AgtFox
07-22-2009, 06:14 AM
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Review
Title: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallenhttp://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?t=10544
Platform: 360/PS3 (also available on Wii/PSP/PS2/PC/DS)
Developer: Luxoflux (http://www.luxoflux.com)
Publisher: Activision (http://www.activision.com)
ESRB: Teen
MSRP: $59.99 (360 (http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Revenge-Fallen-Xbox-360/dp/B001PKHRY6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1248197714&sr=8-1)/PS3 (http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Revenge-Fallen-Playstation-3/dp/B001PKHRX2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1248197714&sr=8-4)), $49.99 (Wii (http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Revenge-Fallen-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B001QRWE28/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1248197714&sr=8-5)), $39.99 (PSP (http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Revenge-Fallen-Sony-PSP/dp/B001PKHRXM/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1248197714&sr=8-9)), $29.99 (PS2 (http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Revenge-Fallen-Playstation-2/dp/B001QRWE1O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1248197714&sr=8-3)/PC (http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Revenge-Fallen-Pc/dp/B001QRWE14/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1248197714&sr=8-2)/DS Autobots (http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Revenge-Fallen-Autobots-Nintendo-DS/dp/B001PKHRW8/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1248197714&sr=8-7)/DS Decepticons (http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Revenge-Fallen-Decepticons-Nintendo-DS/dp/B001PKHRWI/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1248197714&sr=8-8))
Editor: Loren 'AgtFox' Halek
What's Hot: Being able to play as both Autobot and Decepticon; fun in spurts; multiplayer component is enjoyable; somehow pulls itself out of early feeling of total failure
What's Not: Controls just don’t seem right early on; stupid AI stays in place or puts itself at a disadvantage; soundscape with voices changes volume at will; some voiceovers are really overacted or bad
I never played the first movie tie-in game from Activision, but I have heard it was a bad game. I’m not one to go out and purchase movie tie-in games since they have heavily weighed toward the bad end of the scale. This year has seen at least one movie tie-in really excel in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, also a game produced by Activision, can Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen make it 2 out of 2 for Activision? Yes and no. It is cool to play as the robots, but the general gameplay is just too slow to come close to matching Wolverine, plus the controls early on are a bear to understand here.
The game loosely follows the story laid out in the movie. Mostly it is made up of other missions ancillary to the movie. The missions are generally in the same geographical location, but the objectives are different from those presented in the movie. Here you can play as both the Autobots and Decepticons as each has a rather lengthy storyline. The unfortunate part of that good news is that you control only 5 of each through the single-player portion of the game. On the Autobots side it is Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Ratchet, Bumblebee and Breakaway, who may have appeared in the movie (I honestly don’t remember) but certainly didn’t stand out. On the Decepticon side you have Megatron, Starscream, Grindor, Long Haul and Sideways. When you play multiplayer there are other characters on both sides to play as and there will supposedly be upcoming DLC that adds even more characters like the Generation 1 Starscream. Early on in both campaigns your options of character are pretty narrow, but as you go on you can select pretty much who you want. You’ll probably find as you play as the characters that you will have a favorite with what kind of primary and secondary weapons they have and you’ll probably stick with them for a good portion of the game.
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/features/transformers2/shot1.jpg
The game itself is built around a central hub, the Autobot and Decepticon control centers. Before and after every mission you go back to the central hub and listen as the robots talk amongst each other about what happened and what is going to happen. Here is where the game hits a bad chord. For some reason the soundscape was not done correctly. For example, sometimes Optimus sounds nice and loud, but then he goes into almost a whisper that you can’t hear. Ratchet is almost always hard to hear and the same goes for the Decepticon side of things. I’m not sure where the sound mix got screwed up, but I was constantly turning the volume up and down. From the central hub you can do such things as increase attributes for the team via the Energon you have accumulated during your last mission. There are no upgrades to the weapons or anything, but you can make the base strength greater. You also choose which mission you want to go on next. The game is somewhat linear in that you open up missions, but many times you will have multiple missions to choose from. You are timed in each mission and depending on where you finish it you will be awarded a badge (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) and will be awarded Campaign points based upon that. The points are translated into opening up missions, although you never have to worry about repeating missions in order to open up a locked area.
