Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Game: Transformers Revenge of the Fallen

System: PS3, Xbox 360

Release: June 2009


Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is the only Transformer game I have ever played. When I was hired onto the project I wasn’t sure what to expect. Luxoflux created a game where you can play over a dozen characters from the movie in a variety of environments from across the globe. By the time the game shipped I was pleasantly surprised at the robust multiplayer and explosive single player.
The single player campaign loosely follows the movie. Players can pick between Autobots and Decepticons. Each faction has a similar yet different experience. The Autobots tend to have more escort and protection missions where as the Decepticons have more destructive objectives. Unfortunately the only faction that experiences a Devastator boss fight is the Autobots. A medal is rewarded based on the speed at which a level is completed, and Energon points are earned to upgrade abilities. There are also a number of unlockables that range from alternative character skins to original episodes of the Transformers cartoon.

Combat in single player ultimately feels like the multiplayer only with bots. Everyone has a unique primary and secondary weapon in addition to the special and melee moves. Each weapon has an overheat meter that increases with each shot fired. If the player overheats there guns they will have to wait for extended amount of
time before firing again. In this scenario your best bet is melee combat. There are a number of unique melee moves that add another layer of depth to the fighting system. The specials are unique to each character and have various cool downs. Some of the more impressive specials are given to the main stars of the series. Optimus Prime has a shield that will make him immune to death as long as it’s activated. It also increases melee damage significantly. Megatron has a “doom” cannon that will instantly kill anyone it hits. Bumblebee has an aoe stun effect, and Starscream’s special increases his dps and slows enemies. As you can see this game does have plenty of variety between characters.

Unfortunately the single player missions are repetitive, simplistic, and at times pointless. If a player completes all the missions in a given area they are rewarded with a free roam mode. This allows the player to experience the map devoid of bots and objectives. Why bother? The one saving grace for single player is the explosive nature of each mission. Unlike multiplayer, there are plenty of cars, trucks, fuel tanks, and other items to destroy. There is no building destruction, but there is plenty of fire.

Multiplayer is a completely different robot. Adding the human beyond the machine really adds to the fun factor of this game. There are five modes and maps. Some of my particular favorites are One Shall Stand, Control Points, and Team Deathmatch. One Shall Stand is a kill the leader objective game. An Optimus Prime and Megatron will each spawn on their respective teams. The goal is to kill the enemy’s leader while keeping yours alive. Control Points and Team Deathmatch are just what you would expect from any fps multiplayer. Each character is well balanced, and can fill numerous roles. Longhaul is a wrecking machine in Control Points with his healing ability, high health, and good close range abilities. Protectobot is a sneaky little guy who can easily get the drop on people with his hellfire missiles. The only downside to such diversity is the learning curve. There are plenty tricks of the trade that many players may not discover without some dedication.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a fun game, and like the recent Wolverine game, it is better then the movie. Fans of the series will have a blast playing the vast number of Autobots and Decepticons. Multiplayer fans will discover a surprisingly entertaining alternative to traditional fps and third person shooters. At the very least rent this game. It is leaps and bounds beyond the previous Transformers game, and the dlc content will enhance the already impressive multiplayer. Snerts Snazzy Score for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is 3 out of 5.