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The story is simple; Transformers are robots which can transform from a humanoid form to the form of a mechanical device, usually a vehicle of some sort. There are two factions within the Transformers. The Autobots are the good guys who use their knowledge and power to defend Earth and the galaxy from the bad guys. The Decepticons are the bad guys who wreak havoc and destruction upon anyone or anything which gets in the way of their attaining power and dominance in the galaxy. This time around both sides are searching for the “All Spark.” After a history lesson by Optimus Prime, the player is asked to choose which side he would like to work on, Autobots or Decepticons. No matter how you feel about the issue, the Decepticons are MUCH more fun to play since you will get punished for dealing death and destruction as an Autobot.

Gameplay is mediocre at best. While the levels are large and you are not forced to complete your missions immediately, you are limited to only one mission at a time, most of them involving simply arriving at a certain place and taking part in a battle. The battles are also somewhat ridiculous. At any time an enemy can throw up an energy shield which deflects all attempts to do damage to the target from long range. Gunfire, missiles, even thrown buses and pieces of buildings are deflected for a time. This tends to make fast-paced battles turn to seek and destroy melee combat. Running in your humanoid form causes the camera to jar this way and that. While this was interesting for a short time in the beginning of the game, it was quite bothersome when I tried to target enemies while moving only to have the camera jolt to the side just as I was lining up the target. The only reason to transform into your vehicle form is to keep from having to walk across the extensive levels in order to get to your mission goal. While transforming, which is impressive but not instantaneous, players cannot shoot or move. This tends to make transforming in the middle of battle a tactical no-no. Control as the ground vehicles is also ungainly since as soon as you take the pressure off the gas handling goes right out the window.

The models of the main character Autobots; Bumblebee, Jazz, Ironhide and Optimus Prime and Decepticons; Blackout, Scorponok, Barricade, Starscream and Megatron are absolutely extraordinary. I was greatly impressed when I first saw Starscream fly across the landscape, although that could have been because the landscape was so drab. It was as though I was watching an Xbox 360 character playing across an original Xbox landscape. It is quite obvious that the game developers did not even come close to pushing the limits of the 360's capabilities when it comes to the backgrounds and environments. On the other hand the audio was excellent. With most of the voice actors from the movie and better than average sound effects and background score the audio in the game is the one aspect I had absolutely no bad experiences with.

With a lack of multiplayer options, stop-and go fighting sequences, a ridiculously linear “open-world” mission system and mediocre environments Transformers the Game was a definite let-down after the hype surrounding both the movie and the game this year. The makings of a stupendous game are evident with the extraordinary character models, open world and great sound yet the meat which makes the experience whole just isn't present. While Transformers would be a good idea for children looking to wreak a little destruction as towering mechanical monsters of mayhem, hardcore fans of Transformers may find this title a tad disappointing.