Ben-DutkaLately, the Transformers video games have been solid, entertaining, and well worth the investment due to lengthy campaigns. We expect nothing less from High Moon’s latest, Transformers: Dark of the Moon , which acts as a prologue to the upcoming blockbuster film. The story ought to be good, there will be a definite focus on certain Autobots and Decepticons and above all else, our favorite piece of news: the fact that stealth will play a role for the first time. Plus, the team has implemented an overhauled system that streamlines the integration between robot and vehicle control. This wasn’t a huge problem in past entries but in retrospect, it could definitely use some sprucing up.
The setting: three years after the events of the second movie, and everyone thinks the Decepticons are gone for good. But of course…they’re not. They never are. And the game starts with you investigating a rogue Decepticon signal in the city, which turns out to be a symbol of bid tidings. You will be able to use that aforementioned stealth ability, which you’ll utilize when in vehicle form; spotting and locking on to enemies from afar should be a huge benefit. We can’t be sure if every robot will have that skill, but Bumblebee definitely will. As for other familiar names, you can expect fan favorites Optimus Prime and Soundwave to play significant roles in this new sci-fi quest, and we won’t always be running around a busted-up, post-catastrophic urban landscape.
For instance, Soundwave’s level is in a lush jungle, where his ability to use sound as a weapon is greatly enhanced. He’ll have a new partner in crime – Laserbeak – and in general, this is the kind of diversity that should keep the player intrigued throughout. We’re not sure if they’ll use the same setup from Transformers: War for Cybertron , where players could choose to play Autobot or Decepticon-oriented missions whenever they chose; either all in chronological order or switching between the two whenever one wished. But that was a big favorite amongst the fans so it’s likely that choice-driven feature will return. And if you’re wondering, yes, we’ll be flying in Dark of the Moon , as Starscream will have his own level, too.
We’ve also heard about a special ninja Autobot called Mirage, who seems to specialize in those stealth elements due to his cloaking ability. Sneaking past enemy robots…? Man, that doesn’t sound like Transformers . But I’m not complaining in the slightest because it adds some flavor to a tried-and-true formula, and I trust High Moon to get the mechanics right. The only potential stumbling block seems obvious to me: they have to nail down all sorts of movement physics and control, including regular third-person action, vehicle/driving sections, and now, both stealth and flying mechanics. …that isn’t easy to do correctly. But these guys have proven themselves before so I remain optimistic.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon is slated to drop on June 14.
the graphics didnt look all that great but im not gonna pass it up. i love everything transformers for the most part. i have all the old school episodes on dvd and the movie. still have a giant collection of the toys. cant wait for the movie and the game.
my car is a decepticon. still not sure what to name it yet though.
I've loved transformers since I was a youngin', and War For Cybertron was like a love letter to all the fans out there. I really hope this next game keeps the gameplay of WFC while making its own identity. And if the preview is any indication, this game and inFamous 2 will comprise my summer playing 🙂 Hopefully. High Moon loves transformers and it looks like they're doing justice to our favorite Robots in Disguise.
your avatar looks delicious.
I'll have to see the stealth part with my own eyes ('_')
So maybe I missed something. But is this game following the movies? Seems that's the way it was explained. Or is it the sequel to war for cybertron?
I'm curious because the games that follow the movies are terrible. But war for cybertron was bad a**. And honestly the transforming was sexy as hell! either way high moon is developing, and they did war for cybertron, so my hopes are high!
its a movie game using the gameplay mechanics of war for cybertron
Hmmm I haven't played the last 2 or 3 Transformer games, but that trailer looked pretty good.
Guess I'll go look around for the past ones so I'll have some more stuff to play once I can get another PS3
Don't buy any of the movie based games…they suck big time. But try War of Cybertron (based off of the 80's cartoon)…this game is actually good. High Moon made this one so this should give you a good impression of this prequel to the actual movie.
Not trying to be a nerd, but if you ever watched the 80's cartoon Ben…you wouldn't be so in odds with the Mirage description. The cartoon was very childish and Mirage had the most ridiculous advantage, turning invisible literally, but he never used this to take down enemies…only to do odd things kids should find funny.
Anyway, I love Transformers and Michael Bay murdered it for me. High Moon will most likely present a better story than the actual movie. I know its a prequel to the movie, but I hear these guys are real fans and it shows through War of Cybertron which was awesome for fans like myself, mediocre for everyone else. I will definitely be picking this up.
I hope the actual movie delivers because the characterizations in the first two movies sucked. Jetfire is an Australian pissed off robot in the movie, quite different than his original character. Jazz was a stereotype if I ever seen one and they killed him off…??? (Hollywood). And then the actual storytelling sucks…its about the humans, not the Transformers…oh Michael Bay. You need better writers and you need to stop making movies that cater to July 4th.
hmmmmm.
is this going to be the usual transformers game, or the new revitalized transformers war for cybertron?
only time will tell.
definitely wont be getting it till july if i get it at all.
one day developers will learn you cant release your game in the same week 10 other games are releasing!
as i said many times DNF owns june!
DNF doesn't own June whatsoever. That distinction goes to inFamous 2.
Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see the Duke back, but it doesn't look like its gonna be THAT good.
I still don't get why some people say Micheal Bay murdered the movies… HOW??? Isn't the transformers movies based off an old ass cartoon about transforming alien robots??? Like what the hell were people expecting from these movies based off old cartoons or any cartoons for that matter??? In my opinion they're pretty good movies, but then again that's just how I feel.
Last edited by GuyverLT on 5/6/2011 12:55:51 PM
Well, I agree with you up to a point. The first Transformers movie was good, and about as much as you could expect out of a Michael Bay film based on an old kid-oriented 80's cartoon.
The second one though was a clusterf*ck of characters just being shown and then killed off for no reason, plot holes as large as the Grand Canyon, contradictions within the dialogue, and a bunch of incredibly stupid stuff. I mean seriously, that pink robot (whatever her name is) that was a fan favorite was literally shown for 5 seconds before getting the crap blown out of her.
So basically ever since the second one people have hated the movies. Seriously, there weren't many complaints until that piece of crap came out.
Actually, the 80's cartoon had alot of character to it. And it was about the robots, not human affairs. On top of this, the movies have horrible storytelling. The first one was decent introduction, but Revenge of the Fallen didn't resemble Transformers at all. The cartoon had a lot of mythology behind it and even though it was a kids cartoon, the story was rich when the core story was being told, not the childish hooplah. Part 1 was ok, part 2 was a just a bad movie period along with it disrespecting the fan base. Michael Bay can make his own version of the Transformers, I'm fine with that…but the movie itself just sucks, makes not sense, and the story was poorly constructed. Sam has too much influence on the Transformers world too.
If this plays like and is anywhere near as good as War for Cybertron I am definitely purchasing.