Transformers

When Michael Bay announced he'd be taking "Transformers" to the big screen, fans wondered whether the bombastic director would do the beloved science fiction world justice. Likewise, when publisher Activision announced they'd be developing a game for consoles based upon the franchise, fans were curious whether the excitement of the war between the "Autobots" and "Decepticons" would prove a worthy gaming experience.

In "Transformers the Game," players are thrown into small missions where the goal requires taking care of some quests while tearing through virtual opponents and destroying a lot of the terrain as an Autobot or a Decepticon. The game is fairly straightforward, and players of all ages will have no trouble taking care of the mission objectives and side quests that pop up along the way.

Each of the factions provides a subtly different campaign (story) to play, but the overall theme of the game is to push a few buttons and create mayhem in the streets. One of the complaints often heard from players is that it doesn't really make a difference which buttons are pressed. Each player only has a few weapons and mashing them in any sequence tends to get the job done.

The opportunity to play the "evil" faction is one of the game's highlights. The "Transformers" movie, as well as the original television series from the 1980s, each told the story from the point of view from the good guy Autobots. In "Transformers the Game," players can side with the evil Decepticons and get to enjoy a rollicking good time laying waste to large cities.

The game is a worthy attempt to provide some additional entertainment alongside the movie franchise; however, it probably won't keep the average gamer occupied for more than a few hours. The game has beautiful graphics, but it's a little too simple to provide true engagement.