Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

"If you like Transformers, buy this game.  GamePro
"...really makes it fun to be a Transformer.  GameSpot
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen does a good job of implementing a transforming mechanic that blends shooting and melee combat with vehicular action...  GiantBomb.com

IGN.com 7 of 10
Historically-speaking, licensed movie to videogame translations haven't fared well. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is no different...Following the rough storyline of the Michael Bay sequel, the game is a third-person shooter where you can play as either the Autobots or Decepticons as you work to find out what The Fallen is and deal with it according to your alignment. While that setup, and the fact that it's based on both a great '80s license and a Michael Bay film (which means there's going to be a ton of action), meant that there was a good bit of potential, it falls flat on pretty much every level. The Fallen indeed...There's not even a significant ending movie. You finish the last mission, someone describes what's happening while standing around, you see one of those stupid 3D blueprint fly-bys and then it's over. Given that this game carries the Transformers license, it'll probably sell more than a few copies, so was it too much to ask for some decent cinematics? Again, whatever influence Michael Bay could have ever had on this game was completely lost. Even if we just got scenes from the movie that would be something. But nope, we just get to see the Transformers stand around, wave their arms while they talk and that's it...I ran into a handful of bugs while working my way through the game. In one escort mission, I was supposed to help a convoy of three cargo trucks get to where they were going. Near the end of the level I realized that only one truck was with me. A second was way, way behind, and the third was only about half-way through the level and was just sitting there, not trying to drive around or anything. I just left it there, ran ahead and it magically caught up at some point...Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen comes up short in a number of categories, due in large part to its repetition, odd control layout, poor AI and almost total lack of presentation. Running around and just shooting stuff has its merits, though it does get old after a bit. At least the multiplayer offers up a pretty good time for when you tire of the short single-player game. - Chris Roper

TeamXbox.com 7 of 10
In the never-ending parade of movies that are re-imagining the things we hold dear from our youth, it's hard to separate the emotional power of nostalgia from the relative merits of the "reboots" of our favorite old cartoons and TV shows. But Transformers is one of the lucky ones, mainly because the original Transformers cartoon was awful to begin with. But that's not the real source material anyway. The toys are, and it would be hard to argue that the newer CGI-powered versions of Optimus Prime, Starscream and the lot don't look a hell of a lot cooler now than they did back in the 1980s...Gamers will appreciate a lot of other things that new developer Luxoflux has done with the property. For one, it's added a ton of replayability to the game for gamers willing to challenge themselves and shoot for the top of the online leaderboards. Every level is timed, and how fast you complete them not only yields you platinum, gold, silver or bronze medals, but also points that unlock further missions. Multiple non-essential objectives and hidden medallions all earn you more energon, which is the currency of the game that buys you upgrades. In other words, they've tied classic video game fun to the crucial tasks you need to complete to move on in the story...What could really turn that around is multiplayer, though. It's surprisingly fun, mainly because it's really satisfying to coordinate the divergent skills and abilities of the different Transformers in a team-based environment. There aren't a ton of bots to choose from, but roles are definitely fleshed out: You've got snipers, defenders, healers, attackers and so on. Playing a team-based, objective-oriented game is a good time if you've got folks who communicate. Of course, I may be somewhat spoiled, since all of the time I've had playing online has been with the game's developers and other friends in the industry, but I can see the multiplayer mode really taking off...Not to damn it with faint praise, but Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a massive upgrade over the previous movie-based game in the series. So much so that it's unfair to really even compare them. Despite some feelings of repetitiveness and a lack of polish in a lot of places, I feel like it's my duty to commend Luxoflux for what it's done: make a pretty good game that treats the license with the respect it deserves. In the history of games based on movie licenses, it easily makes the 90th percentile, but it's not a must-own by any means. - Tom Price