GENRE
	Action Adventure
	DEVELOPER
	Traveller's Tales
	PUBLISHER
	Activision
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	WI-FI ENHANCED
	No
	DS COMPATIBLE
	No
	BUY NOW AT

Any game based on the Transformers license has a heavy burden to carry. The dream of being able to change from robot to vehicle was the dream of every prepubescent boy in the 1980s, and now that those boys have graduated to full-fledged adult gamers, the expectations are even higher. At the same time, the quality of past Transformers games is hardly reassuring, and a multiplatform game based on a movie of questionable quality is even less so.

Still, the company entrusted with the game was Traveller’s Tales, the developers of LEGO Star Wars, so there was some hope. Unfortunately, those hopes were not realized as Transformers proves to be a short game with lackluster mission design and little in the way of replay value.

visuals

Few screenshots of the Wii build of Transformers were distributed prior to the game’s release, leading some to speculate that the Wii version probably would look terrible, much like another Activision movie tie-in. Fortunately, Traveller’s Tales has managed to succeed where Vicarious Visions failed. Transformers shines graphically and is one of the few Wii games available that actually matches -- and perhaps even surpasses -- some of the late-gen GameCube efforts. The opening cinematic really sets the pace, with some gorgeous CG and a pretty slick title menu. More CG is peppered in cutscenes throughout the game, and they likewise look really slick.

The in-game engine also impresses, both on land and in the air. The various Autobots and Decepticons are rendered in great detail, and their transformation animations are fluid and fun to watch. Weapons look great and feature a whole gamut of spectacular effects, from peppering gunfire to blue EMP blasts. Even taking a hit is fun to watch, as some of the characters, such as Bumblebee, will tear into the pavement as they reorient themselves after being blown backward.

The game’s world looks great, too, benefiting from some well-implemented bloom lighting that gives the game a real polished look during both the day and night sequences. The game spans residential areas, bustling business districts, military installations and some other major locales that are both detailed and often destructible. Light and darkness are handled well with some nice shadow work on display during the day and plumes of streetlights at night. Travellers Tales really looked into the little things too, as the giant robots will puts cracks into pavement and pull earth from the ground with each massive step.

audio

The sound in Transformers matches the bar set by the graphics. The music is taken from the movie and is fully orchestrated, lending epic and memorable tracks to the game’s battles. Combat really feels important because the music makes it sound so. The voicework, likewise, is top notch with many of the movies’ actors -- including Shia LaBoeuf and Megan Fox -- lending their voices to the game with more passion and sophistication than is commonly seen in such licensed efforts. Fans of the franchise will also be pleased to know that Peter Cullen is positively inspired as Optimus Prime and perhaps even more excited to know that Frank Welker (who voiced Megatron in the cartoons but was replaced by Hugo Weaving in the recent movie) makes a spectacular return to lend his trademark voice to the Decepticon leader.

gameplay

The spit and polish Traveller’s Tales put into the graphics and sound did not translate into equally-inspired gameplay. To be sure, the game makes a good first impression, using a sandbox style that allows for some open space to get acquainted with one’s Transformer and their finer qualities. Shooting through the sky as Blackout and Starscream or racing through the streets with Bumblebee and Jazz is fun for a little while, at least.

When the player decides to get down to business, though, one will quickly discover that there isn’t a lot of meat on the bones. Transformers is a short game; notwithstanding some frustrating mission designs that require too many repeated attempts, a seasoned gamer will clock out after about eight hours, if not sooner. The missions are divided between Autobot and Decepticon campaigns, and while neither side is engrossing, the bad guys are at least allowed to destroy everything in sight. The game’s sandbox style is quite linear, mostly acting as a staging area to move from one mission to the next.

The various missions range from unimaginative to silly. Several missions, for example, require a player to beat up an opponent, chase the opponent to a given rally point within a time limit and beat up on the opponent again. Other missions require blowing up a certain number of buildings or picking up and throwing a given number of glowing green objects. Still other missions, especially many boss missions, require some sort of cumbersome or unorthodox attack method.

This last example highlights one of the fundamental gameplay gripes of Transformers. Every Transformer has a powerful light and heavy ranged weapon, and some of them are truly awesome to behold. Unfortunately, most Transformers in the game can generate invincible energy shields to block ranged attacks, and because bosses successfully do this without fail, ranged weapons are useless during the most critical parts of the game. This was no doubt a design decision made to encourage melee combat and make boss battles harder, but it winds up feeling contrived -- after all, what kind of energy shield blocks a military grade explosive or Gatling gun, but fails to stop a tree or a robotic punch? More than just being a head-scratcher, this decision takes the run-and-gun element out of boss battles (and many standard battles, too) and makes them into a chore. The epic clash between Optimus Prime and Megatron should be about trading gunfire, not tossing lampposts at each other.

Another gripe is the senseless frustration many of the missions present. Because many tasks involve time limits, getting stuck in a tree or getting knocked off-course can be fatal, and alas, such things happen far too often. Another point of frustration lies with some of the enemy drones (the Autobot and Decepticon grunts are mostly the same), some of which use cheap tricks like a whirling helicopter blade or a pair of flamethrowers. Since ranged weapons are fruitless against them, a player has to scramble to find some random object to toss instead.

The game pads things out with a few unlockable extras -- mostly the usual fare of concept art, movie pictures and some theatrical trailers -- although the chore of collecting cubes or trying to reach top speed on the highway hardly feels worth the effort. Sidequests, such as they are, are few and involve a race or some other minigame that yields nothing more than a few other pedestrian extras. Even the game’s extra levels, unlocked after beating each campaign, is little more than a short arena-style beat-em-up.

The controls aren’t perfect but they make solid use of the Wii Remote. The IR functionality is used to move the camera and aim the targeting reticule, and in general, is an improvement over a standard analog stick. The one downside is that the IR sensitivity, even on the highest level, turns about as fast as Red Steel, but the third-person perspective and the ability to re-center the camera using the minus button alleviates that problem to an extent. The camera feels a little hard to handle at first, but with time it becomes more manageable, if still occasionally clumsy.

The remaining controls get the job done. The d-pad is used for transforming and blocking, the A and B buttons are used for ranged weapons, and the Z button is used to lock onto opponents. A swipe of the nunchuck or Wii Remote will effect a melee attack; since the latter is tied to the camera, the former is the obvious choice. Lifting and throwing an object can be achieved with either a vertical motion on the nunchuck or Wii Remote or the use of the C-button. Driving and flying are both handled using the analog stick and buttons rather than motion control.

multiplayer

n/a

overall

The real tragedy with Transformers is that it is one of the few Wii games currently available that looks and sounds really good. On top of that, the Wii-specific controls feel superior to what could be achieved on dual analog. Sadly, the beauty is only skin deep, and the core content of the game is really a disappointment. The game is very short and the missions are poor. With no replay value to speak of, this is a game that quickly loses its luster. Transformers ultimately fails to provide a compelling Transformer experience, and for that reason, it is probably best left on the retail shelf.

6.0/10