Review: Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Game)

Having never played Transformers: War for Cybertron, Transformers: Dark of the Moon popped by "developed by High Moon Studios" Transformers cherry. And just like real life, poppin' my cherry in this situation was just as uneventful—it didn't last long and I doubt I'll remember it in a week. That is not to say the game is bad, it's just as average as average can be. To put it in perspective, my favorite moment was experiencing Nolan North not only in voice, but visually as well—seen early on in a video.

For those who care about the current Transformers films, Dark of the Moon is a prequel to the film of the same name. There is no LaBeouf, no transforming females, and nothing that makes me immediately think of the films; though, I have not seen the latest despite watching Michael Bay and company destroy my home of Chicago in person. The story may be of interest to someone invested in the films, but I stopped paying attention almost immediately. I would expect those interested in the game to be more curious about the gameplay and the gameplay was just as uninteresting.

The robot gameplay played like a very average shooter and I never once felt as if I was putting bullets into giant, metal robots—I felt no sense of impact or damage. Besides rocking the full robot, there is a regular vehicle mode and a 'Stealth Force' mode—which consists of an awkwardly controlling hybrid between robot and vehicle modes. The controls in general never felt natural and every vehicle felt floaty—which is fine for airborne vehicles, but not desirable for those on ground level. It all seems rather rushed and I can only assume this is because the game was rushed.

Dark of the Moon is also short—really short—and I found little reason to come return after completion, much like poppin' one's cherry. And keeping with the "cherry" theme, the game isn't particularly pretty, but it's not ugly either, just plain and forgettable. There is a barebones multiplayer section, but with minimal modes and occasional lag, I didn't find much reason to stay after a few matches. I cannot judge this against High Moon Studios' previous Transformers game, but on its own merit, Dark of the Moon is a fine rental, but I wouldn't buy the game for more than a Hamilton.