Transformers The Movie hit the theatres this summer with a bang and Activision is hoping that Transformers The Game will do the same on your 360. So how does it stack up?

As many of you may recall I reviewed Surf's Up a short while ago and raved that this was the right way to do a game based on a movie license. Transformers on the other hand, is a prime example of the substandard games typically released when movie licenses are involved.

The story that drives the game is pretty much the same as the movie, and about as nonsensical. The All Spark has landed on Earth and the Autobots must retrieve it before the Decepticons. The game attempts to bridge gaps from the movie providing some filler story as to what went on before and in-between certain scenes in the movie. While this would seem to be a great idea, the actual story from the movie was pretty rotten. Essentially you have a story in game that makes little sense based on the story from the movie which also made little sense.

All the above said, in the end very few people actually went to Transformers The Movie to see a good story. The vast majority of us wanted to see an action packed summer blockbuster filled with giant transforming robots. That is exactly what we got. Thus it was with this attitude I and many others approached Transformer The Game hoping for the same. Sadly while the giant transforming robots were there, the game play was lacking.

Gameplay:

The game consists of 2 campaigns, one for the Autobots and one for the Decepticons. Both campaigns take place in "open ended" environments, which are actually very linear due to the mission objectives the player must complete.

The Decepticon campaign is filled with missions that involve blowing up practically every building on the map, or taking out human military/Autobot forces within a set time limit. I personally found even this game type to be somewhat repetitive as many of the buildings looked identical to the other, and I started to feel like I was button mashing more than coming up with a tactical plan to achieve the mission objectives.

While I could somewhat tolerate the Decepticon campaign with its emphasis on destruction, I found the Autobot campaign to be an exercise in frustration. Unlike the Decepticons, the Autobots are required to protect humans and their property. This means in many missions, taking out too many human cars, or buildings, or causing too much environmental damage can lead to a failed mission. Extremely irritating is the fact that even brushing up against a building can be enough to send it tumbling down and penalize you. Even worse is that in many of the Autobot missions you need to stay "in disguise" in order to avoid local law enforcement vehicles. Given how hard and frustrating it is to drive in the game I often would find cops after me simply due to a few fender benders beyond my control.

Perhaps the most irritating thing about the game were the timed missions and the No-name bots. You're probably wondering what the heck are No-name bots? Due to the nature of the Transformer license Traveller's Tales couldn't actually have you kill off recognizable characters, so throughout both Decepticon and Autobot missions you'll be facing hordes of No-name Transformers on either the Deceptions or Autobots side. These No-name bots are generally fairly easy to take out, and given that your Transformer has only 2 main weapons and a melee attack, the range of tactical options aren't exactly stellar.

Graphics:

Graphically speaking I found the game to be a mixed bag. There were some really cool cutscenes (the intro was particularly impressive with CGI done by the same company that did the CGI in the actual movie). The models of the Transformers themselves looked really good, and the Transforming animation was fluid. Even the No-name Bots looked pretty slick. Explosions in the game were satisfying, you really felt like you were doing damage on a massive scale.

Unfortunately "the massive scale" is limited to generic looking military bases, and generic looking city buildings. I can say I found it fun to blow up pedestrian cars and watch humans run around in terror for a little while but that got dull pretty quick.

Audio:

Perhaps the one highlight of the game, Peter Cullin and Frank Welker (the original voices of Optimus Prime and Megatron) lend their voices to the game, and any self respecting Transformers fan will geek out at their lines. Sound effects for explosions in the game are satisfyingly loud giving one the sense that they have done A LOT of damage. The background music is ok but nothing to write home about either.

Longevity:

Both Autobot and Decepticon campaigns (combined) will take you about 8 - 10 hours to finish. There over 150 unlockables in the game which will open everything from Generation 1 character skins (from the original cartoon) to spiffy looking artwork and videos. Unlockables are opened up by collecting Decepticon and Autobot icons scattered throughout each mission. Dedicated fans might take the effort to find every icon but I find it doubtful the average Joe will bother.

There is no multiplayer to speak of, and on the back of the box it says DOES NOT SUPPORT XBOX LIVE. I suppose this is one of the downsides of porting a title to many different systems... the time that could have been spent on a decent multiplayer mode is spent instead making sure the game works on multiple platforms. Sadly the lack of multiplayer support means that once the campaign is done, side missions completed, and bonuses unlocked... you're pretty much done with the game.

Overall:

I really enjoyed the Transformers movie and found it be an action packed affair. Sadly Transformers The Game turned out to be only mediocre in my books. There were a lot of things about the game that I felt could have been better. Everything from the dull campaigns, to the boring "open ended" environments, which really weren't, No-name Bots I took no pleasure in killing, and timed missions that made me want to scream in frustration.

I've really enjoyed some of Travellers Tales offerings in the past, particularly the Star Wars Lego series, so I was expecting great things. Sadly I was let down. If you're looking for open-ended environments, I suggest picking up Spiderman 3 also offered by Activision or even Superman Returns. Both games will give you a better experience than Transformers The Game. If however you are a die-hard Transformers Fan there is definitely some fan service given through the unlockables. But die-hard fans are the only one's I would recommend pick up this title and even then with caution.