The gameplay is a mixed bag from the start, mostly revolving around the controls, Environmental hangups and stupid enemy AI. The controls take a while to get used to because it is such an odd setup for anyone that plays a lot of 3rd person action games. First up is that the robots have three forms: Vehicle, Robot and Weapon. In order to change into a vehicle you hold in the right trigger. You have to continue to hold it in because once you let go you change into robot form. You can ease up on the trigger to slow down the vehicle movement, but it is a very touchy situation. While in robot mode you can move around, jump, melee punch and climb up the sides of buildings. In order to shoot your primary or secondary weapon you have to hold in the left trigger button to go into aim mode. From there you can switch between primary and secondary with the right button and shoot them with the right trigger, which was once tied to you becoming a vehicle. You can see where things start to get a bit confusing and the early part of the game sees you spending some time getting used to the whole control issue.
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/features/transformers2/shot2.jpg
The other two problems go hand-in-hand with environmental hangups and stupid enemy AI kind of playing off each other. You shouldn’t have many problems with getting through the game itself, but there are times where you are really outnumbered and your health gets low. The best course of action is to go into vehicle mode and get out of there to regenerate health since that is your fastest way of transportation. Problem is if you are around any buildings you could get stuck since the vehicle will just slam into a wall and not move anywhere. The controls are pretty loose in the vehicle mode, so turns are not as tight as you might like. There is the ever small chance that this could end up making you fail or die and it can get rather frustrating until you remember to find an open space before transforming. Along with this there is also an inertia problem, especially in vehicle mode. Sometimes you will think you’ll land where you want when transforming, but oftentimes you will overshoot it. The inertia is a little too heavy and doesn’t follow logic, so this is another thing you have to learn to adapt to. Then there is the stupid enemy AI. They will basically stay in place for them to shoot you or they will climb up a wall and stay there, unable to shoot at you or anything. It makes the game easy, but it also caters to those game players out there that may not be as honed as many of us are.
One more thing to note about this game is the multiplayer aspect. I’ve only played a little bit of it since the two single-player campaigns take a while to complete. What I have played has been quite fun, mostly because of the game options you’re given. You have standard Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes playing a free for all or Autobots vs. Decepticons. Then there is Control Points where you attempt to control spots on the map, somewhat like other shooters out there. Battle for the Shards sees you attempting to retrieve AllSpark shards and bringing them back to base. The final game type is One Shall Stand where the sole objective is taking out the leader of the other side (Optimus Prime or Megatron). There is a lot of fun to be had in the multiplayer arena with this game, so even if you don’t enjoy the single-player campaigns you probably will enjoy the multiplayer.
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/features/transformers2/shot3.jpg
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is certainly not a bad game, but it also doesn’t rise much above average. What it does give you is the ability to battle as robots, transform into vehicles and have two long campaigns ahead of you if you want to play through them while also giving you some good graphics to look at. I found that playing the game in spurts was the best idea because I could not see myself going through the same type of thing (destroy all the robots in the area is almost always the objective) for an extended amount of time. I still think if given the ability to do an original game like they did with Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, that Activision could make a Transformers game that is as good as the Atari one released in 2004. For now this will fit the bill, but it certainly could be better.
Score: 3 out of 5 CoGs
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/CoG3.png
Loren says, ”Not a bad game and better than most movie tie-in games. However the necessity to learn the controls and get used to them can turn you right off on the game. The multiplayer will keep you interested and the single-player campaigns could keep you interested as long as you play in bursts like I did.”
