Now that is what I call a boss
Most modern games start by allowing the player to choose from a number of difficulty levels. This used to be easy, medium and hard. Nowadays you are likely to get something more akin to casual, challenging and eye wateringly painful. As a casual coward, I opt more often than not for a lower difficulty level; I find experiencing a game’s story as entertaining as the gameplay itself. However, when playing with my co-op pals I discover that they are no such wimps. They crave the challenge of a tough as nails game; continuously repeating difficult segments in an urge to conquer the game, this is no chore for them, but grist to their mill. How could I, a lowly casual player, enjoy myself on knee trembling difficulty?
Transformer: War for Cybertron is an excellent third person action title set in the universe of Optimus (Prime) et al. before they left their home planet. Up to 3 players can work together to tackle the main campaign, any Transformers not taken up with a human will be replaced with AI – so three players will always be in the fight. Having tasted the game in single player, and casual difficulty, I found it a bog standard shooter that lacked depth. However, it was only until my co-op experiences on the hardest difficulty did the game truly opened up.
Each level in the game spans several chapters and can take a while to work through. Two friends and I decided to tackle the Decepticon point of view first and, over numerous days, worked our way through the game; dying a lot, but managing to succeed. That was until the final boss of the section *spoiler alert*. Megatron, Soundwave and Breakdown must tackle a giant robot that dwarfs even them. On its shoulders are launchers that fire rockets that can instantly kill and the boss’ only vulnerability, is a tiny area on its chest. *end spoiler alert* My friends and I would seriously need to work together to beat the enemy. Unfortunately, for the first 15 minutes this did not happen, over and over again one of us was killed – and in this game when one is out, all are out. Death, upon death, upon death would surely fracture our friendship and lead to us never playing online together again?
On harder difficulty settings you will have to work together as a team to succeed
Untrue, the headache inducing difficulty actually drew us together as a team. During the easier sections in the game all three players tackled the game in the same way – all guns blazing and every now and again helping a fallen comrade. We did not think to use the individual skill sets that made up the character classes. Megatron with his power, Breakdown with his speed, and Soundwave with his defenses. With our backs against the wall, true co-op came to pass. I as Megatron started to take enemies head on with my increased power, whilst Soundwave would use shields and his health gun to heal my wounds. What of Breakdown? This chap proved invaluable in speedy-distraction techniques taking pressure away from Megatron.
After several attempts at the boss, we managed to get our teamwork down pat (mastered) and beat the level. The struggle was worth it as the rewards for success felt richer. We had worked as a team to defeat what looked like an unbeatable boss. We have now started the Autobots campaign; but why it so much easier? Perhaps because we now know how to work as a team; power, defense and speed all working as one to play the game as it was meant to be. More evidence, if evidence were needed, that cooperative aspects in a game can lift it from the mundane to the magnificent.