Transformers: Earthspark – Expedition Review

thesixthaxis.com:

Outright Games Transformers Battlegrounds was released last year and scored some favourable reviews, including an 8/10 score from TheSixthAxis, but is their follow up Robots In Disguise game just as good? Well it’s certainly different, dropping the RTS gameplay found in the first title for some action-adventure brawling with some jumping, puzzles and racing.

The game is clearly aimed at younger players and is set in the Earthspark continuity, a cartoon series that is hidden away on Paramount + in the UK. A quick summary of the plot of the cartoon is given at the start of the game –  some kids touched a stone and made Transformers from Earth – but from then on those Terran Transformers are NPCs who dish out missions or help with upgrades. It’s Bumblebee who takes centre stage, a chirpy kid-friendly companion who very occasionally drops a joke for the adults watching. He has to defeat Mandroid, a human character who has an army of robot drones and who can control the minds of other Transformers.

Set over three zones you must complete missions across the play area to gradually weaken Mandroid’s influence on the zone, before unlocking his base and a boss fight with a fan-favourite character. Missions include battles with a time limit, races, and puzzles, and you can also collect Runes and Cards which further reduce Mandroid’s influence.

In a rather surprising move guns are secondary weapons in the game and you must rely on your fists, using combos and dodges to bounce between enemies like an Arkham game.  While the combat is rather basic to begin with, you unlock new combos that allow you to put together some impressive moves with well timed dodges dropping you into bullet time so you can do extra damage… just like an Arkham