Transformers: The Game – PC – Review

Long ago, on the
distant planet Cybertron, a race of autonomous life forms waged war without end.
Two factions rose and fought for an artifact of unspeakable power called the
Allspark, which gave life to their race. The Autobots, sworn to protect the
Allspark, battled heroically against the treacherous Decepticons, who desired
the Allspark’s power for evil. Their war raged on, and in a final act of
self-sacrifice the Autobots jettisoned the Allspark into the depths of space,
where it would remain hidden for countless years on a remote planet called
Earth. Now the forces of good and evil gather again to continue their battle for
the Allspark and the war that began on Cybertron will be finished on Earth.

The Autobots and
the Decepticons transform into cars and aircraft depending on the campaign. Each
has two weapons that deal out a good deal of destruction. In robot form both can
climb buildings and wield objects like vehicles, lampposts and other objects and
use them as weapons either by throwing them, or using them as clubs. They can
both also cause devastating blows by jumping and attacking the ground to knock
potential nearby enemies off their feet. Weapons consist of mostly guns and
missiles and cause minimal damage, but the upside is that this can be done from
a safe range away from melee attacks.

The game is
quite simple to load and start playing. In fact it’s a bit too simple. Battles
consist of firing a couple of weapons and picking up objects and using them as
clubs or projectiles. Missions include finding different things, protecting
stuff, holding off the enemy, and other typical tasks. Some require that you do
this in a minimal amount of time in which can be challenging. You can also find
different icons that unlock bonus features and in-game challenges. Though this
all sounds great, before too long the game gets redundant and you find yourself
wanting more.

One thing I
liked about the game is that just about all the buildings, fences, trees, and
just about every other object can be blown to bits. This makes for some
entertaining gaming. Tanks, trucks, police cars, and other people-driven
vehicles do not blow up until their human drivers are safely out of the vehicle.
Sorry people, but you cannot kill the humans. This will certainly appeal to
parents who want to curb younger audiences from what is still a pretty violent
game.

Visually the
game looks good, but unfortunately on common PCs it plays more like a slide show
rather than a smooth-playing shooter. The in-game cinematics in my opinion were
nicely done and really added to the storyline of the game.

I was surprised
to find that there were no multiplayer options in the game. I thought this would
have been a perfect venue for a battle arena type of side game. Example, you
could choose your side then choose any one of the different characters that
would have their own unique weapons and/or fighting styles. Then play one on one
until the other character is reduced to a pile of scrap metal. You could keep on
defeating opponents while each enemy gets tougher. Similar to a Mortal Kombat
style of game. This surely would have given this game more options not to
mention a reason for playing once you have completed both campaigns. You could
have even taken one step further and bring MMO games like Deathmatch or Capture
the Flag. Just my two cents!

This title could
have offered so much more. I just wonder if it was rushed to match the movie’s
release.

Gameplay: 7.0
Easy to get
started and play. The default settings are basic and easy to follow. There is
not a whole lot involved so even the most novice players can enjoy it.

Graphics: 8.0
Looks
good but you really need a powerhouse of a PC to play it without it being
choppy. This is still true even when turning the graphic settings down to
minimum. The in-game cinematics look decent, but I was a bit surprised that no
movie cinematics were used considering this is a game based on the movie.

Sound: 7.0
Typical sound
effects and good voiceovers.

Difficulty:
Medium
No toggles to
increase or decrease how challenging the game can be. It can be difficult at
times but as you complete the game you cannot go back and play at a higher
setting. This will surely knock down the shelf life of the game.

Concept: 6.0

I have not
seen the movie but I understand it does follow the movie pretty well. You
basically can choose either the autobot or decepticon sides to play. Nothing
real innovative to speak of.

Multiplayer:
N/A
Too bad!!!
This could have been the game’s saving grace.

Overall: 6.5
No difficulty
settings, or multiplayer make completing this game a done deal. I cannot see
that this title would have any replayability once you have completed the game
after playing both sides