History
Long ago, on the distant planet Cybertron, a race of autonomous life forms waged war without end. Two factions rose and fought for an artefact of unspeakable power called the Allspark, which gave life to their race.
The Autobots, sworn to protect the Allspark, battled heroically against the treacherous Decepticons, who desired the Allspark's power for evil. Their war raged on, and in a final act of self-sacrifice the Autobots jettisoned the Allspark into the depths of space, where it would remain hidden for countless years on a remote planet called Earth.
Now the forces of good and evil gather again to continue their battle for the Allspark and the war that began on Cybertron will be finished on Earth.
The Autobots and the Decepticons transform into cars and aircraft depending on the campaign. Each has two weapons that deal out a good deal of destruction. In robot form both can climb buildings and wield objects like vehicles, lampposts and other objects and use them as weapons either by throwing them, or using them as clubs.
They can both also cause devastating blows by jumping and attacking the ground to knock potential nearby enemies off their feet. Weapons consist of mostly guns and missiles and cause minimal damage, but the upside is that this can be done from a safe range away from melee attacks.
Gameplay
The game is quite simple to load and start playing. In fact it's a bit too simple. Battles consist of firing a couple of weapons and picking up objects and using them as clubs or projectiles. Missions include finding different things, protecting stuff, holding off the enemy, and other typical tasks.
Some require that you do this in a minimal amount of time in which can be challenging. You can also find different icons that unlock bonus features and in-game challenges. Though this all sounds great, before too long the game gets redundant and you find yourself wanting more.
One thing I liked about the game is that just about all the buildings, fences, trees, and just about every other object can be blown to bits. This makes for some entertaining gaming. Tanks, trucks, police cars, and other people-driven vehicles do not blow up until their human drivers are safely out of the vehicle. Sorry people, but you cannot kill the humans. This will certainly appeal to parents who want to curb younger audiences from what is still a pretty violent game.
Visually the game looks good, but unfortunately on common PCs it plays more like a slide show rather than a smooth-playing shooter. The in-game cinematics in my opinion were nicely done and really added to the storyline of the game.
I was surprised to find that there were no multiplayer options in the game. I thought this would have been a perfect venue for a battle arena type of side game.
Example, you could choose your side then choose any one of the different characters that would have their own unique weapons and/or fighting styles. Then play one on one until the other character is reduced to a pile of scrap metal. You could keep on defeating opponents while each enemy gets tougher. This surely would have given this game more options not to mention a reason for playing once you have completed both campaigns. You could have even taken one step further and bring MMO games like Deathmatch or Capture the Flag. Just my two cents!
Final thoughts
This title could have offered so much more. I just wonder if it was rushed to match the movie's release.
Easy to get started and play. The default settings are basic and easy to follow. There is not a whole lot involved so even the most novice players can enjoy it.
Graphics
Looks good but you really need a powerhouse of a PC to play it without it being choppy. This is still true even when turning the graphic settings down to minimum. The in-game cinematics look decent, but I was a bit surprised that no movie cinematics were used considering this is a game based on the movie.
Difficulty
No toggles to increase or decrease how challenging the game can be. It can be difficult at times but as you complete the game you cannot go back and play at a higher setting. This will surely knock down the shelf life of the game.
Overall: 6.5
No difficulty settings, or multiplayer make completing this game a done deal. I cannot see that this title would have any replayability once you have completed the game after playing both sides.
Official trailer:
Gamespot review:
"http://www.youtube.com/v/89QqzRvW8UE"
Minimum System Requirements
Windows XP or Vista
DirectX 9.0c
DVD-ROM
DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
DirectX 9.0c compatible video card