Video Game Vintage Title: Transformers: The Game

Transformers: The Game

Transformers: The Game is the name of multiple versions of a video game based on the 2007 live action film Transformers, all of which were released in North America in June 2007. Home console and PC versions were developed by Traveller's Tales for the PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3 and PC. A different PlayStation Portable version was developed by Savage Entertainment.

Transformers Autobots and Transformers Decepticons are the Nintendo DS versions of Transfomers: The Game. Vicarious Visions, who was tasked with bringing the adaptation to the Nintendo DS, chose to adapt the DS version into two separate games. Autobots follows the heroes' perspective while Decepticons follows the villains'. Unlike games with multiple SKUs such as Pok�mon which feature only minor differences between versions, these are two separate games, sharing some basic similarities, but with unique characters, missions and locations.

Transformers: The Game Gameplay

The game (in all its versions) is mainly a third-person action-shooter. All the robots have at least five attack types: a light weapon, a heavy weapon, a melee attack, and the ability to throw objects such as cars, lamp posts, trees, etc, and using a long object like a lamp post as a sword. As its title and characters imply, a robot can transform into a vehicle and vice versa, this gives the game some racing elements, as the player must, in some missions, race to certain point within a time limit or before a character of the opposing faction does. Each area is an open world environment, and there are also side-missions, Energon cubes and Autobot/Decepticon emblems scattered through the city, if accomplished successfully/collected the player can unlock trailers, production photos and unlock color schemes for certain characters.

Reception
Most versions of Transformers: The Game received mixed reviews upon release. As of July 7, 2007, Metacritic currently gives the Xbox 360 version 57/100, the PS3 version 60/100, the Wii version 59/100, the PS2 version 61/100, and the PSP version 55/100.

In most reviews, Graphics and sound effects were praised, IGN's review named the graphics of the Wii version in the time of its release as the best on the system while Peter Cullen's voice acting as Optimus Prime, alongside Frank Welker (Megatron's original voice in the 1984 cartoon) were considered strong points also. GameSpot also commented the responsive motion-controls on the Wii.

However, the various reviewers noted multiple flaws, such as a troublesome camera that tumbled (intended to give an effect of the walking of the Transformers themselves), repetitive missions, and clunky driving in the vehicle modes. They also commented that the game was too short and it had an unbalanced difficulty, older gamers finding it too easy, while younger players finding extremely hard to pass certain missions. Furthermore, although there were few complaints about it, the main console versions of the game lack multiplayer modes (though there is multiplayer on the DS and PSP versions). Hyper's Maurice Branscombe commends the game for looking good and comments that "exploration and destruction is fun". However, he criticises the game for its "mission objectives that are repetitive and boring". He also criticises the combat as poor.

The game was nominated for the 35th Annie Award title of Best Animated Video Game, but lost to Ratatouille.