*Note - Review based upon the 360 version of game
Title: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallenhttp://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?t=10544
Platform: 360/PS3 (also available on Wii/PSP/PS2/PC/DS)
Developer: Luxoflux (http://www.luxoflux.com)
Publisher: Activision (http://www.activision.com)
ESRB: Teen
MSRP: $59.99 (360 (http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Revenge-Fallen-Xbox-360/dp/B001PKHRY6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1248197714&sr=8-1)/PS3 (http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Revenge-Fallen-Playstation-3/dp/B001PKHRX2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1248197714&sr=8-4)), $49.99 (Wii (http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Revenge-Fallen-Nintendo-Wii/dp/B001QRWE28/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1248197714&sr=8-5)), $39.99 (PSP (http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Revenge-Fallen-Sony-PSP/dp/B001PKHRXM/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1248197714&sr=8-9)), $29.99 (PS2 (http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Revenge-Fallen-Playstation-2/dp/B001QRWE1O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1248197714&sr=8-3)/PC (http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Revenge-Fallen-Pc/dp/B001QRWE14/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=software&qid=1248197714&sr=8-2)/DS Autobots (http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Revenge-Fallen-Autobots-Nintendo-DS/dp/B001PKHRW8/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1248197714&sr=8-7)/DS Decepticons (http://www.amazon.com/Transformers-Revenge-Fallen-Decepticons-Nintendo-DS/dp/B001PKHRWI/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1248197714&sr=8-8))
Editor: Loren 'AgtFox' Halek
What's Hot: Being able to play as both Autobot and Decepticon; fun in spurts; multiplayer component is enjoyable; somehow pulls itself out of early feeling of total failure
What's Not: Controls just don’t seem right early on; stupid AI stays in place or puts itself at a disadvantage; soundscape with voices changes volume at will; some voiceovers are really overacted or bad
I never played the first movie tie-in game from Activision, but I have heard it was a bad game. I’m not one to go out and purchase movie tie-in games since they have heavily weighed toward the bad end of the scale. This year has seen at least one movie tie-in really excel in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, also a game produced by Activision, can Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen make it 2 out of 2 for Activision? Yes and no. It is cool to play as the robots, but the general gameplay is just too slow to come close to matching Wolverine, plus the controls early on are a bear to understand here.
The game loosely follows the story laid out in the movie. Mostly it is made up of other missions ancillary to the movie. The missions are generally in the same geographical location, but the objectives are different from those presented in the movie. Here you can play as both the Autobots and Decepticons as each has a rather lengthy storyline. The unfortunate part of that good news is that you control only 5 of each through the single-player portion of the game. On the Autobots side it is Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Ratchet, Bumblebee and Breakaway, who may have appeared in the movie (I honestly don’t remember) but certainly didn’t stand out. On the Decepticon side you have Megatron, Starscream, Grindor, Long Haul and Sideways. When you play multiplayer there are other characters on both sides to play as and there will supposedly be upcoming DLC that adds even more characters like the Generation 1 Starscream. Early on in both campaigns your options of character are pretty narrow, but as you go on you can select pretty much who you want. You’ll probably find as you play as the characters that you will have a favorite with what kind of primary and secondary weapons they have and you’ll probably stick with them for a good portion of the game.
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/features/transformers2/shot1.jpg
The game itself is built around a central hub, the Autobot and Decepticon control centers. Before and after every mission you go back to the central hub and listen as the robots talk amongst each other about what happened and what is going to happen. Here is where the game hits a bad chord. For some reason the soundscape was not done correctly. For example, sometimes Optimus sounds nice and loud, but then he goes into almost a whisper that you can’t hear. Ratchet is almost always hard to hear and the same goes for the Decepticon side of things. I’m not sure where the sound mix got screwed up, but I was constantly turning the volume up and down. From the central hub you can do such things as increase attributes for the team via the Energon you have accumulated during your last mission. There are no upgrades to the weapons or anything, but you can make the base strength greater. You also choose which mission you want to go on next. The game is somewhat linear in that you open up missions, but many times you will have multiple missions to choose from. You are timed in each mission and depending on where you finish it you will be awarded a badge (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) and will be awarded Campaign points based upon that. The points are translated into opening up missions, although you never have to worry about repeating missions in order to open up a locked area.
