TouchGamers, ROLL OUT!
I got a chance to check out Transformers: Dark of the Moon from EA Games today, and I must say… I was a bit apprehensive at first. I absolutely love the Transformers franchise – the Hasbro toys, old TV shows and animated movies, Hell, even the newer movies – but we all know games based on movies aren’t generally the greatest…
Upon first look on the iPad, the game was visually pleasing. Not the most stunning game I’ve seen today, but pretty good. There were some nice basic effects such as shading, fires and explosions, and lighting – but I would have hoped for more from a game based off a such visually stunning movie.
The gameplay itself was actually pretty fun. Transformers DotM is your basic single-player, angled, top view shooter. You take control of either Optimus Prime or Bumblebee – no love for you Decepticon fans – and traverse each level with dual touch joysticks. The movement and aiming was very responsive, and it was very simple to switch between weapons or into vehicle mode.
As far as weapons go, each Autobot has quite an arsenal. You can choose between a main weapon as well as a secondary, which can be switched between instantly. Each weapon can then be upgraded in three areas – Damage, Fire Rate, and Speed – using Energon. Energon can be collected throughout each stage, as well as by destroying enemies, and acts as the game’s source of currency. You can also use Energon to upgrade your Transformer in four areas: Strength, Defense, Special, and Target Mode. Going hand-to-hand 
with enemies will automatically enter you into melee mode, which allows you to smash through packs with relative ease. This will also help you fill up your special meter, which allows you to unleash slow-motion, multi-target attacks called “Target Mode.” As Optimus, I was able to choose three targets surrounding me, stun them in place, and launch a barrage of missles – instantly turning them into scrap metal.
As you would expect from a Transformers game, each bot also has a vehicle mode, which can be utilized instantly and seamlessly. The game provides a series of situations in which one form is vastly superior, such as the bombardment of missles I had to outrun in my vehicle form because Optimus’ robot form was just too slow. Each vehicle also has a special mode, called “Stealth Force Mode” which allows you to move faster and absolutely dominate enemies.
The game was kept secret to me past the second level, since the storyline closely follows the plot of the third Transformers Movie. Apparently EA is big on keeping things “secret” and not releasing “spoilers” about an unreleased Summer Blockbuster film. Whatever jerks. I did get to see a couple cut-scenes done in an awesome cel-shaded animated style, which were a pretty entertaining contrast from the gameplay graphics.
Luckily, the game has some pretty good features to boost replayability. You’re not able to unlock and upgrade each weapon unless you finish the initial storyline once, and each level has three different difficulty settings. Also, there are numerous achievements to unlock for you completion freaks.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon comes out on June 29th, along with the movie. If you’re looking for a pretty cool shooter, and like the Transformers brand, this game will keep you pretty entertained. If you like Decepticons, I’m sorry friend.
