatly integrated into the in-game events with minimal cutscenes, and when they are used, they typically function as either an introduction or finale to a chapter.”
- “Transformers: War for Cybertron is a beautiful third-person shooter with great controls, an awesome story, decent voice acting, an awesome campaign, a fun multiplayer, and amazing sound effects!”
- “The game's biggest weak point is the story and dialog.”
- “The story is... there, I guess.”
- “The story is pretty much what you'd see in Transformers all the time - Megatron is seeking supreme power and you have to stop him.”
gameplay
168 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
52%
8%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its fast-paced action and the unique transforming mechanic that adds depth to combat. However, some players criticize the repetitive nature of the gameplay, lack of cover mechanics, and clunky weapon feedback, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, fans of the Transformers franchise generally find the gameplay enjoyable, especially in multiplayer modes.
- “The gameplay is solid.”
- “Amazing transformers game with a solid gameplay loop, a great yet simple storyline and really well voice acted characters.”
- “The gameplay is refreshingly different in part because of the transformers franchise, and the same can be said about the campaign.”
- “I played it for about an hour, was not pleased with the game mechanics.”
- “Some of the boss fights have poor and unintuitive mechanics; the final one I dialed down to easy just to finish the game.”
- “The gameplay is overly simple, but it's flashy and cheesy and fun.”
graphics
149 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
42%
5%
The graphics of the game have received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising the art style, character models, and overall visual fidelity, especially considering its age. While some reviews noted that the visuals can appear dark or grainy at times, others highlighted the impressive detail and vibrant aesthetics that resonate with the Transformers franchise. Overall, the graphics are seen as a strong point, contributing to an engaging gameplay experience, though some players wished for more graphical options and a brighter color palette.
- “The graphics are fantastic, the sound and voice acting are actually pretty surprisingly good... all around, it's a great game.”
- “The graphics are super cool, the storyline is intriguing and suspenseful.”
- “I highly recommend this game not only for the really high-quality graphics but the gameplay is awesome too and it has great character customization.”
- “I can't really comment on anything other than the gloomy visuals, claustrophobic level design, and color palette.”
- “The graphics do look a bit dated, but it probably doesn't help that the atmosphere for most of the game is dark or indoors where everything is metal or concrete with various lighting setups.”
- “The environment and graphics are all pretty and stuff, but truthfully are more distracting than awe-inspiring for me and make it more of a challenge to decipher the level design than the actual gameplay.”
music
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
24%
10%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the energetic and well-composed soundtrack, often highlighting its heavy metal influences and memorable moments. While some users find the music to be generic or not particularly memorable, the voice acting and sound effects are consistently noted as excellent, contributing to an immersive experience. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a strong aspect of the game, enhancing the gameplay and atmosphere.
- “Great soundtrack!”
- “The voice acting for the characters is very good, and the soundtrack is very well done as well.”
- “An outstanding soundtrack, great likeable characters, the plot just flows fluently and transitions from one epic moment to another, excellent and simple combat mechanics, very cinematic experience, fluent animations, vehicle-mode feels awesome and did I mention the soundtrack... just... absolutely amazing.”
- “The voicework is excellent and involves many actors who've worked on the cartoon -- but the music is generic action movie droning, at best.”
- “The soundtrack is filled with mediocre metal music with droning guitars and simplistic drums, but most of the time it's drowned out by the screams of Decepticons.”
- “The soundtrack is not memorable, but it does have its awesome moments.”
replayability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
31%
31%
Overall, the game's replayability is generally viewed as limited, with many players noting the short campaign length and lack of substantial multiplayer options. While cooperative play with friends can enhance the experience, the consensus is that there isn't much incentive to replay the game after completing it once. Some players found enjoyment in the initial playthrough, but the absence of significant replay value is a common critique.
- “Co-op is fun with friends and replayable.”
- “It's a great game with decent replay value.”
- “As for the campaign length, well, let's just say they could've been longer seeing the only replay value lies with what's left of the multiplayer community.”
- “In terms of replay value, the game really has none.”
- “A lot of fun, but very short (ten missions, five per faction), and not much replayability factor.”
- “Unfortunately, as awesome as the scenery is and as epic as the levels are, there just is no significant replayability.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
10%
60%
Overall, the game's stability is generally good, with most players reporting smooth performance and minimal bugs. However, some users have encountered occasional glitches, particularly related to online play and graphical settings, which can detract from the experience. Despite these issues, the game remains enjoyable and fun to play.
- “Runs great on most PCs.”
- “It also didn't like the FPS unlocker, so I got the Steam version, and have had no glitches since then.”
- “Though almost bug-free, it does, at times, show signs of greatness; tearing through hordes of Decepticons faultlessly while transforming in mid-air.”
- “I experienced some glitches with the disk game when trying to play online with a friend who had the Steam version.”
- “Even though it has many glitches that need to be fixed, overall it is really fun to play. I hope others find this information useful when buying the game.”