The gameplay is a mixed bag from the start, mostly revolving around the controls, Environmental hangups and stupid enemy AI. The controls take a while to get used to because it is such an odd setup for anyone that plays a lot of 3rd person action games. First up is that the robots have three forms: Vehicle, Robot and Weapon. In order to change into a vehicle you hold in the right trigger. You have to continue to hold it in because once you let go you change into robot form. You can ease up on the trigger to slow down the vehicle movement, but it is a very touchy situation. While in robot mode you can move around, jump, melee punch and climb up the sides of buildings. In order to shoot your primary or secondary weapon you have to hold in the left trigger button to go into aim mode. From there you can switch between primary and secondary with the right button and shoot them with the right trigger, which was once tied to you becoming a vehicle. You can see where things start to get a bit confusing and the early part of the game sees you spending some time getting used to the whole control issue.
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/features/transformers2/shot2.jpg
The other two problems go hand-in-hand with environmental hangups and stupid enemy AI kind of playing off each other. You shouldn’t have many problems with getting through the game itself, but there are times where you are really outnumbered and your health gets low. The best course of action is to go into vehicle mode and get out of there to regenerate health since that is your fastest way of transportation. Problem is if you are around any buildings you could get stuck since the vehicle will just slam into a wall and not move anywhere. The controls are pretty loose in the vehicle mode, so turns are not as tight as you might like. There is the ever small chance that this could end up making you fail or die and it can get rather frustrating until you remember to find an open space before transforming. Along with this there is also an inertia problem, especially in vehicle mode. Sometimes you will think you’ll land where you want when transforming, but oftentimes you will overshoot it. The inertia is a little too heavy and doesn’t follow logic, so this is another thing you have to learn to adapt to. Then there is the stupid enemy AI. They will basically stay in place for them to shoot you or they will climb up a wall and stay there, unable to shoot at you or anything. It makes the game easy, but it also caters to those game players out there that may not be as honed as many of us are.
One more thing to note about this game is the multiplayer aspect. I’ve only played a little bit of it since the two single-player campaigns take a while to complete. What I have played has been quite fun, mostly because of the game options you’re given. You have standard Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes playing a free for all or Autobots vs. Decepticons. Then there is Control Points where you attempt to control spots on the map, somewhat like other shooters out there. Battle for the Shards sees you attempting to retrieve AllSpark shards and bringing them back to base. The final game type is One Shall Stand where the sole objective is taking out the leader of the other side (Optimus Prime or Megatron). There is a lot of fun to be had in the multiplayer arena with this game, so even if you don’t enjoy the single-player campaigns you probably will enjoy the multiplayer.
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/features/transformers2/shot3.jpg
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is certainly not a bad game, but it also doesn’t rise much above average. What it does give you is the ability to battle as robots, transform into vehicles and have two long campaigns ahead of you if you want to play through them while also giving you some good graphics to look at. I found that playing the game in spurts was the best idea because I could not see myself going through the same type of thing (destroy all the robots in the area is almost always the objective) for an extended amount of time. I still think if given the ability to do an original game like they did with Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, that Activision could make a Transformers game that is as good as the Atari one released in 2004. For now this will fit the bill, but it certainly could be better.
Score: 3 out of 5 CoGs
http://www.colonyofgamers.com/images/CoG3.png
Loren says, ”Not a bad game and better than most movie tie-in games. However the necessity to learn the controls and get used to them can turn you right off on the game. The multiplayer will keep you interested and the single-player campaigns could keep you interested as long as you play in bursts like I did.”
*Note - Review based upon the 360 version of game