Score
Gameplay:	6
Graphics:	6
Sound:	6
FunFactor:	6
PlasmaFactor:	6
Overall:	6

Transformers: Autobots Review
August 8, 2007 by Brandon Noel

Before I get started, if you are even a remote fan of the Transformers, YOU MUST SEE THE MOVIE. Seeing how the game and the movie go hand and hand, it’s pretty much a no brainer, especially considering how well the movie turned out. The Transformers brand is (simply put) a cash cow, with a massive fan base spanning nearly three generations. Developed by Vicarious Visions, and published by Activision, Transformers: Autobots tries to be what no other Transformers game has been in the past…a good game worthy of the Transformer name. Let’s see how it fares.

 

 

Transformers GTA Style…

 

For those of you not familiar (not many I hope) with the Transformers, I will briefly give you the low down. Basically the human race is caught in the middle of a battle that’s been waged for centuries. Two factions, the Autobots and Decepticons, have crashed landed on earth and are seeking the coveted All Spark. The All Spark is the core of their robotic civilization, and the Autobots are trying to keep the evil Decepticons from gaining control over it. This is the story line for the movie, and since the game is based on it, I won’t touch basis on the legendary cartoon storyline. As the name of the game implies you are sided with the Autobots, and will see the story unfold from the good guys end of the spectrum.

Transformers: Autobots pits gamers in a free roaming world spanning different locales as you carry out different missions, engaging both human forces and Decepticons. In addition to being an open ended game, you can also upgrade or level up by gaining experience points (RPG style). At the start you choose a name for your Autobot, after which you are immediately thrown into the fray. You start off with basic weapons such as lasers and rockets. The basic weapons proved to be very inadequate when you are engaged in fights with certain Decepticons. As you progress thankfully you can upgrade to more fitting weaponry worthy of an Autobot. Ammo is handled by a blue bar, which can be replenished by picking up orbs strewn through out environments and/or left behind when you destroy objects. The missions I mentioned moments ago generally entail escorting, defending, infiltrating, and engaging in firefights. A problem for me circles around the fact that while those types of objectives are fun in other games, they really don’t seem to fit the Transformers universe. With the exception of fire fights everything else, mission wise, seems very out of place. I understand Vicarious Visions included multiple missions to flesh the game out, but Transformers is a delicate franchise in the sense that it’s almost a one trick pony. My expectations for this game were high, in that I wanted constant destruction and addictive game play. The movie adaptation was pretty much a destruction derby, and that aspect does not translate to the DS at all. A neat feature that does manage to increase replay value (very slightly) is the ability to scan multiple vehicles in order to transform into them. Each vehicle features varying characteristics such as top speed, handling, acceleration and energy. Each scanned vehicle can be switched whenever you want and as often as you want.

Transformers uses a control scheme that does the game well. You transform by touching the Autobot symbol on the touch screen, and face buttons are used for jumping, shooting, grabbing objects and melee attacks. Shoulder buttons shift the camera left or right, allowing a better view when the camera gets out of control (and the camera does this often, which is a typical problem with free roaming style games.) The view is 3rd person and navigation is simple thanks to a radar on the touch screen that displays enemy threats, and mission objectives.

 

AutoBlocks…

 

The graphics to me are adequate in some areas, and a not quite up to par in others. I understand that Vicarious Visions scaled down the graphics to fit in other features, but a compromise should have been made somewhere. Environment’s are vast and are sufficiently detailed, but my biggest gripe is the character models. While models of vehicles are done decently, the robots themselves are not done well at all. Aside from Optimus Prime, the only way you can tell which Transformer is which is by the color scheme or the weapons mounted on their bodies. Not having more distinctive models for each robot is a minus and the developers should have done something to rectify this.

 

Looks Like The Transformers. Sounds Like the Go Bots…

 

In general, sounds for the game are decent at best. Laser fire sounds as it should, helicopter blades are nicely done. Vicarious went the extra mile and had voice actors come in and give full dialog (except your created character) for every Transformer in the game, which is a nice addition and helps to engross the gamer into what’s going on. Now, my main gripe is if they managed to put speech in the game, where is the authentic sound when the Transformers…well…you know TRANSFORM. They used some generic sound, and I’m sure I speak for a few fans when I say this was a huge let down and brings the score down just a bit.

 

Multi Player….

 

The multiplayer component of the game could have been the one sterling moment for this game. Transformers: Autobots gives four DS owners the option of playing a local deathmatch (each owner needs to have their own copy of the game), which is actually pretty fun. You can select from the various cast of Transformers and duke it out until you’re the last man standing. What about online deathmatch? Apparently this feature was omitted which is a huge loss, considering local play is pretty decent.

Now Vicarious did include an online component, which left me wanting more. The mode I’m referring to is All Spark, a mode with a lot of promise but comes up short on longevity. The basic premise is depending on which version of the game you have (Autobots or Decepticons) you are on either side, fighting for pieces to the All Spark. I do sadly use the term "fight" loosely, considering most of the fighting circles around collecting orbs, and destroying drones, and other objective based missions. Not exactly what I expected when I play games online but it is a decent diversion. The missions changes daily, so you can’t choose which mission you do. After you complete the mission for the day your score is tallied, then you are ranked with everyone else who did the mission, adding a slim ranking component. Scores from the Autobot side and Decepticon side are totaled and who ever has the highest score after a set amount of time receives a piece of the All Spark. Though this mode isn’t exactly the Free-for-All shoot out I had hoped, it is interesting in its own right and does have quite a bit of entertainment value.

 

 

 

Wrapping Up…

To be completely honest, Transformers is a pretty decent game. Some more could have been done in terms of a beefier online mode, and minor graphical tweaks, but fans and non-fans alike will find something to like about Vicarious Visions honest effort. At best it makes a solid rental that will easily keep you occupied through the weekend.