John, Diecast and Matt (Melvar) review Transformers Devastation, PlatinumGames’ G1-style brawler. All three love the look and the returning G1 voice cast. They agree the levels repeat, the combo system is shallow and the camera fights you. The real debate is price: is it a $50 game, or a $30 download?

What Transformers Devastation Is

John sets the scene. Devastation is a cel-shaded, G1-style hack-and-slash game from PlatinumGames, published by Activision. The cast reunites Peter Cullen, Dan Gilvezan, Michael Bell, Gregg Berger and Frank Welker, with music by Vince DiCola. John says the critical consensus lands around average, with the game seen as made for fans.

First Impressions and Level Design

Diecast found the long opening felt like training, then got lost once the game opened up. Levels look alike, and boss areas get reused out of sequence. He had to drive in circles while streaming live to YouTube. Matt loves picking Seekers out of the sky with his rifle, but finds little story depth. All three call the combo system shallow, with every character sharing the same moveset. The camera zooms in too tight, and one host says the frantic camera gave him a headache within the first hour.

The Roster and the Transforming Gimmick

The opening roster is Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Wheeljack and Grimlock. Diecast wanted more characters, such as Ironhide or Prowl. Matt, an unapologetic Wheeljack fan, still wonders where Ironhide, Jazz and Cliffjumper are. John notes the Generations Devastator tie-in was mistimed. Matt calls the transforming a shoehorned afterthought, mostly used to speed up and smash gates.

The G1 Voice Cast

Diecast says Frank Welker’s Megatron did not sound like the G1 Megatron he remembers. John, who has heard Welker do the voice live at a Hall of Fame dinner, blames post-production filters. John was not fully sold on Peter Cullen’s G1 Prime either. Matt has less of a problem and blames the lines Cullen is given. The crew agrees the writing leans toward Transformers Prime’s stilted, preachy Optimus rather than G1’s cowboy. John thinks Dan Gilvezan slid right back into Bumblebee.

DLC Wishes and the Weapon System

Preorder bonuses were character skins, which John expects to return as DLC. Matt wants Ironhide as a playable character. Diecast wants deeper gameplay and unique combos, which John says sounds more like a sequel. Diecast and John both found the weapon crafting and upgrade menus confusing and easy to ignore. John wishes the game had clearly marked its tutorial, perhaps with a Teletraan-1 training cutscene.

Verdict: Is It Worth $50?

John recommends it with a “buyer beware” at about $50. Diecast thinks $50 is fair since it is not a $60 game, but worries a lower price signals a problem to non-fans. Matt loves the G1 aesthetic but would rather replay Fall of Cybertron and finds $50 too high. John sees it as a $29.99 download-only game. All three want a sequel with playable Decepticons and multiplayer.

Contributors: John, Diecast, Matt

The RFC Mini-cast

Brian Kilby

Your snack-size Transformers podcast every week. Get in-depth reviews, commentary and more in 30 minutes or less!

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