Movie tie-in games are usually a mixed bag, andTransformers: The Gamewas no different. It was a direct tie-in to the first Michael Bay film, and proved to be a very flawed title. However, it may still be one of the bestTransformersgames to date. It feels like video game developers have always struggled to crack the code on making aTransformersgame feel appropriate for the subject matter, butTransformers: The Gamemay have come closest to delivering that fantasy.
There has not been a bigTransformersgame since 2014’sTransformers: Rise of the Dark Spark, and a majority of theTransformerstitles have been delisted due to licensing issues. While fans can check out thetactical RPGTransformers: Battlegrounds, there does not seem to be a way for them to just experience being a Transformer. Many have moved on from Michael Bay’s live-action series, but they may not want to move away from the very first tie-in game, which is likelyTransformers-likeTransformersgame and could be considered one of the best in the franchise.
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Transformers: The Game Was Fun But Flawed
Transformers: The Gamelaunched in 2007 as one of the fewnon-LEGO games that Traveller’s Tales developed, and it mostly followed the plot of the original Michael Bay film. Like most movie tie-ins,Transformers: The Gamewas a flawed product full of repetitive missions, clunky controls, and not nearly enough runtime. Even with all of those critiques, there was still a decent game hidden underneath.
The game let players control some of the most popularTransformerscharacters, and that was where it shined. It was split into multiple different levels, each offering a small open-world area for players to cause havoc within. They could take control ofboth Autobots and Decepticonsin different storylines, and could run rampant in these areas. There were about 10 levels to explore alongside a bonus level that brought players to Cybertron.
Players would take control of one Transformer at the start of a level, and some would have them control multiple characters throughout the course of the story. They couldcontrol the likes of Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Megatron, Starscream, Blackout, and even Scorponok. Each character offered different arsenals, and players were given the ability to transform whenever they wanted. It providedTransformersfans the fantasy of being a Transformer, even if the game had a couple rough edges.
These levels were also filled to the brim with collectibles like 100 hidden yellow cubes strewn about the map, and every 15 that the player collected would unlock a bonus feature. There was also five collectible Autobot and Decepticon symbols per-level that could unlock even more bonuses such as various short movies, hundreds of images, and G1 character skins. In many ways, that extra content alone helped the game feel likeaTransformersfan’s dreamproject.
The game was far from perfect, but it is one of the fewTransformersgames that let fans just play as the Transformers they love. They were given free-range in tiny open-world areas, and there really has not been aTransformersgame like it - with no signs that there will be another one in the future. That leavesTransformers: The Gameas one of the bestTransformerstitles around, even if it is attached to the controversial Michael Bay series.
