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Activision's next summer blockbuster arrives with a bang. Transformers fans weren't eager to embrace the movie when it was first announced but subsequent trailers have warmed them up to the idea. It's gone from "Why bother?" to one of the summer's most anticipated movies. But it wouldn't be a summer blockbuster without a big game attached. Thankfully, Activision and Savage Entertainment have filled the void.
Transformers' story is apparently loosely based on the movie, which is in turned based on the Transformers universe. It tells the battle between two transforming machines, the Autobots (good) and Decepticons (bad). Their battle has moved on to Earth where something called Allspark is now found. Both groups anxiously want to take control of the device and desperately want to make sure it doesn't fall in the hands of the other side. The story works out well and begins with an excellent CGI introduction by Blur Studios and manages to hold your attention.
Transformers is a different singleplayer experience on PSP. While the console versions offered free-roaming gameplay with two separate campaigns, the PSP version is a linear, third-person game. If you play as the Autobots, you’ll try to find the AllSpark and save humanity. The Decepticons simply want to destroy the Autobots and take control of the AllSpark. The missions, themselves, are generally simple and task you with doing things like rescuing a fellow bot, destroying someone, or looking for something. As with Call of Duty, Activision included a number of control schemes for the PSP version of the game. None of them are perfect, but you’re bound to find one that works for you. All of the versions have different controls for the robot or vehicle forms of the Transformers, which causes the learning curve to be slightly longer than usual.
Transformers does include a good amount of unlockable, bonus content. By completing certain objectives and chapters, you'll be able to unlock playable characters, movie trailers, and artwork. Replay value is further enhanced by a local wireless multiplayer mode. The game includes 10maps based on the singleplayer game and features Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Ascencion Rites (King of the Hill) and Secure the AllSpark (Capture the Flag). The characters and weapons unlocked in the singleplayer campaign can be used for multiplayer.
The game's graphics are pretty good for a PSP game. Savage Entertainment worked with CGI house Industrial Light & Magic, which worked on the film, and was granted access to the character models used in the movie. The PSP can’t handle the same level of detail found in the other new-gen consoles, but the character models still hold up compared to other games on the platform. The environments look pretty good, although again sport significantly less detail. The PSP version does experience a few more framerate drops than the other version but nothing deal-breaking.
The sound package is even more impressive. Activision managed to get the key cast members like Megan Fox, Keith David and Shia Lebeouf in the game, in addition to Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, who were the original voices of Optimus Prime and Megatron. The soundtrack is mostly comprised of modern rock songs, which is in sync with what we expect from the movie. The game's various sound effects, especially the explosions, are all good.
Transformers doesn't make any radical changes to the classic action game genre, but it does have likeable characters and top-notch production values, coupled with enjoyable gameplay. For a Transformers fan, that's more than enough. Your new summer blockbuster has arrived. The PSP version’s somewhat fidgety control scheme may turn you off at first, but the game is a lot more fun once you find the control scheme that works for you. -- Adam Nunez, PGNx Media
---- Jun 27, 2007
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