Transformers: War for Cybertron (Nintendo DS)
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Transformers: War for Cybertron | |
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multiplayer |
Transformers: War for Cybertron - Autobots and Transformers: War for Cybertron - Decepticons are two
Gameplay
Like the console version, the central focus of the two DS games is a linear campaign of missions, following basically the same story, split in two parts. Additionally, there is an Arena mode with five "arenas", each with six missions available, four bonus levels from the opposing game, and seven multiplayer levels.
Before each mission, you pick two Transformers from your available troops. During the mission, you switch between the two chosen characters using the A button. If a character is knocked out, they can be revived by defeating a certain number of enemies with the remaining character. New characters can be unlocked by completing campaign and arena missions, locating "data disks" which appear as floating golden discs, or using unlock codes. There are 24 unlockable characters in total, 14 through the campaign and 10 in the arenas. Other data disks can be selected at the start of a mission to boost character stats.
Characters are classed as "Heavy", "Light" or "Air". While "Air" has the obvious advantage of flight, missions contain areas which only certain classes can go: marked walls can be bashed down by heavy vehicles, and there are small spaces where only light vehicles can go. There are also three weapon types: "plasma" represented by a red circle, "laser" represented by a yellow triangle, and "solid" represented by a blue square. Each character has a ranged weapon (typically plasma or laser) and a melee weapon (typically solid). Enemies are particularly vulnerable to a certain type of damage, which is visible as the symbol representing that damage type above the enemy's head. Advanced enemies can change which damage type they're vulnerable to.
While the foes have health bars that appear over their heads, the player has three bars on their HUD — a health bar, an energy bar, which represents energy they can use to fire, and a boost bar which appears while in vehicle mode, which they can use to boost their speed. All three bars will regenerate in time, though for "Air" characters, the energy bar will not regenerate while they're in vehicle mode.
The game also incorporates a leveling system. Characters begin at level 1 and gain experience by killing enemies and finding Energon cubes. Each level gives the character a stat point which can them be spent on one of three stats to increase the character's power. Some stats, when upgraded to a certain level, bestow on the character extra powers, such as new attacks, more powerful weapons, and sundry other abilities. The maximum level possible is 20, giving 19 stat points.
Multiplayer is achieved by using the DS Wi-Fi. Available game types for multiplayer are Deathmatch,
Synopsis
Setting
War for Cybertron is set on the planet Cybertron, prior to the Transformers' contact with the planet Earth. Robotic in nature, each Transformer has the ability to transform from their robot mode to an alternate form, usually a vehicle, such as a tank or jet. The Transformers are engaged in
Each of the two games has its own campaign, one focused on the Autobots, and the other on the Decepticons. Like the other versions of War for Cybertron, the Decepticon campaign is chronologically first, with the Autobot story directly following it.
Characters
Autobots | |||
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Decepticons | |||
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^a Unlockable through the campaign
^b Unlockable in the arenas
^c Not a playable character
^d Unlockable only with a code
Plot
Decepticon campaign
When
A few Decepticons are selected to test the Dark Energon's powers, and go through a fighting course in Kaon, under Barricade's coordination. After battling numerous Autobot prisoners set loose, including Ironhide, the test is complete, though it cost the Decepticons most of their Dark Energon supply, so Megatron orders Starscream to find a way to produce more. Upon learning of an ancient Space Bridge used to transport Energon from Cybertron to the Trypticon Station, Starscream and several other Decepticons travel there and fight their way past the guards and defense system to reach the Space Bridge's core. After restoring power to it, the Decepticons are attacked by an Autobot team led by
After
As Starsream restarts the link between Cybertron's core and the Trypticon Station, the Decepticons in Iacon make their retreat, fighting off any Autobots in their path, including Cliffjumper and Jetfire. Afterwards, they are attacked by Omega Supreme, and Megatron motivates his followers into fighting and ultimately defeating him. With Omega Supreme defeated, the Decepticons gain access to Cybertron's core, itself a Transformer, and successfully infect with Dark Energon, leaving Megatron to proudly proclaim that the planet is his and the Autobots are finished.
