Gears of Warbots.

Game Title: Transformers: War for Cybertron

Developed by: High Moon Studios

If there is one thing I love more than video games (and maybe even my wife) it's Transformers. I've been with the franchise since it started back in 1984, when I was 8. My love of Optimus Prime, Starscream, and all the rest of the Autobots and Decepticons never died.

I have a very odd relationship with Transformers though. As much as I love them, I only love certain "eras" of the franchise, most specifically the original G1 era, and even more specifically, the G1 era leading up to and including the 1986 animated feature film. Anything from the 1986 toyline on, my interest wains. Needless to say, because of this, I had never played a Transformers video game.

Until now...

When War for Cybertron was first announced, I was excited. After the last four years of suffering through Bayformers and all their little point angles and wrecking ball gonads, here we have the original bots, in Cybertronian mode, looking like their old selves again. Megatron with a fusion cannon on his arm, check. Starscream with an actual face so we can see his smarmy smirk, double check. A Bumblebee that doesn't sound like R2-D2 retarded cousin, triple check.

I dove right in to the narrative, goosebumps aplenty as the familiar voice of Peter Cullen's Optimus Prime (the one and only Prime) boomed over my home theatre system. Over the next 10 levels, my love for Transformers was further cemented into the bedrock of my geek foundation.

I enjoyed the game play, though it is very similar to other third person shooters like Gears of War or Resident Evil 5. The graphics were stellar, with the transformations from robot to vehicle and back handled by one button (and including smooth animation to boot), and the story was interesting enough to not be a rehash of something we've already seen before. Who hasn't wanted more on the war that started everything. We've always just had bits and pieces and now here's a whole game!

The game starts off with the Decepticons. Megatron and a couple of minions infiltrating an orbital station that can produce Dark Energon. Megatron succeeds in gaining control of the Dark Energon and begins using it to corrupt Cybertron's core. As the story progresses, we see Megatron bring the Autobots to their knees, defeating their leader, Zeta Prime, and capturing their powerhouse guardian, Omega Supreme. Can the soldier known only as Optimus and his ragtag group of Autobots turn the tide of the Decepticon onslaught and save Cybertron? Play and find out.

The only part of the game I can't comment on is the multiplayer. I've no interest in it.

From level design to character avatars to story, Transformers; War for Cybertron is a definite must play, especially if you love the characters like I do.

Next level: Enslaved: Journey to the West