Ludography
23/100
Critics2 reviews
Transformers: Cybertron Adventures cover

2010 · Next Level Games · Light gun shooter · Shooter

Transformers: Cybertron Adventures

Nintendo exclusive

Transformers: Cybertron Adventures features separate campaigns for the Autobots and Decepticons, but instead of being a third person shooter like War for Cybertron, this game is a rail shooter, utilizing a gameplay similar to Time Crisis series. Players must defeat a group of enemies in one area from a cover point. After all enemies are defeated, the character will move along a pre-defined path to another area, and so on. Occasionally during gameplay the character will transform into vehicle, and the player must control them to reach one point, destroying obstacles on the way.

Released
22 June 2010
Platforms
Wii
Genres
Light gun shooterShooterThird-person shooter
Developers
Next Level Games
Publishers
—
Modes
MultiplayerSingle-player
Perspective
Third person
Themes
ActionScience fiction
Country
Canada
Age ratings
ACB MPEGI 7ESRB T

About

Transformers: Cybertron Adventures is an action-adventure video game based on the Transformers franchise, developed by Next Level Games and published by Activision. It is a companion game to High Moon Studios' Transformers: War for Cybertron, released exclusively for the Wii in June 2010. Like War for Cybertron, it features separate campaigns for the Autobots and the Decepticons, with the player being able to choose either faction to play as. The game received mixed to negative reviews from critics.

›Story

The story of Cybertron Adventures unfolds through two campaigns: one for the Autobots and one for the Decepticons. The campaigns are interwoven, with Decepticon stages leading directly into corresponding Autobot stages. The plot takes place between the eighth and ninth chapters of *War for Cybertron*, expanding on the Decepticons' use of Trypticon, a powerful weapon that threatens the Autobots' evacuation efforts. The Autobots' preparations are interrupted by Trypticon’s devastating orbital blasts, forcing them into action while the Decepticons work to use the weapon against them.

In the Autobot campaign, Sideswipe leads a search-and-rescue mission after a blast from Trypticon devastates the area. He fights off Decepticon forces to rescue Autobots, eventually saving Ratchet, who has vital information for Optimus Prime. Meanwhile, Bumblebee and Ironhide infiltrate Kaon to steal data on Trypticon. Despite facing heavy Decepticon resistance, they succeed in retrieving the information but are intercepted by Megatron. Ironhide later escapes from captivity and rescues Bumblebee, and the two return to Optimus with the stolen data.

As the Autobots continue their mission, Air Raid is tasked with shutting down Trypticon’s power supply by navigating dangerous tunnels and fighting off Decepticon forces. After a series of intense battles, Air Raid successfully disables the energy flow to Trypticon. Meanwhile, Bumblebee scouts ahead to protect the Autobots' supply convoy from Decepticon ambushes. His efforts lead to a tense chase and the destruction of Decepticon anti-aircraft weapons, allowing the convoy to proceed. With Trypticon neutralized, the Autobots prepare for their final stand.

In the final battle, Trypticon’s orbital blasts damage the Autobots' ships, and the massive Decepticon weapon crashes to the surface. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Ironhide fight through Decepticon forces to reach Trypticon, who has transformed into robot mode. After intense combat, including avoiding Trypticon’s powerful energy blasts and missile swarms, Optimus and his team focus their fire on the monster’s vulnerable mouth, eventually bringing it down. Though the threat of Trypticon is over, Optimus knows the war is far from finished, and the Autobots' fight continues.

In the Decepticon campaign, Megatron takes great pleasure in the destruction caused by his new superweapon, Trypticon. He orders Starscream and Skywarp to finish off any remaining Autobots, though Starscream protests, prompting Megatron to force him to clean up orbital debris instead. As Megatron continues his rampage, he hunts down fleeing Autobots, mercilessly gunning them down. He eventually confronts Ratchet, and after an exchange of insults and blaster fire, Megatron kicks the wounded medic off a high ledge, watching him fall.

