Transformers: War for Cybertron Review

(Xbox, PS3, Wii; $59.99; Rated T for Violence; transformersgame.com)

(two and a half stars)

Here are things that are awesome:

Robots.

Vehicles.

Things that become other things.

Combining all three things that are awesome - Robots that become Vehicles - would make for a triple-threat of awesomeness.  And the mythology of the Transformers - the evil Decepticons, lead by the Kim Jong Il of robots Megatron, fight to destroy the noble Autobots, lead by the fearless Optimus Prime - make for a can't lose Circle of Cool.

So how is it that everything bearing the "Transformers" name since 1985, when the real "Transformers: the movie" was released, is just so... meh?

I'd say it's because I'm no longer a 10 year-old boy, but my re-watching of the classic '85 flick proves me wrong.  That movie holds up and is awesome (plus, fun fact: Orson Well's last movie).  Clearly, "Transformers" is timeless, but only in the right hands.

Developers, High Moon Studios, recognize that and try to do the mythos justice with "Transformers: War for Cybertron," but come up short by creating a by-the-numbers third-person shooter that feels it was made about five years ago.  No innovation in gameplay is here, nothing unique to take note of, and nothing that warrants more than a weekend rental.  By no means is this a bad game, just wholly mediocre.

Taking place before the events that lead to the Autobots crash-landing on Earth, "War for Cybertron" focuses on the beginning of civil war between Autobot and Decepticon.  For those geeked out about "Transformers," "War for Cybertron" is canonical and signed off as the way it all went down by license-holder, Hasbro.

Players begin on the Decepticon side of the war, with Megatron and two other Decepticons pursuing 'Dark Energon' which will be the key to augmenting Megatron's power and taking Cybertron for himself.  Play involves a three-bot squad moving through environments that are long enough to take advantage of the ability to transform into vehicle mode, but beyond getting from point-A to point-B quicker, Vehicle Mode is fairly useless.  This is especially a shame for the portions of the game played as a fighter jet, where a great use of dog-fighting and stationary sniping should have really be explored; or for unique car chases.

The art style of the game is good, if it didn't look all so blended in together.  Each classic Transformer is envisioned as a good mix between the "G1" Transformers from the 80s and the Michael Bay awfulness of the recent movies.  Unfortunately, in going for an edgier look to the characters and Cybertron as a whole, High Moon Studios makes everything look washed out -  chocking the environments so full of metal makes distinguishing the enemies from the backgrounds a challenge in itself.

Online multiplayer shows some promise, using the squad-based, experience-leveling mechanic of "Call of Duty" to unlock new weapons and perks.  But the lack of an actual cover mechanic, makes this third-person shooter more chaotic than enjoyable.

For those who can't get enough of those Robots in Disguise, "War for Cybertron" is worth a look for some of the cleverness in the mythos; but perhaps only after the pice is slashed by $30.