Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)

Beast Wars: Transformers
Developer(s) Sony Computer Entertainment Cambridge[1]
Publisher(s) Hasbro Interactive
Takara
Distributor(s) Hasbro Gaming
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and Sony PlayStation
Release date(s)

PlayStation
‹See Tfd›

  • NA: December 5, 1997

PC & Mac
‹See Tfd›

  • NA: May 31, 1998
Genre(s) Third-person shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, Multi-player

Beast Wars: Transformers is a third-person shooter develpoed by Sony Computer Entertainment Cambridge and published by Hasbro Interactive and Takara on December 5, 1997 for PlayStation and May 31, 1998 for PC. It is based on the popular Transformers: Beast Wars animated series, specifically the first season, after the introduction of Airazor and Inferno.

Overview

The game allows you to play as either the Maximals or the Predacons in a series of missions to sabotage the other side's attempts at gaining a tactical advantage in the Beast Wars. There are six playable characters on each side, one unlockable by finding a stasis pod in a specific level and the other only accessible in Rescue missions, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses, and they all have both a health meter and an Energon tolerance meter that slowly goes down while in Robot mode (staying in Beast Mode slowly refills this meter); once this meter is empty, the player takes damage from the ambient Energon radiation in the air. If the player fails in a mission and gets the character killed, the character can be 'revived' by finding a mini game icon in that same level. The mini game allows the player to take control of Airazor or Terrorsaur to recover the fallen ally.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings(PC) 48.50%[2]
(PS) 37.93%[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
EGM4.75/10[4]
Game RevolutionC[5]
GameSpot(PS) 5/10[6]
(PC) 4.7/10[7]
IGN2.3/10[8]
OPM (US)[9]
PC Gamer (US)28%[10]
PSM[11]

The game was universally panned by both critics and fans alike, given a mediocre to bad rating by most online reviewers for the game's blocky and textureless graphics, clipping problems, somewhat slippery controls, and poor voice acting. Ironically the ever so unpopular voice acting was joined by a surprisingly interesting music score, consisting of Electric Guitar solos and energetic sounds. In fact one of the most fine tuned elements of this game was the sound effects and musical score. Both later sold as a downloadable track. Despite the great music, the game still failed in the eyes of the critics. However, the PC version of the game rates a bit higher than its PlayStation counterpart for one specific reason: the support of 8-player LAN or online play (the PlayStation version took out this multi-player function, reducing its playability severely); in fact, for a while, the MSN Gaming Zone had a series of rooms open specifically for multiplayer Beast Wars matches. Although Beast Wars was criticised it is noted as being the first Transformers brand game that allowed the player to choose both Good and Evil playable characters. In the form of both Maximal and Predacon factions, this game mechanic later became a seemingly expected feature in most future transformer game incarnations. Both the Movie series and War for Cybertron/Fall of Cybertron adopted this selection feature, making Beast Wars partially groundbreaking.

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ "Beast Wars: Transformers for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Beast Wars: Transformers for PlayStation". GameRankings. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Beast Wars: Transformers (PS)". Electronic Gaming Monthly. 1998.
  5. ↑ Tony V (May 1998). "Beast Wars: Transformers Review (PS)". Game Revolution. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  6. ↑ Smith, Josh (February 24, 1998). "Beast Wars Review (PS)". GameSpot. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  7. ↑ Smith, Josh (July 10, 1998). "Beast Wars: Transformers Review (PC)". GameSpot. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  8. ↑ Douglas, Adam (January 16, 1998). "Beast Wars: Transformers (PS)". IGN. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Beast Wars: Transformers". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. 1998.
  10. ↑ Williamson, Colin (September 1998). "Beast Wars: Transformers". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on March 2, 2000. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Review: Beast Wars: Transformers". PSM. 1998.

External links


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