Deformers

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 09 June 2016