Transformers: Devastation
| The name or term "Devastation" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Devastation (disambiguation). |
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| File:Transformers Devastation Xbox One cover.jpg Like I said, kids are cruel, Jack. And I'm very in touch with my inner child. | |||||||
| Developer | PlatinumGames | ||||||
| Publisher | Activision | ||||||
| Writer | Andy Schmidt[1] | ||||||
| Platform | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC | ||||||
| Release date | October 6, 2015 | ||||||
| Ratings | ESRB: T PEGI: 12+ | ||||||
Transformers: Devastation is a video game by PlatinumGames, announced at E3 2015. It is based in the Generation 1 continuity family (drawing inspiration from the original cartoon, the IDW comics, the Combiner Wars toyline and others), and features the return of some of the surviving voice actors from the original cartoon. The game's soundtrack was composed by Satoshi Igarashi, with contributions by Vince DiCola and Kenny Meriedeth.[2]
Plot
Chapter 1: City of Steel
Something strange is tearing apart a human city. The Autobots roll out to investigate.
Chapter 2: The Proudstar
Megatron's plan to Cyberform the Earth is underway. The Autobots look for a way into the Proudstar to stop him.
Chapter 3: The Core
The Autobots must find their way through a Decepticon Stronghold to reach the Plasma Core.
Chapter 4: Possession
The Plasma Core is out in the open, and the Autobots must reach it before the Decepticons!
Chapter 5: To Cybertron
Megatron's escaped to Cybertron with the Plasma Core. The Autobots follow.
Chapter 6: Ferrotaxis
The weight of the mission weighing on them, Optimus and his Autobots return to the Proudstar to stop Megatron once and for all.
Chapter 7: Legacy
The ultimate doom approaches as Megatron watches the Earth being torn apart. The Autobots' only remaining option is to wrestle the Ferrotaxis from Megatron's cold, mechanical hands!
Featured Characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Others |
|---|---|---|
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- * Indicates character available only as downloadable content skin.
- † Indicates character who only appears in text-based log entries.
Gameplay
Devastation is a fast-paced hack-and-slash brawler, similar to many of Platinum's other titles like Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Players choose from five Autobots (Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Wheeljack, and Grimlock) and battle Decepticons using a combination of light and heavy physical attacks, with players generally having to defeat an entire wave of enemies in order to proceed. Players can chain these attacks into a combo, as well as extend their combos and utilize new moves by strategically transforming back and forth between vehicle and robot modes during strings of attacks. Each of the Autobots is also equipped with a projectile-based weapon, allowing them to attack enemies they cannot normally reach, such as airborne Seekers. Players have multiple defensive options, being able to block, dodge, parry, and counterattack against enemy blows; similar to the Witch Time concept from Bayonetta, dodging at just the right moment will induce "Focus" and cause time to slow down for the surrounding environment, giving players a chance to move in close and counterattack. Certain gameplay segments will encourage the use of vehicle mode over robot mode, such as chasing down escaping Decepticons on a highway or transforming back to robot mode at maximum speed to break an enemy shield.
Each of the five Autobots has a different set of moves and properties; Optimus is the most equally-balanced, Bumblebee focuses on quickness over attack strength, Sideswipe uses a hit-and-run attack style, Wheeljack is largely based around ranged combat and defense, and Grimlock deals in slow but powerful close-range strikes. Each character also possesses unique ability that they can trigger in battle, such as Wheeljack's shield or Grimlock's grapple; this depletes energy from their Ability Gauge, which automatically refills over time. Attacking enemies will also fill the Ultimate Gauge; when full, this will allow players to use their character-specific Ultimate Attack, doing heavy damage to multiple foes.
The game also includes a player-customization system. Several different weapon types can be potentially dropped by enemies or found in weapons caches. Each type of weapon, such as axes, swords, or hammers, can only be used by certain characters, and new weapons can be synthesized by using the old ones as materials, allowing players to create stronger weapons of different types. Players can also spend in-game credits to develop T.E.C.H. that grants passive boosts to their characters, giving them bonuses such as auto-recovery or an increased credit drop rate; the strength of the T.E.C.H. developed varies depending on the amount of credits spent, as well as the player's success at a quicktime event during the synthesis process. Characters' individual stats can also be improved either through combat or by purchasing upgrades with credits. The Lab acts as the in-game store, allowing players to purchase additional weapons, temporary power-ups, and new moves for all five Autobots.
The game features seven Story chapters. At the beginning, three difficulty levels are accessible ("Scout", "Warrior", and "Commander"), while two higher difficulties ("Magnus" and "Prime") are unlocked after completing the lower ones. Players who go off the beaten path in the story chapters may find side missions scattered about; completing these will reward players with additional weapons. In addition to the primary Story Mode, the game also includes a Challenge Mode with 50 stand-alone missions.
A Gallery mode allows players to view assorted art pieces, such as stage concept art and Generations character art. New art can be unlocked in each stage by finding bouncing Kremzeeks and Mystery Objects, or shooting down Decepticon Flags and Spy Ops. Completing the game will add the credits sequence to the gallery, viewable with or without the credits themselves, as well as a model viewer that allows players to view all of the 3D character models, accompanied by their respective themes. The model viewer includes a "Transform" command that lets you view both of their modes, and a "Try Me" button that plays one of their voice samples.
Players who pre-ordered the game received a downloadable content bundle that includes character skins for Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Sideswipe based on Nemesis Prime, Goldfire, and Red Alert respectively, as well as new weapons for each one: the Dark Star Saber for Optimus, the Photon Disruptor for Sideswipe, and the twin Golden Hunters for Bumblebee.
