14 DAY TRIAL // 
Megatron, who is himself a mix of robot and vehicle, riding on another Devastator while he tries to get away from Optimus is not the weirdest moment that players will experience in Transformers: Devastation.
An uppercut delivered as Sideswipe transforms from car to bot, followed up by a series of blows that ends on car strike and then an ultimate that launches missiles at another enemy is just a run-of-the-mill combat encounter in the game.
Devastation is an experience that understands the mix of silliness and action that made the Transformers series successful over a three-decade period and delivers it in spades, although with a little too much focus on nostalgia.
The game is developed by Platinum Games and published by Activision and gamers can pick it up on the Xbox One but also on the PC, the PlayStation 4 and older home consoles.
Story
Transformers: Devastation delivers a classic tale of good versus evil with the Autobots once again present to save the day when Megatron and his Decepticons think up and start to implement a plan that would use the very internal heat of the Earth to turn the planet into metal.
The narrative was written by a former comic book creator and has nothing to do with the series of movies that Michael Bay has created, and it's refreshing to see that the focus here is entirely on the robots, with no humans involved in their gigantic battles.
The game will not win any prizes for originality, and the entire story is clearly meant more as a scaffolding on which to build the action rather than an attempt to offer a new insight into the characters or the conflict they are engaged with.
The Decepticons, Megatron leading, are deliciously evil and get some cool pre-battle speeches while the Autobots are duller but determined to do the right thing and protect Earth from the process that would turn soil into metal.
Those new to the franchise need to be ready to deal with a lot of lore that's delivered with not much in the way of explanations.
Transformers: Devastation is clearly built to take advantage of the nostalgia that fans of the franchise feel for the classic cartoon, but it would be interesting to see how a more narrative-focused team can treat the same characters and core conflict.
Gameplay
Transformers: Devastation is an action brawler that allows players to play the role of huge robots who battle each other using a wide array of combos, special attack and ultimate powers, all using a solid combat system created by the veteran designers at Platinum Games.
In robot, form gamers can use a light and a heavy attack to chain combos, which are created on the fly by the engine, meaning that gamers do not need to memorize them ahead of battle, and even those who simply aim to button mash will be able to create some cool moments.
The game allows a careful player to top their linked moves with a car attack, and each character has its set of special and ultimate power, best used to deliver a big amount of damage to a powerful enemy and shorten some boss fights.
Dodging just before enemy attacks is also very important, giving gamers a window in which they are invulnerable and can deliver multiple hits on enemies that are slowed down.
Ranged weapons can also be used to deal with some flying enemies or to deliver some blows while an opponent is just out of hand-to-hand range, but they feel a little underpowered when compared to the close-range arsenal.
Devastation stays true to the Transformers universe by encouraging players to turn into vehicles any time they feel that an enemy is gaining the upper hand, moving across the battlefields to launch a powerful attack or simply to spread groups out a bit before getting back into the fight.
Transformers: Devastation also features some exploration sequences, during which gamers need to navigate the levels, smashing through gates and energy shields, but they feel mostly as a kind of filler and have little value by themselves.
The fact that Autobots can move very fast, sometimes aided by boost zones, could power some interesting gameplay, but the sections where driving is used are too confined to be engaging.
“Even the normal combat encounters can become repetitive as the game progresses, but Platinum Games has included quite a few boss fights, some of which can be very challenging.”
Gamers who want to complete them without dying and get a solid grade need to pay attention to the attack patterns of the Decepticons they face and choose the best moment to strike back, moving between robot and vehicle form to create the best possible mix of movement and damage.
Transformers: Devastation also includes a loot system, which allows players to get access to new weapons and other power-ups for their characters, and there are areas in the levels where players can choose to change the Autobot they are using or his load-out.
It has a limited impact on the actual action, and I never cared about the way my Autobot was equipped because I was too busy trying to take out my enemies with minimal loss of health.
Devastation has a solid combat system and integrates the unique nature of the Transformers themselves well, but it's somewhat disappointing to see Platinum Games relying on its old and proven concepts rather than trying to innovate a little more.
Graphics and audio
Transformers: Devastation has a very retro feel, and that's both a strength and a weakness for the game when it comes to the overall presentation.
The cartoon look means that the characters are easily recognizable, and fans can basically see themselves as experiencing a playable version of the old series from the '80s and it also has the side effect of offering smooth action and some very cool-looking battle moments, especially when bosses are involved.
The transformations for the included Autobots are also cool to witness, especially when they are included in the combat sequences, and the cutscenes are designed to deliver both maximum drama and maximum hamminess.
On the other hand, Transformers: Devastation feels a little cheap and some fans of the franchise might be disappointed to find that there's no way to look at Autobots and Decepticons that are shown in the close to the photorealistic quality that modern consoles can deliver.
Platinum Games has done a solid job of creating an informative interface, but the environments of the game often feel both limited and repetitive.
When it comes to voice acting, the developers have recruited the voice actors that were involved with the cartoon series, which fans will appreciate, and the bombastic soundtrack serves as a great background for the robot-on-robot action that the title delivers.
The Good
- Transformers fan service
- Combo-based combat
The Bad
- Driving sections
- Relatively short
Conclusion
The combat, especially when enemy bosses are involved, is appealing and offers a good mix of variety and depth, and both the graphics and the narrative do a good job of keeping gamers engaged as they move from area to area and try their best to deliver more damage than they take.
Transformers: Devastation is a fun and fast experience that will appeal to both those who love the series and to gamers who are determined to play everything that Platinum Games creates.
The universe in which the title takes place has all the elements, from fighting robots to over-the-top storylines and a unique style, to appeal to a wider player community and it will be interesting to see whether Activision continues to work with the current development team for next year's installment.
