Transformers: The Game Review

Anyone who was a youngster during the mid 80's should remember the Generation 1 Transformers cartoon. (And, incredibly enough, even those of you who weren't youngsters at the time. - Ed) Unlike Atari's PS2 shooter from 2004, which followed the more recent animated series (not the old 80's cartoon), the premise of this game goes in line with the recently released Hollywood movie. With Michael Bay's movie hitting cinemas even as we speak, it's time for the gaming community to get another taste of the memorable animated series.

The Transformers is, essentially, an epic struggle between the benevolent Autobots and the evil Decepticons. As cruel fate would have it, the conflict stretched throughout the galaxy, eventually reaching planet Earth. Both sides are fighting over a powerful artifact known as the AllSpark. Incidentally, the AllSpark represents a life force for all Transformers, which is why they are so anxious to grab hold of it.

At the beginning of the game, you come across a human called Sam Witwicky (voiced by young actor Shia LaBeouf), who ends up being the key to locating the AllSpark. Once you reach this point in the storyline, which is very early on, you begin to wonder why the developers didn't take the time to elaborate on the narrative. There's an extensive universe full of locations, detailed character outlines and plenty of history surrounding the Transformers license. And yet, in the game, we know very little about the world we are supposed to get immersed in.

The opening sequence provides a brief and very basic overture to a backstory that's otherwise a lot more complex than we're lead to believe. So, instead of offering a clearer depiction of a well-known universe, the game presents a simplified and crunched version of the movie scenario, with sparse specifics. In some ways, this is a good thing, since it doesn't spoil the flick. Then again, it makes a feeble basis for the game itself, which is a damn shame.

On a more positive note, the game marks the presence of familiar talented actors, including the voices of Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, who were reassigned for their famous roles as Optimus Prime and Megatron - both actors voiced characters from the original cartoon series in 1984.

Gameplay wise, Transformers: The Game sees a very intuitive system, allowing you to discern and master the powers of each robot that's under your control. In no time at all, you'll be able to transform, race through streets, or go airborne. Both the Autobots and Decepticons use primary and secondary weapons for ranged combat (the secondary being more powerful), but they also engage in close-ranged combat with other robots. There a few things to take into account when fighting opposing Transformers. Enemy blows can be stopped with an energy shield, easily generated by pressing the 'SHIFT' key. Well-timed melee attacks are required to weaken your opponent and can also be performed easily. Moreover, the key tactics is to pick up large objects and hurl them at enemies as often as possible. If the throw is on target, that'll probably knock down your adversary, which means you can approach him, lift him up and toss him anywhere you like. Rather effective, but pulling it off may be a bit tricky, since players are liable to get hindered by the somewhat awkward camera. So, unsurprisingly, we encounter yet another somewhat rushed movie-based product.

Although these fighting sequences look impressive, believe me, when we speak about the gameplay itself, particularly the robot vs. robot combat, it all seems slightly underdeveloped. Why? Well, for one thing, there's not much to do other than perform a few simple combos and melee attacks. Also, the controls aren't as responsive as they should be, and, as I said earlier, the camera doesn't help either. For instance, by the time you throw an opponent into the air and pan the camera around for a better angle, he'll probably already get to his feet to deliver a counter-attack. Camera sensitivity can be tweaked, but that won't be of much use. Thanks to such moments, the game was a disappointment really.

Overall, we felt a lot of good potential had been wasted. After several hours of playing, you'll realize the game doesn't exceed the archetype of modern-day action games, which, in this case, mostly boils down to pure destruction. Shoot at everything, kick the enemy's butt and move on. In other words, the gameplay doesn't exactly bring any fresh ideas to the gaming scene. The basic mechanics are hugely derivative of GTA, though simplified to a great degree. You move around the map, seeking story-driven missions and bonus areas, by exploring the local district via a GTA-like map placed in the lower right corner of your screen. I think the amount of games using this principal is now beyond count. Also, missions tend to get a bit repetitive. The nature of your tasks rarely varies from the typical find-and-destroy routine. Clearly, very little thought went into mission structure.

In addition, there are some unforgivable glitches in the controls. For instance, when playing as Blackout in the Decepticon campaign, you'll be frustrated after the first few minutes of play. Once Blackout transforms into a chopper, players encounter what is probably one of the worst control systems ever devised. Using the mouse to move the helicopter around makes it almost impossible to aim accurately at foes. When assuming the role of Autobots, things aren't all that peachy either. Players may find steering each Autobot rather difficult and sluggish when in vehicle mode.

Still, the game does have its good sides. Being a huge fan, assuming the roles of my metallic childhood icons such as Bumblebee, Jazz, Ironhide, Optimus Prime or Megatron, was a personal joy to say the least. So, it's safe to say most fans will appreciate the game, in the sense of how the characters are portrayed... artistically. Of course, models and the fabulous art were borrowed from the movie, so I guess we can chalk up most of the hard work to ILM and all the movie's conceptual artists and designers, responsible for reviving the franchise and bringing it to the big-screen. Characters are animated superbly and each model is highly detailed and looks impressive, especially in their robotic forms.

Visually, there's not much to note here, other than the aforementioned models. The level of interactivity is commendable. Almost everything in the environment can be destroyed or thrown at enemies - you pick up cars, lampposts, fences, debris from crumbling buildings, etc. Everything else is more or less standard.

So, how can you have fun playing such a game? Easy. If you are a loyal Transformers fan and if you're looking to cause some serious destruction, this is the game for you. Provided you have the stomach to overlook serious control issues for certain characters, as well as a relatively feeble plot.

The fun factor increases slightly when you get to play as a Decepticon, where most missions involve complete annihilation and destruction. There's also decent replay value here, with two reasonably lengthy single-player campaigns on offer, as well as the opportunity to unlock bonus features and extra content, such as movie trailers, pics, character profiles, stills from the old Generation 1 cartoon series (which is a nice moment). Other than that, Transformers: The Game is just another mediocre conversion of a summer Hollywood blockbuster.