Game review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - PS3

Rotten to the core with its weak script, its endless glamour shots featuring the military (in sunset of course, this is a Michael Bay film don't forget) and its incoherent fight scenes, the film was nothing more than a jumped up toy advert, no doubt designed to sell more merchandising.

But then, considering this film is an adaptation of an 80's cartoon which was based upon the Hasbro toyline in the first place, should one expect any difference? Regardless of expectations, the film is out now and so is all the merchandise that follows it – the toys, the birthday cakes, the lunch boxes and of course this game.

So, is there more than meets the eye to this film tie-in?

Not really.

Whilst Revenge of the Fallen is a better game than some movie cash-ins, it sadly does suffer from a number of problems.

Giving gamers the choice of playing as the Autobots or the Decepticons, the game is based loosely on events that happened in the movie and allows the intrepid robots in disguise to travel the world taking on their enemies and blowing up everything in sight.

Graphically the game does its job, however, it does suffer from a bit of lag here and there – especially when there a lot going on screen. When it does work though it can be quite impressive. The animation when the robots transform into their respective vehicles is neat, quick and to the point (unlike the process in the film, which is drawn out to a numbing two and half hours). Also, when you attack your enemies with a “special takedown”, you are presented with a mini cut-scene showing your robot basically smashing up another robot. Whilst this looks very impressive, it does bring me to my next problem with this game- the controls.

At times they are very loose. To perform a “special takedown” you need to press the square button whilst you are transformed, and for something that is so “special”, there is very little skill or timing involved. Beyond that the controls are pretty standard. Holding down L2 will make your Transformer turn into a vehicle – however what is annoying is that you cannot control the speed they travel. You can't stop moving at all when you are transformed – very annoying. Other features include the ability to fire rockets/bullets (whichever you prefer). Again this looks very good, but for some reason the controls are slightly cack-handed - why the developers thought it would be a better idea to have the trigger button as R2 and not R1 is beyond me.

The cutscenes are also a bit of a disappointment. Essentially they just feature the Transformers standing around each other in their hubs, discussing the objectives of the next mission. That's it. Now, call me over-critical all you want, but this game is based on a film – surely a few moments of the film could have been played out. Whilst it is great to hear the voices of Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, the cutscenes themselves are quite boring.

Thankfully, the sound production is spot on. The explosions, weapons and vehicles all tick the correct boxes and when played through in digital surround it all adds to the gaming experience. The voice cast also chip in during the single player campaign, which does add a nice cinematic charm to the proceedings – but this charm quickly evaporates after hearing the words “Decepticon damaged” for the fifteenth time.

Whilst the single player campaign is repetitive, the multiplayer campaigns offer a bit of variety.

In total, there are 5 different modes, including the familiar “deathmatch” (says what it is on the tin), "team deathmatch”, “control points” (you and your team have to take control of enemy bases to win), “one shall stand” (bit like deathmatch, except you have to kill either Optimus Prime or Megatron – depending on which side you're on) and finally, “battle for the shards” (a typical capture the flag-based campaign, re-branded for the Transformers universe).

All in all, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a bit of a mixed bag. It looks impressive but is let down by a lacklustre single player campaign and questionable controls. Having said that, there is some fun to be had with the multiplayer.... And it is no way near as distressing as the film.

Verdict: 6 out of 10

The Good
- Multiplayer campaign is fun
- Animations are slick

The Bad
- Weak singleplayer campaign
- Boring cut scenes
- Repetitive
- Iffy controls