PS3 Review - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Video games adapted from feature films have long been the bane of gamers and game critics. Instead of taking the time to create a well-designed game, publishers and developers are forced to crank out titles under insane deadlines and several development restrictions. The result is a lackluster game filled with clunky controls and shoddy graphics that only the non-jaded younger-gaming audience can adore. There are always games that buck the trend, like “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” which was the first Wolverine game to really capture the character’s mutant power and personality.

Alas, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” bucks no trend. From the moment you start playing through the initial training sequence, you will quickly realize that the controls in this adaptation are not only clunky, but down right tedious. As Spider-Man sage Ben Parker would say, “With poor controls comes a poor gaming experience.” However, the game does benefit from an engaging multiplayer component and enough unlockables to keep you playing until the clunky controls become second nature.

Gamers can begin their Transformers experience as either an Autobot or a Decepticon. Although I naturally gravitate towards the Decepticons, I started with the Autobots since the Decepticon movie characters, especially Starscream and Megatron, all tend to look alike. After deciding on your faction, you will have to complete a tedious tutorial sequence. It’s here that you will notice that you’ve got a ton of moves, as a Transformer should have, but most of the moves will require hours to get used to. My biggest peeve was that transforming and accelerating used the same button. Gamers will need to modulate how hard they press down on L2 to continue accelerating or they will revert to robot mode. When you are a robot, you lock onto targets with L2 and shoot with R2. But, strangely, once you transform into a vehicle your shoot button will change from R2 to Square. Why the developers decided to switch the firing button between transformations remains a mystery.

One of the cooler moves you can perform is climbing up buildings with the Circle button. Gamers will get to see the building damage as it happens. This game does give you a moderate level of damage you can execute in your environment. I only wish that the destruction felt more real. Bashing objects results in a simple explosion that doesn’t really demonstrate the gravity of Transformer level damage. I would expect that, in real life, if a giant robot stomped on a car, more would happen than a simple “orange poof.”

Gamers are also given a mid-transform attack. You can perform several quick attacks when transforming out of vehicle mode. This requires a lot of practice to be effective and even more so if you’re a flying machine. The robust array of Transforming techniques and control complexity reminded me of the original Transformers movie in 1986, where Daniel tried to Transform in his father’s exo-suit. He nearly died trying to transform, and you will suffer from the same plight trying to get the controls down. Luckily, your health regenerates at a moderate pace, so if you run away you can easily avoid an untimely death.

I was shocked to see the lack of cut scenes used in this game. Between missions, gamers are taken back to either the Decepticon or Autobot base, where the characters simply discuss what is going on in the story. There is no visual build up to show the action or to follow up a rescue sequence. This would be fine if this was the DS, but on the PS3 gamers should be treated to some movie footage or custom footage designed specifically for the console. When you’re not in the base, you simply get an uninspired-blueprint overlay of the location you are heading to with some narration. For example, there is one mission where you’re Ratchet and you have to rescue Iron Hide, who has been captured. Why, not show Iron Hide being captured in a cut scene, or show him being held prisoner. Unfortunately, gamers will have to listen and use their imaginations as if they were in the 1930s listening to “The Shadow” radio program.

On the plus side, there are some fun dialogue moments, especially with Ironhide and Ratchet’s witty comments. But, the VO does not translate well to all of the characters. Some of the human VO is atrocious and comes in at a starkly lower quality when compared with the Transformers.

The best part about “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” are the unlockables. There is a fair amount of unlockables to be earned through Energon upgrades. Gamers gain Energon based on mission performance. You can unlock things like concept art and skins, as well as upgrade your weapons so that they don’t overheat as quickly. But the best unlockable, I have ever encountered in a game, is that you can unlock a G1 Transformers episode. When you first unlock the “S.O.S. Dinobots” episode, it may very well be the best feeling in your life if you’re a fan of the original series. On the Decepticons side, when you use 100k in Energon on team upgrades you will unlock “The Ultimate Doom Part I.” Unfortunately, there is no part II, which really stinks. The dangling cliffhanger will have you feeling like the Decepticons won. But, I guess it is a Decepticon achievement after all, so that’s perfectly acceptable.

The settings are filled with drab colors. And, a few hours into the game you will begin to notice that all the environments look similar. Even the Autobot and Decepticon bases look the same. The repetitiveness isn’t too much of a problem since you will have a variety of mission types to wave off the feeling of redundancy.

The online is one of the redeeming qualities of The Fallen. Gamers can participate in the standard face-offs like Deathmatch and Capture the Flag. Also, each robot has their own special ability, which creates some cool dynamics for team play: for example Ratchet is able to heal while Bumblebee can execute an EMP.

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” falls into the typical movie adaption cliché category. The online gaming and unlockables helps keep you engaged, but the clunky control design will have you frustrated for the first few hours of play. Older audiences will shy away from this title, but younger audiences will have a blast living the Transformer lifestyle. As for me, I was just happy to unlock two G1 Transformers episodes. Those 44 minutes made it all worth it.