Gamers Evolved

We all loved the movie, but how is it to be up close and personal inside the game of Transformers. Many people(as in old)grew up watching the TV series of cool robots from out of space that can transform into any piece of electronic equipment that they come into contact with. There was much hype surrounding the movie and the game, but is the game really as good as the movie?

Published by Activision and developed by Traveller’s Tales, the game offers a parallel story to the film, allowing players to take the side of either Autobot or Decepticon and go between the scenes of Bay’s movie in a free-form, mission-based experience. From initial boot, the game is already hit and miss, as the introductory cut-scene is horribly compressed, rendering what might have been an atmospheric cinematic less so.

Each level is an open map that you’re free to explore. At first, there’s not much to do except wander around and search for hidden objects like Energon Cubes and hidden faction symbols. These items unlock secret goodies in the aptly named Bonus Features menu. You’ll have to fight the occasional enemy drone, but your main enemy will be local law enforcement. The game is designed to make you take advantage of your “robot in disguise” status.

No matter what side you take, the general gameplay progression is the same. You will have totally different missions depending on which ragtag bunch of Cybertronians you side with, but both sides offer similar mission-based chapters wrapped in an open-world area. The idea here was to create something similar to GTA, but Activision’s own Grand Theft Autobot comes up significantly short. You can explore the regions, be it desert, city, suburban, or the like, all you want, but ultimately there’s just one mission to take part in for actual story progression.

The claim that Transformers is truly an “open world” is a bit misleading though, as it’s more of a mission-based game within specific “arenas.” There just isn’t enough diversity within areas to give the actual feel of anything more than a destructible sandbox.

Tranformers: The Game has some serious issues. Combat is too one-dimensional, focusing mainly on melee, as your firearms do nothing against enemy shields. IR isn’t perfect, causing quirky camera issues and annoying lock-on problems. Still, Transformers isn’t a total wash, and we can see the potential for entertainment. Doing battle, while shallow, is still good for some basic entertainment.

So don’t expect a truly fantastic game for your Wii system. It’s fun, but it isn’t downright addictive like most games can be.