Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Game)

Movie-licensed games have been around for the longest time in the game industry, usually with negative results that give them a bad reputation. But even in this type of game, there have been a few that stand out, being at the least average or above. Developed by High moon Studios, fresh off War for Cybertron, Transformers: Dark of the Moon is one of those exceptions, packed with an enjoyable experience that delivers what it's set out to do.

The story is a prequel to the film of the same name, dealing with a technology known as MechTech and setting up important plot elements, such as Shockwave and the Driller, that impact the events of the movie. The developers made a great move by combining the Autobot and Decepticon portions of the camapign into one singular story, as opposed to having two seperate ones like previous games have done. Though short (around less than 10 hours), it serves as a great lead-in to the third chapter of the live-action series. This is backed up by solid voice acting and a great soundtrack that matches up with the events in-game.

The robot models look fantastic, with smooth and seamless transformation between modes, including the new Stealth Force mode. This mode allows you to have a versatile and maneuverable vehicle mode while being able to use your robot mode weapons. You have infinite ammo while in this form and it can provide a great advantage in combat, giving justification to having the ability to transform for a game based on a franchise built around the concept. What makes the game interesting though, is there are some missions where you don't even have the ability to transform, forcing you to make do with your abilities in robot mode to survive.

While this game has plenty of upsides, it also has its share of flaws. The robots move a little slowly, contrasting the speed vehicle mode provides, and the backgrounds can get a little repetitive at times. Though the sounds work greatly, there's an odd one in particular that stands out: during a set of missions where you take control of Laserbeak, the sound for the Stealth Force mode while driving plays when you fly, feeling a bit out of place for a Decepticon bird.

As a game, Dark of the Moon is pretty enjoyable for its short length. It's not the best movie-licensed game out there, but it is worthy of a purchase for Transformers fans, especially those who enjoy the live-action movies. That said, I can't wait to see what High Moon rolls out next.