Considering the fact that movie tie-in games tend to be gay as aids, the first Transformers Game was probably one of my favourite games on the PS2. I'm a sucker for open-world gameplay, the freedom to do whatever you want wherever you want in a thoroughly non-linear setting, admittedly, there was a lot wrong with the gameplay, but it was just undeniable fun to stomp around mission city asConsidering the fact that movie tie-in games tend to be gay as aids, the first Transformers Game was probably one of my favourite games on the PS2. I'm a sucker for open-world gameplay, the freedom to do whatever you want wherever you want in a thoroughly non-linear setting, admittedly, there was a lot wrong with the gameplay, but it was just undeniable fun to stomp around mission city as my favourite transformers. Then came "War for Cybertron", which I only got around to playing a few months ago, while it was quite the linear game (-____-) it was undeniable Transformers gold and a love letter to the utter classiness of G1 Transformers. So I can understand why good ol' Activision would try and emulate WfC's gameplay style with this offering, simply because War for Cybertron's gameplay style worked, but the thing is, G1 Transformers and Michael Bay Transformers are two very different things, as such the linear and non-linear gameplay styles work for each brand respectively. That should give you a hint as to where this review is heading. The Campaign is predictable, an equal number of Autobot and Decepticon levels followed by a boss fight. Over the course of these levels, you play as Bumblebee, Ironhide, Mirage (Dino in the film). Soundwave (with a guest appearance from Lazerbeak), Starscream, Megatron and finally a one-room boss fight between Optimus Prime and Shockwave). Respectable character choices, I think. The environments are pretty, but level-design is poor and the linear progression soon becomes a chore rather than a fun gameplay style like WfC. You're three different character forms are present like in WfC only now the 'halfway point' between robot and actual car is more powerful than any other form, and since you can move around much easier in this form (know as 'Stealth Force') it gives you very little reason to sample the others, short of using your special abilities and Mirage's Sniper Rifle. All of these culminates in the obvious fact, this game shouldn't try and be WfC, it should try and be a Michael Bay Transformer's game. The plot is generic and boring as watching grass grow, with no real objective to keep you interested in seeing the game through, the game relies entirely on the big explosions to keep you interested, and in the event that this game were any longer, I honestly wouldn't have bothered, probably the most poorly written prequel in existence, which brings me to the games primary fault, it isn't Dark of the Moon, it's an unnecessary prologue to Dark of the Moon. Peter Cullen voices Optimus Prime :D as he always does but the stand-in voice actors for everyone else are atrocious, not only that, but the dialogue is so pointless and dry that I had to mute the game to stop myself from taking the disk out and snapping it (also, it cost me $69, so there was very little motivation there). The soundtrack is brilliant (as it comes straight from the movie's soundtrack, which was brilliant) and distracted from the atrocious dialogue. The multiplayer is also generic and identical to every other cheaply designed multiplayer package in existence, with nothing substantial to keep you playing for more than a few minutes.
Overall, Dark of the Moon is a poor attempt at riding the coattails of War for Cybertron's success by mimicking it's gameplay with some very minor and **** up tweaks, and when I fork out anything above $50 for a game, I expect more than this, a pure disappointment, that keeps its head above water simply because it's **** Transformers. Verdict: -5.6 (Rounded to 6)… Expand