Up until last year, the Transformers franchise in video games was something of a joke. The first two movie-licensed games were forgettable action affairs that tried to blend transforming abilities with run and gun action. They failed in one form or another, making the Autobots and Decepticons as undesirable as, say, the Gobots. But then something happened with the release of War For Cybertron. High Moon Studios actually got the formula right, creating a stirring, over-the-top shoot-em-up with a bold storyline, satisfying combat and the kind of graphics that made you think “Wow, they really dug into the creator’s heads!” It’s still a classic to this day. Now High Moon Studios teams up with Activision again for Dark of the Moon, a game loosely based on the forthcoming Michael Bay effects fest of the same name. This is a precursor to the movie storyline, telling a tale of ancient Cybertron technology and the Autobots and Decepticons fighting to keep control of it. It’s typical good versus evil stuff, but it does set the stage for some interesting stage scenarios.
This time around, there’s a bit more diversity to what you can do with your chosen characters. There’s quite a few Autobots and Decepticons scattered about in each stage. One stage you’ll control Mirage, complete with cloaking abilities, blades on his arms, and an odd Antonio Banderas-like accent; the next, you’ll handle Shockwave, who shoot enemies with ease and then sends his winged counterpart Lazerbeak – whom you control – to do some damage in otherwise inaccessible areas. The mixture of flight, action and stealth segments will please both hardcore Transformer fans and newcomers alike – even if there are mild frustrations. In way of frustrations, it’s usually something in the stage design. Nothing unforgivable, but there are troubles. For instance, in one stage, we have to drive our way out of a volcano with Shockwave. Not an impossible task, but without some sort of guidance system to point the right way, we found ourselves driving into lava muck and eventually shutting down as a result.
There were also points we were wondering where to go next, as objectives don’t always light up in the distance. This is a minor concern at best, though. We did figure it out to the point we could continue, and you should too. Along with a single player campaign that lasts a few hours – and holds many surprises for Transformers fans, there’s also some engaging multiplayer, in which you can play as one of four classes and dish out the damage to enemies in Team Deathmatch or Conquest-style modes. These are good fun, especially if you’re working with a team that knows how to transform at the right times, but the voiceovers wear out their welcome real quick. How much of “We’re losing A!” and “We’ve captured C!” can you take in one round? Speaking of controls, High Moon once again demonstrates its awesomeness when it comes to Transfomer handling. Transforming from vehicle to robot is a smooth process, simply by clicking in the left analog stick. No matter what form you’re in, the way the gameplay works with run and gun is just about smooth. There are slight hinges on targeting, but nothing you can’t get used to.
This feature review concludes on the next page, please click Page 2 below to see our final thoughts on Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
