Activision brings another Transformers game to retail, this time tying in to the Summer blockbuster. But, is it any good? Read my review and find out.

Figures and More Video Game Review

Title: Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Developer: High Moon Studios

Publisher: Activision

ESRB Rating: T

Yes, that is a badass picture of Optimus Prime on the cover. And yes, you can take control of him in the game. But, not immediately. That is one of the things that frustrated me most about this game. But, we’ll get to that in a little bit. Ultimately, this game is like many of the other Transformers games, a good, but not great experience. It does some things very well, and falls flat in other areas.

The game tells a story bridging the gap between the last movie: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and the new movie: Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Three years have passed since the defeat of the Fallen, as we are told in the opening voice over by Optimus Prime (again voiced brilliantly by Peter Cullen.) The Autobots have been working with humanity, particularly though the N.E.S.T. program. Humans believe that Megatron and the Decepticons have fled, but Optimus knows better. It seems his suspicions are rewarded when Decepticon activity is detected in South America. In the opening cutscene, we also catch a glimpse of Soundwave, the Decepticon Communications Officer, disguised as a spy satellite. Bumblebee is air dropped from a cargo plane into the South American rain forest. This is where the game begins.

The coolest thing about this game is that it introduces you to some of the new characters from the movie, most notably Wheeljack, Mirage, Laserbeak and, the biggest addition to the robot roster, Shockwave. This game also plays host to the first appearances of the new vehicle modes of Megatron (now a Mack Truck) and Soundwave (a Mercedes). The game has 7 chapters, split between Autobot and Decepticon missions. You will play as Bumblebee, Ironhide, Mirage, Soundwave, Laserbeak, Starscream, Megatron and, finally, Optimus Prime.You will be joined by a number of familiar friends and foes, including Ratchet, Mixmaster, and, of course, Shockwave.

Graphically, this is probably the most impressive Transformers game to date. The robot designs very closely mirror their intricate motion picture counterparts. Environments are rich and detailed, with a variety of locations, including a rugged South American mountain range, complete with mountain villages, and a bombed out cityscape, looking worse for wear after a Decepticon attack. Sound is also well done, with incidental music and the voice of all of the principle robot cast.

The controls are similar to previous games. There are separate controls for robot and vehicle modes. In both modes, the left stick controls movement, the right stick controls aiming, moving the targeting reticule onscreen, the x button controls jumping and the R2 button fires your weapon. In Robot Mode, the L1 button uses your character’s “Cooldown Ability”, which recharges on it’s own over time, the L2 button allows to zoom in while aiming, the R1 button uses your “Energon Ability”, which you must collect Energon from enemies to recharge, the square button allows to reload your weapon or interact with a door or console and the ? button allows you to launch grenades. In Vehicle Mode, You use L2 to accelerate, L1 for Target Lock, triangle button to switch weapons and R1 to boost. There also special controls for playing as a jet. R1 does a barrel roll, circle button descends and the x button ascends. Of course, this is a Transformers game, so you must be able to switch forms, this can be done anytime in the game by clicking the left stick button. Clicking the right stick button while in Robot Mode activates your melee attack.

Adding to the simple Robot and Vehicle modes is a new mode called “Stealth Force”. This is a vehicle mode that has weaponry deployed. This is probably the most useful mode in the game. You can take more damage in vehicle mode and you have a target lock on, which you for some reason lose when you change to Robot Mode. This makes the robot form seem weak compared to the vehicle form. You can beat the majority of the game WITHOUT  having to change form, which just seems odd to me. Aiming is much easier in Vehicle Mode.

The game has a multiplayer component, consisting of various deathmatch and capture-the-flag options. You can play out these options either as established characters or you can use the character creator to make your own Transformer. You choose a chassis and class for your character, their faction and their secondary ability and weapons. The color scheme can also been changed. It works well, and is quite a bit of fun.

In the end, the game accomplishes it’s goal, which is to serve as a primer for the movie. Along the way, it also delivers an adequate action game experience. I just wish a new why you can lock on targets in vehicle mode, but you lose the ability when you transform. I also wish there was more balance between the vehicle and robot modes. I think that the Stealth Force mode is a nice addition to the series.  I also wish that you got to play more as Optimus Prime, and that his one level didn’t come at the very end of the game. It is definitely worth a look however, even if it is a bit of an incomplete experience.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon gets 4 Matrix of Leadership out of 5.

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