Transformers

Robots in disguise. Or something...

Nostalgia is a devious beast, an underhand fiend that lulls us into believing that all that old crap from days gone by was somehow better than all of the stuff we have now. But in some cases it was, and Transformers is a case in hand. Not only was the cartoon wicked, the toys were not only totally cool but also really really clever. I remember how I'd sometimes come home to find my dad inspecting the intricacies of how one of the models would fold into itself as it amazingly transformed from a Porsche 911 to a rifle-wielding robot, whilst quietly muttering "It's bloody clever you know..." under his breath. As much as I hate tired old folk that insist in stating that "things aren't as good as they used to be", Transformers really aren't as good as they used to be. Have you seen the chunky, plasticy abominations that litter the shelves of toy stores today? They're a cheap, unrefined version of the wondrous creations that brightened up my youth.

There's no escaping the inevitable disappointment that I encountered when I discovered that this latest offering from developer Melbourne House is firmly rooted in the modern Transformers universe and more specifically the plight of the Minicons. Minicons I hear you ask? Yes. Do you remember the Power Master series of figures that came out towards the end of the original Transformers lifespan? They were miniature robots that attached to their bigger brothers, normally as an engine, weapon or (in the case of the Headmasters) head. Well, Minicons are much in the same vane, though in the game they serve to offer up a whole host of new abilities and powers such as stronger guns, cloaking abilities or even flight! It's not classic Transformers as I remember it from back in the day, but hey, at least you can still play as Optimus Prime. Starscream and Megatron also show up as end of level bosses (albeit in barely recognisable modern form) and the opening movie is a quite unsubtle homage to the epic encounter between Optimus and Megatron that featured in Transformers The Movie ("I would have waited an eternity for this!" - brilliant).

Still, what of the game? Well, the first thing you'll notice about it are the quite astounding visuals. You think the PS2 has reached its peak? Think again. It's the draw distance that is truly astonishing, stretching as far as the eye can see. This is all the more remarkable when you take into account the quality of the things that populate these worlds. Not only are the Transformers themselves highly detailed but so too are the backgrounds they surround themselves with. Okay, the scenery isn't destructible in any but the most basic form, but the impressive vistas will impress all but the most brazen gamers. Graphically you'll constantly be amazed; whether it's the claustrophobic close-quarters combat featured in the lush Amazonian rainforests or the sweeping flanking manoeuvres employed by the enemy as another swarm of opponents flanks you from the far side of the ravine in the Alaskan level. In fact, the only criticism I can level at the visuals are that they lack a little variety - snow and trees are a reoccurring theme.

The levels are constructed on the premise that the Minicons have some how fled to Earth and it is the Autobot's duty to make sure they don't fall into the hands of the maniacal Decepticons. Whilst levels can be completed by simply travelling from A to B and blasting anything that may cross your path in between, the player is always encouraged to explore the vast maps in search of the more elusive Minicons. This in turn will often reward you with extra abilities that you would have otherwise missed out on. Also up for grabs are Datacons, bonus freebies that unlock assorted extras that range from rather standard concept art to the more interesting toy designs and even the hilarious 80's TV spots about safety ("... and knowing is half the battle!").

Perhaps part of the reason why the enemies themselves look so fine is because at times they seem nearly impossible to damage. Whilst early enemies succumb to your wrath quite quickly, quite soon you'll be encountering 'bots that suck up blaster fire like a Russian consumes vodka. This is a little frustrating in itself as the mighty rifle you're packing is relegated to little more than a high-powered pea-shooter. Add to this the fact that some sections see you swarmed by a high number of heavily armed enemies, often in a confined space, and frustration can often surface all too frequently.

On the whole the controls are well implemented and instinctive. Though primarily designed around the third person view, you're free to switch to the first person perspective at any time. This will slow you down, and you're unable to jump in this mode, but it allows for a little more precision in combat that can be welcome. Each Minicon will require a certain amount of power to operate and certain configurations will overload your Autobot. Add to this the fact that some combinations will alternatively lead to a power boost and experimenting with different configurations is quite entertaining. However it's true that you will you often tend to favour a particular set-up and as a result only vary from it when it's required by the design of the level. The fact that your Minicon configuration can only be altered at Autobot HQ is a little limiting. Whilst there are normally several checkpoints throughout the level from which you can teleport back to HQ, for Melbourne House to on the one hand encourage alteration and at the same time limit the opportunities to do so is a tad perplexing.

Also unforgivable are the poorly implemented platforming sections that surface from time to time. As a rule, giant robots aren't built for jumping so to require them to do so on several occasions throughout the game is a bizarre design decision. One simple part of the Alaskan level took me around 15 minutes to overcome, even though only around 6 jumps were required. This shortcoming is no more apparent than in the penultimate level where you're required to jump up through a vertically crashed spaceship. Agonising is barely sufficient enough to describe the pain of repeating section after section as a not-quite-perfectly placed jump resulted in my Autobot crashing down to a point I'd tackled over 5 minutes ago. Perhaps the most disappointing thing of all however is the near redundancy of the ability to transform. You could surmise from the name of the franchise that in the conceptual stages this feature was somewhat paramount to the whole dynamic. However, whilst transforming to a vehicle, racing across a landscape and leaping into the heart of a posse of Decepticlones is unquestionably cool, there are few occasions where your automotive alter-ego is of any significant use.

Moaning aside though, Transformers is a solid title whose fine technical accomplishments go some way to enhancing what is still fundamentally a decent title. As much as we bemoan licensed games, there's no doubting that a well-implemented and strong license can at least partly benefit a title. Such is the case here. It would be a fairly decent game if it featured anonymous characters. Add to the fray the fantastic Transformers license and there's no denying that things do become that much more desirable. If you're a past fan like myself then chances are you'll find quite a lot to enjoy from this game. If you're not fussed either way or Transformers don't especially tickle your fancy, then you'll still find a competent action adventure that whilst incredibly linear and lacking variation, is still essentially sound.

66%

By Ben Parfitt