Transformers for Xbox 360

Conclusions

So, we’ve outlined just about all that Transformers has to offer; open areas, vehicles, robots, wonky physics and clunky combat. There’s no multiplayer at all, not even an option for two players to duel off, so the amount of replay value in the game is immediately limited.

There are some things to like about Transformers though, so it’s not all bad.

For one, the animations are very fluid and enjoyable, especially on some of the faster characters like Bumblebee and Jazz. Being able to run to the edge of a hill, jump forwards into the air and the morph into a zippy sports car is an incredibly liberating experience, at least the first hundred or so times you do it and the game captures that joy perfectly through some excellent animations.

The animations for some of the combat are good too, such as Bumblebee grinding backwards on his hands and knees when he suffers a powerful hit from an enemy. The graphics too, whilst no excellent or limit-breaking are passable for the most part and look especially good when complemented by the animations.


However, there are some serious flaws in how the game plays, as well as the overall game experience. The major thing which made the game feel awkward and phoney was the lack of human intervention in the Autobot campaign. No matter which character or faction players choose to side with, it’s still very possible to unleash a mega-ton of destruction on the landscapes and although there are a few missions involving police chases and skirmishes, it forcibly shatters the suspension of disbelief when Optimus Prime smashes his way through a high school without consequence.

Worse, the developers have attempted to deal with this issue by having a few sequences where the humans band together against the Autobots. Apparently, it only takes four SUVs with flashing lights to stop Jazz, an enormous robotic-implement-of-mass-destruction from driving down the street.

The open levels are a mixed bag, with areas like the suburbs and cityscapes being enjoyable enough to romp around in for a bit, while levels like the desert and military bases incredibly dull shooting galleries.


Of course this is without bearing the target audience in mind – the kids and foolish teens who pick up movie tie-ins blindly. Those people will most likely love Transformers because it lets them run, drive and fly around some moderately interesting levels, blowing things to pieces and jumping on cars (general chav behaviour then) until they get bored and forget about that game.

For the average bit-tech reader however, Transformers just doesn’t cut the mustard. It’s obvious from playing it that there is a passable game hidden inside it somewhere, not an excellent or even good game admittedly, but passable. The terrible news though is that the passable game is buried under a few dozen design issues and a generally unimpressive game design which is a far cry from the creative reimagining of Transformers we had hoped the series might find in a video game form.

Compared to some other movie tie-ins, Transformers isn’t too bad – but that’s not much of a boast. It’s kind of like saying that although a baby is ugly, at least it can still vomit all over you.

For £40 in the UK, and about the same in the US, Transformers is priced like any other Xbox 360 game, but given the lack of appeal to hardcore gamers it's a little hard to justify this price tag.


For the mass audience and for casual gamers out there with money to burn, Transformers does the job well enough, but for the hardcore gamer or the Transformers enthusiast, Transformers will quickly leave you wanting and, in our opinion, you’d be better off dusting off your old Megatron and Optimus Prime toys and going to play in your own sandbox. And don’t pretend that you don’t still have those toys kept somewhere safe in mint condition - we know you do.