Transformers: The Game
Score: 80% ESRB: Everyone 10+ Publisher: Activision Developer: Savage Entertainment Media: UMD/1 Players: 1; 2 - 4 Online (Ad Hoc) Genre: Action/ Third Person Shooter
Graphics & Sound: The PSP version of Transformers: The Game does not make the best first impressions. You are thrown into action as Optimus Prime chases down Bumblebee and takes on Decepticon drones. The action is there, but the controls definitely are not. The default scheme is a mangled wreck and is enough to make you want to turn the game off - then you discover the multiple control schemes and the game transforms into something else completely. Transformers makes excellent use of the PSP's visual capabilities. Though not nearly as detailed as the console versions, characters use the modeling data used in the movie, so you are getting a pretty accurate rendition of what you see in theaters. The models look and animate great with the only blemishes being the blurry textures and a few clipping issues - common problems in a majority of PSP titles. Several Generation One characters are also included in the PSP version, such as Shockwave and Hound, bringing the grand total to 25, more than any other version. The re-imagined characters fit right in with the movie characters, though some designs, like Thundercracker, look a little silly and make you think that perhaps some of the movie's designs are not all that bad. Although all of the levels lead you through a linear path, a few are successful at making you feel like you are in a larger environment than you really are. Some even feature destructible obstacles like rocks and trees. Larger items, like bridges and doors, can also be destroyed, though they tie into mission objectives. As with every other version, many of actors from the movie reprise their role in the game, so if you still have not had your fill of Shia LaBeouf, here is one more opportunity. The two most notable appearances, at least for Transformers fans, are Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, the original cartoon voices of Optimus Prime and Megatron. Considering the source material, the voice acting is generally good and gets the story across.
Gameplay: Transformers: The Game for the PSP is a completely different approach than other versions. Rather than taking an open-world approach, it is a linear third-person shooter. Action takes place from an over-the-shoulder view and offers plenty of ways to interact with your environment during levels. Most of your time is spent shooting things, though you will also have to participate in a few scavenger and defend missions. Objectives can be tackled in either robot or vehicle form. The single-player campaign follows the Autobots and Decepticons as they track an artifact called the AllSpark. Autobot levels stick to the movie's plot while some Decepticon levels break off and tell a side-story featuring Shockwave. As with the DS version's side missions, the approach works. You still play as familiar characters in movie events, but you are not limited to just those moments and get to experience something new. The only problem with the single-player campaign is the mundane mission design. Each level features multiple missions that tie into one major objective. Pacing is fast and the checkpoint system makes sure you always know where to go. However, most involve finding a target and destroying it. There are a few minor variations on the formula, though for the most part, you are stuck doing the same actions throughout most of the game. If there was more to combat, this would not be an issue, but it is. The main point behind the single-player side is to unlock items for the ad-hoc multiplayer games. There is a lot of content to unlock in each level. Rather than stick to image, movie and sound galleries (all of which can be purchased in the rewards section), you can unlock useful items like new characters and weapons for multiplayer. In addition to Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch, you can also play a Capture the Flag variant called Secure the AllSpark and Ascension Rites, which is like King of the Hill. The 10 Multiplayer maps are derived from the single-player maps and lend themselves well to game types.
Difficulty: Transformers: The Game is no more difficult than your typical action game. You won't blow through levels with ease, though there was never a part where I simply felt stuck. Save points appear at just the right times and there is no problem area that cannot be overcome once you figure out what you are required to do. The one issue that does make the game easier than it should be, at least when it comes to bosses, is that several will stop fighting when engaged in melee combat. Long range fights are fierce, but once I was in melee range, it seemed like some lost the will to fight. The biggest hurdle is coming to grips with the controls. Though you are given several options, each has its own little quirks that keep them from being perfect. Some button assignments feel awkward. For example, on Basic setup, pressing down on the D-pad converts your character into vehicle mode. Though instinct may tell you that pressing down once more will convert you character back to robot form, it instead becomes target lock-on, a function assigned to (Square) in robot mode. Little issues like this are problematic throughout the game.
Game Mechanics: Customization is a big part of Transformers: The Game's design. Four control types are available, each offering a different feel. My personal preference was the Basic setup. It tackles the problem of no second analog stick by giving you a target lock button. Many of the most used functions are mapped to the face buttons and easy to get to. The only downside to the setup is that the target lock function has a difficult time locking on to targets that are above your character. If the basic setup is not to your liking, you should be able to find something you are comfortable with between the four. I really wish the option to change controls would have been given or mentioned during the first tutorial mission. The default scheme is a mess and had I not had to play the game for review, it was enough to make me want to turn it off. The scheme is not unplayable, but button assignments are scattered all over the place and did not feel comfortable. If the schemes are mentioned, it is not as prominent as it should be; I stumbled across the alternate schemes almost by chance. Although each scheme has its drawbacks, the one that is persistent across all four are the differences between vehicle and robot forms. I understand that finding uniformity between robots and multiple vehicle types is tricky, but having functions jump between buttons feels awkward. Even commonly used functions, like attack, switch depending on your form. As you play through the game, you will also unlock new weapons. The difference between your initial weapons options is so small that you really are not given much of a choice. Later on, you'll encounter better weapons, though I found that sticking to missiles was usually the best course of action. Weapon selection is annoying, only because you can only cycle through weapons in one direction; if you are on weapon two and want to go back to weapon one, you need to cycle through three and four first. Going on first impressions, I did not expect to like the PSP version of Transformers as much as I did. Though it has its issues, it is still a fun action game that is very playable on the PSP and worth a play if you are a Transformers fan.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Transformers: Decepticons Transformers: The Game