Transformers: Autobots

Jul 23, 2007

As a big Transformers nerd, I was pretty disappointed by the recent console game based on Michael Bay's hit movie about the robots in disguise. I was even more disappointed by the PSP version, so I must admit that I didn't have a whole lot of faith in how the DS Transformers titles would turn out. My fears were compounded by the fact that Activision didn't even send out any review copies of the game, which is never a good sign in this business.

After getting a hold of both versions of the game, I'm pleased to say that my fears were unfounded. I actually ended up enjoying the DS Transformers games more than the console versions. You'll notice that I said "games" there. Taking a cue from Pokemon and Mega Man Battle Network, there are two versions of Transformers on DS -- one for the heroic Autobots and one for the evil Decepticons. One might accuse Activision of milking the franchise here (and it kinda is), but although the gameplay in both games is nearly identical, they sport different storylines, playable characters, and each features an exclusive level. Which one you choose to play is really dependent on whether you like being a good guy or a bad guy.

Whichever version you choose, you don't spend the majority of the time playing as one of the main characters from the movie. Instead, you control a random Autobot soldier who has been summoned from Cybertron to assist in the search for the AllSpark. At first, this sounds like a pretty lame idea, but it works out surprisingly well. This is mainly because your 'bot has the ability to adopt multiple vehicle modes. By scanning the many human cars, trucks, planes, and helicopters that you encounter (there are nearly 40 in all), you can use them as your alternate mode.

Helping to enhance the storyline is the ample voice acting in the game. In between each mission, cinematic sequences play to progress the story, and they're all fully voiced. There are also lots of voice samples that play during each stage. Like the console versions of the game, the original voice actors for Optimus Prime and Megatron (Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, respectively) reprise their roles, but anime fans will also get a kick out of the "Create-A-Bot" main character, which is voiced by Steven Blum. Blum's voice is perhaps most recognized as that of Spike Spiegel from the popular series Cowboy Bebop.

Turbo Revvin' Young Punk

Each level is an open world that you can freely roam around in. The levels are fairly large, but thanks to hardware limitations, they're also quite barren. I guess the relatively bare stages are a trade-off for the nice 3D graphics. To start an actual mission, you simply head into one of the glowing markers scattered through each map. The missions are typically pretty simple -- lots of racing around to various areas of the map and stopping to fight some Decepticons. There are a few more interesting missions where you're attempting to scan specific vehicles, stay disguised, or fight a boss, but on the whole, there's not a lot of variety between missions.

During combat, you'll find that the targeting system is a bit flighty, so it's easy to lose your lock on an enemy, and there's no way to block incoming attacks. Luckily, enemies drop ample health power-ups, so the blocking issue shouldn't cause you too much headache. To add some depth to the game, there's a light RPG element in that your 'bot earns experience points with each kill. As you level up, new moves and attacks are unlocked. It's kind of a neat feature to have, but honestly, I never used many of the new moves other than a few essential ones (like the ability to climb buildings). It's also worth noting that Decepticons tend to level up faster than Autobots as the 'Cons earn experience not only for defeating Prime's crew, but also for trashing human vechicles. The Autobots, of course, don't benefit from human casualties.

One interesting feature is the game's Wi-Fi mode. In an unexpected move, you can't hop online for some Autobot-on-Decepticon deathmatch action. Instead, you take part in week-long "wars" where you and your fellow Transformers: Autobots owners band together against those who purchased the Decepticons version of the game. Despite the conflict, you never actually battle another player. Selecting the "AllSpark Wars" option takes you to the online "War Center" where you download that day's battle. Once the battle has been downloaded, you logoff to take on the challenge.

There are several types of battles that you'll end up tackling. These can range from having to cause a set amount of damage to collecting orbs to defeating as many enemies as you can within a time limit. During the course of each day, you can attempt the challenge as many times as you wish. The more you play, the more points you earn for your faction (and the more experience points you earn for your character). Once you're finished playing, you log back into the War Center where your accomplishments are uploaded and added to the faction's total. While in the War Center, you can check the results of the previous day's battle, look at your personal history, and compare your score to the day's leaders.

Such Heroic Nonsense

If your side earns the most points at the end of the day, you win the "battle," claiming your team a chunk of the AllSpark Cube. Whichever side has the most chunks at the end of seven battles wins the "war." Whenever you compete in a daily battle, win a battle, or win a war, you are awarded "Battle Tokens" that are used to unlock new vehicle modes and cheats.

It's certainly an unorthodox online mode, but after spending a few days with it, I became quite addicted to it. Each copy of the game has an account (think Friend) code that can be used to register the game at the official website. Here, you can keep track of your stats and form strategies on how to get the best scores with other players in the forums. It's a pretty cool way to form a sense of community around the title. And yes, if you have both versions of the game, you can register both and play both sides.

For those seeking a more traditional multiplayer experience, you can play the traditional deathmatch as well as the soccer-esque AllSpark Sports with up to three other players in local play. Although not very involved, these modes will help extend the game's life some. It would have been great if these modes worked over Wi-Fi as well in addition to the AllSpark Wars.

It would seem that my lack of faith was for naught -- Transformers: Autobots ended up being a good game. Vicarious Visions does some great work on the DS, so I suppose that I shouldn't have been too worried. Sure, it's a bit simplistic, but the gameplay is solid and the odd online mode is strangely addicting.