
Deformers
Release Date: April 21, 2017
Action, TPP, humorous, splitscreen, multiplayer, singleplayer, internet
OpenCritic
Steam
A multiplayer-oriented, crazy action game created by Ready at Dawn - a California-based studio. Online duels taking place on shaky arenas floating in mid-air constitute the core of the experience. The players are divided into two teams and having assumed control of colorful round-shaped creatures, they try to eliminate the opponents. Each of the creatures has both its strong and weak points.
De-formers for PC, XONE and PS4 is a multiplayer-oriented, wild action game, in which the players enact colorful, round-shaped creatures that participate in dynamic skirmishes on the arena. The game was created by Ready at Dawn – a California-based studio popular for the gloomy The Order: 1886, as well as the mobile installments in the God of War series. The creators were inspired by a German short film Balance, which was published in 1989.
Mechanics
The core of the experience in De-formers for PC, XONE and PS4 is formed by multiplayer duels taking place on shaky arenas that hover mid-air. During the duels, the players are divided into two teams. Having assumed control over colorful, round-shaped creatures with different abilities, they try to eliminate the opposition. The game offers several ways to eliminate an enemy, such as ramming or pushing them off the arena, or simply shooting them down – each of such methods can be both advantageous and otherwise. One of the key factors that determine the power of a creature here is their weight, which can be replenished by eating objects placed on the arenas, or even the fallen enemies. When the player shoots however, the subordinates lose the previously acquired weight, which substantially reduces their chances against an opponent in a direct encounter. What also creates a challenge for the player, are the shaky arenas present here – those can tilt to one side, when enough players make their way to the other. Fighting is based largely on advanced physics here and the duels are incredibly fast-paced, not reaching beyond a few minutes in length at a time.
Game modes
De-formers for PC, XONE and PS4 focuses mainly on delivering a multiplayer experience for up to eight players (connected via the Internet), or four, in the split-screen mode. Interestingly, apart from classic 4 vs 4 duels, the creators included alternative variants: 3 vs 5, and 2 vs 6. Those who prefer a singleplayer experience can compete here against bots controlled by the AI.
Technical aspects
Contrary to the previous, darker and more serious games developed by Ready at Dawn, De-formers surprises with its incredibly colorful visuals, a crazy art style present, and a large portion of humor. The game utilizes the engine that had been created specifically for The Order: 1886, however, the creators improved the physics – as mentioned, those play an important part in De-formers. As an effect of that, the player does not watch any pre-rendered animations in this game – instead, everything what happens on the screen is rooted in the engine's work.
Last updated on January 25, 2017
Videos and Screens
[1:10] Deformers launch trailer
GameOctane: by Matt Steigely
Sadly this is another title from GameStop’s GameTrust publishing arm that has been subpar. I am saddened that another developer’s passion project turns into a bad gameplay experience for players.
PlayStation LifeStyle: 5 / 10 by Ahmed Mohamed
But those fleeting moments of fun are still fun all the same, and I really don't believe Deformers is a bad game. Frustrated as I was during a few Form Ball matches, I was still invested and focused on them, and prancing through a few opponents to pop the ball into an empty goal is an incredibly satisfying feeling. So is smashing into another Form and sending their soon to be carcass miles into the air will never get old, but these moments are exceptions to the rule. Deformers has a broken and inconsistent core, and I can't fathom how any future patch or update can change that.
Video Chums: 6.2 / 10 by A.J. Maciejewski
Deformers provides some off-the-wall fun with an oddball cast of kooky characters.
Deformers Summary
Early Access:April 16, 2017
Platforms:
PC / Windows
PlayStation 4
Xbox One
Developer: Ready At Dawn Studios
Publisher: GameTrust

Deformers System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: Intel Quad 2 Core 2.4 GHz, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 2 GB GeForce GT 640 or better, 8 GB HDD, Windows 7/8/10(SP1) 64-bit
Recommended: Intel Core 2 Quad 3.0 GHz, 16 GB RAM, graphic card 4 GB GeForce GTX 970 or better, 8 GB HDD, Windows 7/8/10