Autobot campaign
Leader Zeta Prime makes a distress call to his fellow Autobots, in particular Optimus, but is cut off before he can reveal his location. Ironhide sends Bumblebee to find Optimus, and an Autobot rookie to assist Ratchet and Air Raid. After undergoing some basic training, the rookie is forced to help fend off a Decepticon attack, led by Starscream, who almost kills the rookie, before Optimus arrives and chases him away. With Jetfire and Bumblebee's aid, Optimus then successfully fights off the attack, defeating Dirge in the process. After temporarily assuming leadership of the Autobots in Zeta Prime's absence, Optimus leads an assault to retake Iacon, which is slowly being destroyed by the Decepticons' Dark Energon corruptors. Optimus' team, including Ironhide, ultimately destroys the corruptors and retakes Iacon from the Decepticon forces, before receiving another transmission from Zeta Prime, who reveals he is being held captive at a prison in Kaon.
Optimus leads a mission to rescue him, joined by Bumblebee and Ironhide, and with Jetfire's coordination. They manage to infiltrate and sneak their way around the prison, but are eventually discovered by Onslaught, whom they soon defeat. Now that the entire prison is aware of their presence, the Autobots invading Kaon fight their way to Zeta Prime's cell. After surviving an ambush by one of the prison's wardens, who releases numerous well-armed prisoners to fight them, they finally reach Zeta, only to find that he is mortally wounded. Optimus returns with his body to the Autobot High Council, who make him the new Prime and task him with saving Cybertron's core from the Dark Energon. He approaches
Upon analyzing a sample of Cybertron's core, Ratchet and Jetfire scientifically determine that the only single thing preventing its healing are the Dark Energon corruptors, so an Autobot team led by Optimus heads there to destroy them before it is too late for Cybertron's core to be successfully healed. Fighting their way through Decepticon forces, the Autobots reach a Dark Energon-rich area where the corruptors are located. After destroying them and defeating Brawl, they approach the core, who reveals that it has been badly damaged and will need to reboot itself - the core will no longer be able to sustain the Transformers during this time, and, as the process will take thousands of years, the only hope for the Autobots is to evacuate Cybertron soon. Before leaving, the core gives Optimus a small piece of itself - the
Before the Autobots can proceed with the evacuation, they need to destroy the Trypticon Space Station, which is destroying any Autobot ships attempting to leave Cybertron. Willing to protect the Matrix and the future of their race at all costs, Optimus leads a suicide mission to board and destroy the station from the inside, which is swarming with Decepticon forces. They eventually destroy the station's main cannon and power source, causing it to pummel towards Cybertron's surface. The Autobots manage to escape before the crash, only to then witness the station transforming into the Decepticon giant Trypticon, having been tempered with by the Decepticons. Optimus leads a final assault on Trypticon, ultimately besting him. With Trypticon successfully gone, the Autobots are free to leave Cybertron, while Optimus gives one last rousing speech, declaring that they will forever keep the planet alive in their memories, and that he and a few others will continue leading the fight against Megatron's forces until every Autobot would have evacuated.
Development
Audio
The soundtrack for the Nintendo DS version games was composed by Jason Willey, Chris D'Ambrosio, and Adam Schneider. D'Ambrosio and Schneider both play in the electronic rock band Sentient Machine.
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
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Metacritic | 62/100[3][4] |
The DS versions of War for Cybertron have received mixed or average reviews. IGN gave it a 6.5/10, stating that "War for Cybertron definitely isn't the worst of the bunch, and at the very least it's clear that this wasn't done as a quick cash-in."[5]
References
- ^ Sinclair, Brendan (2010-04-08). "War for Cybertron erupts June 22". GameSpot. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
- ^ Woodstock, Sven (2010-06-23). "War for Cybertron". Sony. Archived from the original on 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2010-06-10.
- ^ "Transformers: War for Cybertron - Autobots for DS Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on 2022-04-23. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
- ^ "Transformers: War for Cybertron - Decepticons for DS Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on 2022-04-23. Retrieved 2022-04-23.
- ^ Harris, Craig (2010-06-30). "Transformers: War for Cybertron Autobots Review". IGN. Retrieved 2024-02-18.