- “Cons: repetitive environments and enemies, a pretty short campaign mode (7 hours playtime for me), and some technical glitches slightly mar this otherwise great game.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some find Megatron's lines clichéd and unfunny, others appreciate the hilarious dialogue and character interactions, particularly in cooperative play. The banter among iconic characters like Megatron, Starscream, and Soundwave is highlighted as a standout feature, with many players enjoying the scripted moments that evoke nostalgia from the original series. Overall, the game offers a satisfying blend of humor that enhances the cooperative experience.
- “Overall, the gameplay doesn't feel repetitive, the dialogue is hilarious and the game feels satisfying.”
- “You may find the AI to be a bit stupid/hilarious.”
- “So you get the familiar banter of Megatron/Starscream, Megatron/Soundwave (the original bromance), Soundwave/everyone, Starscream/Skywarp/Thundercracker, Optimus/Ironhide, Bumblebee/everyone, but also some not-so-familiar characters like Air Raid & Warpath, both of which are hilariously scripted and voiced and really feel like they could be right out of the show.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
71%
43%
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly on lower settings and is well-optimized for its graphics engine, it requires a powerful graphics card for optimal performance. The PC port is noted as less-than-great, but players can still enjoy a relatively bug-free experience with decent performance at lower resolutions. Despite some graphical limitations, the gameplay can shine during action sequences.
- “I put hundreds of hours into the PS3 version and almost 5 hours on the PC, and I gotta say that even though the game was a less-than-great port, it runs amazingly and is very optimized for a game with so few graphics options.”
- “Since it's capped, it's best to keep the settings on low so it will run smoothly.”
- “Good graphic performance of DirectX 9 and Unreal Engine 3, which are suitable for building and displaying high sharpness and metal surfaces.”
- “While generally the gameplay seems watered down on top of the mediocre graphical performance (though almost bug-free), it does, at times, show signs of greatness; tearing through hordes of Decepticons faultlessly while transforming in mid-air.”
- “The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during intense action sequences, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “Despite the engaging gameplay, the poor optimization results in long loading times and occasional crashes, making it frustrating to enjoy the game fully.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its detailed world-building and fitting scenery, effectively immersing players in a war-torn environment filled with robots. While some graphics may appear dated, the combination of sound effects and energetic music enhances the overall experience, making it a nostalgic delight for fans.
- “Other than that, this is truly the best Transformers game I've ever played, and any fan would be delighted to play it - it does a great service to childhood memories, and the scenery and atmosphere are perfect!”
- “The world building and the atmosphere in this game is so effective that you do actually feel like you're in a war on a dying planet filled with robots.”
- “Sound effects are crisp and the music has a very energetic feel, which adds a lot to the atmosphere.”
- “The graphics do look a bit dated, but it probably doesn't help that the atmosphere for most of the game is dark or indoors where everything is metal or concrete with various lighting setups.”
- “The world building and the atmosphere in this game is so effective that you do actually feel like you're in a war in a dying planet filled with robots.”
- “Sound effects are crisp and the music has a very energetic feel which adds a lot to the atmosphere.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be repetitive and tedious, particularly at the beginning of both campaigns. However, many note that the gameplay becomes more engaging and entertaining as the campaigns progress, with some contrasting experiences highlighting that not all parts feel tedious.
- “Repetitive, tedious gameplay.”
- “The two campaigns both have a very tedious beginning but really start to become very entertaining towards their end.”
- “Transforming is a rather tedious and static process; don't expect to use that as part of a tactical move.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is limited, with minimal backstory provided for most characters, aside from Optimus. However, the character designs effectively blend modern aesthetics with nostalgic elements from the original cartoon, appealing to long-time fans while immersing players in the world of Cybertron.
- “It genuinely feels like you are on planet Cybertron and comes off as a nice blend between the polished new look of the recent films and the familiar character design from the cartoon that many of us die-hard fans longed for.”
- “From the character design to the character voices.”
- “There's very little explanation as to who each character is, or much in the way of character development (except for Optimus).”
- “The character designs are a tribute to the Generation 1 designs, unlike the Michael Bay bots.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game features some touching moments, though it lacks the depth of more acclaimed narratives like Bioshock Infinite. Players appreciate the absence of strong emotional attachment to characters, which aligns with the game's tone, while some express a sense of personal achievement upon completing the story. Overall, the emotional engagement is mixed, with a focus on pride rather than deep connection.
- “There are some oddly touching moments, but this isn't ever going to be Bioshock Infinite-level storytelling, and that's how it should be.”
- “After completing the Autobots story, it made me feel proud of myself.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
300%
The monetization strategy is criticized for being similar to that of handheld games, primarily relying on in-game microtransactions, which may detract from the overall experience.
- “In fact, it's of the same quality as what can be found on handhelds, short of in-game microtransactions.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, with constant prompts to spend money on in-game items.”
- “It's frustrating that the game is designed around microtransactions, making it hard to enjoy without spending extra.”
- “The reliance on in-game purchases detracts from the overall experience, leaving players feeling pressured to pay to progress.”