Second Look - Transformers: Dark of the Moon (PS3)

During my efforts to look back on the Transformers games set in Warfor Cybertron’s continuity to celebrate its 10^th anniversary, I decided to also take another look at the video game tie-in to Transformers: Dark of the Moon, one of my favorite Transformers games and arguably one of the better representations of the live-action film continuity. Things got off to a rocky start, however, since the game somehow managed to render itself literally unplayable on the PlayStation 3 I originally played it on. Fortunately, I happened to have another, separate PS3 that our family uses to watch movies, and upon the initial install, the game ran without issue. After getting to experience the game for the first time again, I thought it held up well after nearly a decade, even with some imperfections in the storytelling.

Three years following the events of Revenge of the Fallen, Optimus Prime believes that there are still Decepticon forces remaining on Earth. In the Autobots’ efforts to search for Megatron’s forces, Optimus assigns Bumblebee to investigate a Soviet relay facility in South America. Meanwhile, Soundwave has attached himself to a NEST satellite to spy on the Autobots’ plans.

The campaign is rather short, consisting of seven Chapters that switch between Autobot and Decepticon factions rather than two separate campaigns, though this sort of length is to be expected with a movie tie-in game. This short length also works in the game’s favor, allowing it to not overstay its welcome or rely too much on padding. The approach to making it a prequel also provides an opportunity to expand on events that occurred off-screen between Revenge of the Fallen and Dark of the Moon, such as why Soundwave’s alt-mode went from a satellite to a Mercedes-Benz and how Megatron obtained his Mack truck vehicle form. Interestingly, the MechTech gimmick from the Dark of the Moon toyline is an important plot point in the Decepticon Chapters of the story, though this is the only real time the technology gets brought up.

In its effort to introduce Shockwave and transition into the opening of the movie, the story gets a little muddy during the final Chapter. Though it’s for the sake of a boss fight and to explain how Shockwave factors into things, Megatron leaving Optimus Prime for dead goes against his master plan in the actual film. The exact nature of the artifact hidden at Chernobyl is also different from its actual depiction, as well as Megatron wanting Shockwave to retrieve it rather than the Autobots, however it was a decent attempt to explain why Shockwave was there in the first place.

As it was developed by High Moon Studios between War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron, this game serves as sort of a transition point in terms of game mechanics. In robot mode, characters have a pair of weapons that they can switch between, as well as a special ability that must be recharged via collection of Energon shards. However, unlike either game, ammo is a non-issue as you simply reload when you run out rather than having to look for any. The game also features a point system which, combined with the game's short length, the ability to add score multipliers with melee attacks, regenerating health and the return of hidden Transformers logos from War for Cybertron, gives the experience a sort of arcade feel that allows it to stand out from other Transformers games.

Adding to this experience, the game has its own unique mechanic borrowed from the Dark of the Moon toyline, that being the Stealth Force gimmick. In vehicle mode, the player character is equipped with a variety of weaponry with infinite ammo, as well as quicker movement, stronger armor and the ability to lock on to enemies. In many situations, Stealth Force is often better outside of times where you are forced into robot form, however robot mode still has its advantages such as better damage output against stronger opponents. While in Stealth Force, you can also increase your driving speed, at which point the vehicle form resembles how it would when fully transformed.

Stealth Force adds a lot of speed and versatility to combat.

Each character also has a robot mode ability that recharges on its own, such as Bumblebee’s ability to scan for opponents, Mirage's temporary invisibility and Soundwave stunning enemies with an EMP wave. Interestingly, Optimus Prime’s ability to dash would later become standard for many playable characters in Fall of Cybertron.

As with War for Cybertron, the game comes packaged with a multiplayer component, including unlockable characters for said feature upon completing the story. However, as of this writing, the servers for War for Cybertron, Dark of the Moon, Fall of Cybertron and Rise of the Dark Spark were recently shut down by Activision, rendering these unlocks now worthless other than for bragging rights.

The visuals for the game still hold up well, especially for a licensed game. The character models are very faithful to their depictions in the films, and in some cases their toys. At least one character, Warpath, is exclusive to the game, however his design is such that it fits right in with the live-action films’ aesthetic. Interestingly, the one on-screen human character Reynolds (Nolan North) is portrayed in live-action, which actually fits perfectly with the game since it’s already based on a live-action film series.

The faithfulness of the character designs is complemented by some good background and level design. Environments are varied and, in some more intimate spaces, feel lived-in, with the NEST facility feeling more or less like an actual office space. Though the game uses a more realistic art direction, environmental details such as trees and foliage still appear polished and mechanical objects still appear as such. Special mention goes to the NEST satellite seen in the first few cutscenes, as it is detailed enough to be believable and appears as though it came straight out of the films.

Much of the voice cast returns from War for Cybertron, reprising their respective roles from the game. However, their performances are done in a way that better emulates their live-action counterparts, such as Fred Tatasciore giving a performance that better captures Hugo Weaving’s Megatron rather than an alternate take on Frank Welker. Steve Blum takes on the role of Starscream as he did in the Transformers: Prime cartoon, which was still running at the time of Dark of the Moon’s release, however his take on the role is adjusted to better fall in line with Charlie Adler's. Alongside Peter Cullen returning as Optimus Prime, Jess Harnell is brought in to voice Ironhide as he does in the actual movies, allowing for a more authentic experience.

Though short, and in spite of some muddy continuity with the source material towards the end, the video game adaptation of Transformers: Dark of the Moon is a solid game and one of the better examples of a movie licensed game. While it’s not an alternative to watching the movie it was designed as a prequel to, it’s an enjoyable game in its own right and the more arcade-like execution helps in that regard. Transformers fans, in particular of the movies and/or High Moon’s other games based on the larger franchise, will definitely get the most enjoyment out of this, though it’s also good for those looking for a fast and well-made licensed game.