TF:ROTF DLC Thoughts
by Vangelus
Listeners of the WTF@TFW podcast may already be aware of my thoughts going in to this DLC: It all looks very neat, but walks a fine line of potentials. It could be some great game-enhancing additions, or it could be the G1 skin unlockables from the first movie game all over again. So how did it fare?
MULTIPLAYER MAPS
They're generally effective, mostly in providing some more variety to spice up online play.
NEW CHARACTERS
This is the meat of it, and what most are going to buy the DLC for. Once you filter out the reskins, it's still quite impressive how many entirely new models get added to the game's roster.
G1 Prime:
He looks great, moves great, and has all the right weapons. A nice touch is that not only does he use a G1-styled transformation sound effect, but there's a smaller one when he draws or holsters his weaponry. Decent amount of work was put into making sure that despite being blockier, he still looked vaguely realistic. I really enjoyed how doing a boost-jump in vehicle mode was extremely reminicent of the time he did it in the original TF movie.
G1 Megatron:
I went into this one expecting disappointment, and came out rather pleased. Indeed, he still 'transforms' by taking flight, but as two other characters in the game already do that it doesn't feel as out of place as in the first movie game. Like Prime, his design runs a great cross between the classic look and realistic grit, and all his signature weapons are there. Sadly though, he lacks the classic 80's fusion cannon noises, but that's a small gripe.
G1 Starscream:
My personal favourite of the bunch, and a real runaway success. It's broken-record at this point, but again I love how his design walks the line between retro and modern. Also, I find him a lot more fun to play than movieverse Starscream. The combination of rapidfire null rays and homing missile bursts is topped off by having a copy of Megatron's special move, only done by firing the G1 Megatron altmode! His voicework is also marvelous, as it's the one in the DLC that really leapt out at my ears as being new and unique.
'G1' Sunstorm:
I was surprised by this addition, and I do have to say it's nice that he's designed as an entirely different play experience than Starscream. The flamethrowers combined with his flight make for interesting gameplay. Sadly he re-uses G1 Starscream's voice clips (unless I really missed something), but I'm very impressed that he isn't a simple skin option.
Soundwave:
Definitely leaning more towards the G1-homage style of design, Soundwave is extremely blue. But, he adds yet another flier to the Decepticon ranks, and his special move summons Rumble! At least, I like to pretend it's Rumble. Regardless, it's nice that the special move isn't a simple retread of Ironhide's sentry drone.
TF '07 Jazz:
He's back from the dead! Jazz is a welcome addition to the Autobot roster, adding some compact speed to the group. I also really like the new achievement that revolves around him.
I admit though, I wish there was some kind of easter egg in which melee-ing him to death with Megatron would result in some FATALITY goodness.
Sideswipe:
Like many, I was really disappointed to see him left out of the game at launch. Sideswipe adds a sense of completion to the Autobot roster, though I find his robot mode walking speed to be way too slow. He makes up for it with some really fun melee moves, and a special move in which he launches his blades for bisection funtimes!
Stealth Bumblebee:
If you really love the old '07 redeco, then your hour has come. If you don't, then at least you can choose to be a slightly less obvious target in multiplayer!
G1 Colors Ratchet:
Another choice of style more than anything else, this allows you to take the form of another '07 redeco. It still looks female to me, which makes my play experience delightfully disturbing when Ratchet starts speaking.
Jetfire:
Sadly a multiplayer-only addition, Jetfire has a lot of size and a pretty amusing voice. But to my disappointment, transforming into vehicle mode looks cool...and just looks cool. His ranged weapon of dropping bombs is interesting but difficult to use effectively, his lack of aerial maneuvers makes him an easy target, and overall it's a shame that such a cool altmode doesn't really accomplish much in-game. You tend to forget that after setting off his very useful radar special move, though.
Aerialbot:
He's not entirely new, but now we can use him in single-player! And I'm happy about that- Aerialbot was oddly enough one of my favourite characters to use in multiplayer.
OTHER EXTRAS
There are just a few more bells and whistles to top things off, and I am glad that there's a nice virtual cherry on top of all the characters and maps.
Expert Mode:
I admit, I didn't try it yet. I honestly do intend to, but I haven't felt inspired yet. Really, the DLC -almost- gets me ready to play more longterm singleplayer between the new characters and the expert mode, but the addition of new cutscenes or storyline based on the new characters really would have finished off an excellent trifecta.
New Achievements:
Generally I'm liking these in concept. They encourage you to play Expert Mode, and to use the new characters in multiplayer. Most of them make sense, so they're a neat if forgettable touch.
OVERALL
If you like or love the ROTF game, this is a recommended buy for how packed it is. If you wanted something to inspire you to buy (or buy back) the game...you might want to check it out on a friend's copy first. There's nothing truly groundbreaking, but the DLC really excels in the sheer number of unique character additions it provides. I wasn't expecting much out of the G1 guys, and they ended up impressing me a lot more than I thought they would. Starscream and Sunstorm alone were worth it to me, and I'm sure almost anyone can find a character or three that make the DLC enticing. At the end of the day, look at this DLC for its characters (and then be happy that there are a few little things sprinkled on top).