Starscream, frustrated with Megatron’s orders, is sent to deal with some orbital debris and later tracks down Autobots in the wreckage. He joins Thundercracker in destroying an asteroid before engaging swarms of Aerialbots and later confronting his old teammate, Jetfire. Megatron scolds Starscream for abandoning his post and for not guarding Trypticon, sending him to deal with the Energon relays while Thundercracker handles a larger cruiser. Starscream’s bitterness grows as he returns to Trypticon after his mission.

Soundwave, accompanied by Barricade, is tasked with defending the Datacore from an Autobot infiltration. While navigating through an overrun highway, Soundwave faces Aerialbots and an Autobot Destroyer. After downloading information from the Datacore and preventing an escape, Soundwave intercepts Autobots Ironhide and Bumblebee, and with a fusion blast from Megatron, eliminates the threat. The mission is a success, and Soundwave is praised for his efficiency.

Skywarp leads a Decepticon assault on Iacon, wiping out Autobots and sabotaging energon relays. He takes pleasure in eliminating enemy forces and providing cover for Thundercracker, who is damaged. After planting explosive charges and targeting weak points in power stations, Skywarp faces off against a series of Destroyers and anti-air defenses before making a dramatic escape from an expanding fireball. Meanwhile, Barricade drives through the highway to Iacon, clearing roadblocks and engaging Autobot guards, ultimately allowing Starscream to take control of the Council Chamber. The Autobots are on the run, and the Decepticons prepare for the next phase of their invasion.

Keywords

  • rail shooter

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Transformers: Cybertron Adventures features separate campaigns for the Autobots and Decepticons, but instead of being a third person shooter like War for Cybertron, this game is a rail shooter, utilizing a gameplay similar to Time Crisis series. Players must defeat a group of enemies in one area from a cover point. After all enemies are defeated, the character will move along a pre-defined path to another area, and so on.

Occasionally during gameplay the character will transform into vehicle, and the player must control them to reach one point, destroying obstacles on the way. Offline co-op is also featured. Each campaign has 8 levels and a challenge mode allows player to replay campaign missions with four extra objectives in each mission.

Story

Cybertron Adventures 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 total civil war with one another, with two factions emerging: the Decepticons, a splinter group led by the powerful and ruthless Megatron, who seeks to conquer Cybertron to force a regime change, perceiving the current leadership as weak and corrupt; and the Autobots, led by the inexperienced, yet brave and inspiring Optimus Prime, who fights against Megatron's tyranny and seeks to restore peace and justice to Cybertron. In the game, the Decepticons seek to completely wipe out their rivals with the aid of a massive Decepticon known as Trypticon, who can use the powerful Dark Energon—a more dangerous and destructive version of Energon, the substance which powers all Transformers—to his advantage, while the Autobots try to defeat this new threat.

While the game still features two different campaigns, one from the Autobots' perspective and one from the Decepticons', and the player may choose to play either of them, just like in War for Cybertron, the campaigns take place simultaneously rather than one after the other, and the plot is different from other versions of the game.

Reception

Unlike the well-received PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, Cybertron Adventures received mostly negative reviews, averaging only 41 out of 100 at Metacritic. IGN scored it a 3.5/10, citing poor textures and animations, "boring" environments, and a "miserable" gameplay experience that "even co-op cannot save". It did, however, praise the music and in particular, Peter Cullen's performance as Optimus Prime, calling it "the single saving grace of Cybertron Adventures." Destructoid was the only reviewer to give a positive review, giving Cybertron Adventures a 7.0. Reviewer James Stephanie Sterling said it was "definitely not as great in the gameplay department as War for Cybertron" but that it had a "superior narrative and decent arcade action."

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
Wii22 June 2010North America · Europe 25 June 2010

Editions and related releases

Included in
Transformers: Ultimate Battle Edition

Games like this

Collections4 collections

Platform libraries

Series and characters

Genres

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.