A surprisingly earnest adaptation of the cartoons and toys that captures the feeling of childlike play as much as it does grandiose Shakesperean melodrama. These are the kinds of stories I'd imagine for my action figures as a kid - epic and ridiculous in equal measure, but self-serious all the same. Does it make sense that Transformers can transform on Cybertron? Only, really, if you consider it through the lens of play. It's the contradiction that's the fun of Transformers - iconic characterisation and sincere storytelling as applied to glorified advertisements for transforming robot toys. Some might balk at that the idea that therein lies the appeal, but I find it genuinely charming.

Honestly, the biggest problem with this game is that it's frequently dull to look at, with a muddy, washed-out glaze over much of its environments. I found it easy enough to adjust to, and the actual aesthetic design is pretty fun - only let down by the way it's rendered. So I don't think too much less of it for that. War for Cybertron is really delightful, and I'm glad it holds up after all this time.