Transformers: Autobots (Nintendo DS) Review

As you start the game you are treated to a nifty cut-scene, complete with a voice-over from the one and only Optimus Prime, voiced by Peter Cullen (who, if you’re not already aware, also provided the character’s voice in the cartoon series). This briefly outlines the story behind the game and provides a basis for the missions you will soon be thrust into. As you progress through the game you will be exposed to a further 25 or so cut-scenes, most of which contain at least some recorded dialogue – a very impressive feat for a handheld title!

You play as an unnamed newbie Autobot who must rush around completing objectives set by your superiors. Each of these missions is based in an expansive, open-world environment that can be explored at will. If you’re thinking Grand Theft Auto with robots, then you’re on the right track. Unfortunately, whilst the open-world is impressively large, it comes at the cost of being rather dull and boring to look at. Textures are simple and repetitive, and fog is constantly used to mask the effects of the game’s limited draw-distance.

However, there are a couple of consolation prizes waiting to convince you that the game might still be worth playing anyway. Firstly, there is an impressive 3D engine that renders great detail for both Autobots and Deceptions (including your own) as and when you run into them. And secondly, you can interact with almost every in-game item you come across; be it a human vehicle, enemy robot, street lamp or a fully-grown tree. Each of these can be ripped from the ground and tossed through the air, or attacked using either your character’s built in projectile weapons or its shiny metal fists!

This brings us neatly on to the subject of robot vs. robot combat, which is, rather disappointingly, somewhat lacking. The only offensive options open to you are those just mentioned, whilst the only defensive alternatives are jumping and/or running/flying away. This lack of any substantial defensive moves is what really lets the combat system down. As a result, most battles end up much the same: you start firing your machine-gun/missiles, run out ammo (which replenishes over time), move in for some physical attacks, back away and fire some more, rinse repeat.

Whilst your are doing this your opponent will be attempting to respond in kind by launching volleys at you according to your proximity to him or her (or it). If you feel yourself coming to the end of your life, you must simply run away and hide, or pick up one of the many health packs that are often littered around the battlefield. If you are unable to do either of these quickly enough, all you can do is sit back and take your punishment, which will eventually cause you to fail whatever mission you might be on and force you to restart it. Of course, this wouldn’t be quite so frustrating if the missions themselves weren’t so derivative.

Each new mission is indicated by a glowing column of light on the over-world, which you can choose to enter into at your leisure (although you must complete them in a certain order). Unfortunately, most missions consist of simple, seemingly menial tasks such as ‘find and destroy X’ or ‘locate and destroy all Xs in the near vicinity’. Indeed, most of these tasks have little or no impact on the main story and seem to have been stuffed into the game as a way to expand its lifetime (which is only really a few hours for the main campaign, anyway).

Now, if you remember our comparison to GTA earlier in the review, you might be thinking something along the lines of ‘why not ignore the missions and simply strut about the open-world?’ Certainly lots of people (ourselves included) have wasted away many an hour doing just that in other games. In fact, the designers of Transformers: Autobots have seemingly set it up to allow for just that to some extent. Scattered throughout the world are more “glowing columns of light,” but these initiate certain non-plot-sensitive challenges that can be played over and over again. Whilst these aren’t necessarily any more interesting than the aforementioned missions, they can at least be played in any order.

On top of these you have the great sense of freedom that comes with a GTA-esque title. This is strengthened by the ability to ‘transform’ into a number of different forms at the press of a button. When you first start the game you can merely change from an Autobot into a fairly average car, but as you progress into the game you can scan vehicles, save them to your memory, and then transform into them at will! And we’re not just talking about cars either; there are also helicopters, trucks and even airplanes (around 40 variations in all). In fact, the transformation process is so smooth you can literally leap off a building, tap the touch screen and be a different vehicle by the time you land.

Alas, this freedom is hindered by two main problems. Firstly, once the novelty of being a stomping great big robot (who can rip up trees and leave craters when it lands a jump) has gone, all you’re really left with is a great big, largely unattractive world to traverse over and over again. Secondly, the game itself relies on a simple RPG-esque system that increases your firepower and health stats as you complete tasks. Whereas the Decepticons title awards XP for smashing things up, the goody-goody Autobots have no choice but to return to the lacklustre missions that you’ve been trying to avoid. Nuts.