It's too bad this game can't transform into something fun

There are few rivalries that will never end: dogs versus cats, Hatfields versus McCoys, Marvel versus DC, and of course, Autobots versus Decepticons.
I don’t know what it is about the Transformers, but the two factions of the giant convertible machines, the Autobots and the Decepticons, have always wanted to tear each other apart. For most of my youth, these sworn enemies have engaged in a galactic war that unfolded in cartoons and in my imagination on too many Saturday mornings to count. And now, in 2007, the bohemoths have headed into movie theaters with one mission: destroy box office records.
Well, they are going to try to do that anyway, with the help of veteran movie maker Michael Bay.
From what I’ve seen of the trailers, this movie looks like the next “Citizen Kane,” but I’m biased. I played with the Transformer toys before I could throw a ball, and I vaguely remember wanting to name our family’s first cat “Optimus Prime.” Needless to say, I was outvoted. But, that’s not the point. Like many kids today who are into collecting all the animals in “Pokemon” or cards in “Yu-Gi-Oh,” I liked the Transformers.
So, I am excited for the movie, and when I heard that there would be a game based on the movie, my interest was again peaked. But, then I thought about the many games that have been based on movies and have been disappointing. Most games based on movies or TV shows tend to be bad. But here we have a unique case. “Transformers: The Game” is based on a movie that in turn was based on a cartoon which was based on a line of toys (which itself was based on a similar series of toys from Japan)!
So, how does the game fare? Not too well. I initially thought I’d make the joke: “For more fun, take the game disk and transform it into a drink coaster,” but that is a little harsh.
“Transformers: The Game” has good intentions. It allows you to transform using many of the most popular Transformers, and battle throughout cities while stomping on buildings. Players are even given an interesting selection of weapons and collectible objects scattered throughout the game world to keep playing to earn unlockable bonuses. But, under all that goodness is a core of lame gameplay.
The game is frustrating, because it has so much potential. The levels are great. They are all medium-sized free-roam playgrounds where players can run around and find missions, items or just mess with the scenery. Players can choose to play as either the Autobots and protect the buildings and people in each level or the Decepticons and try to destroy everything in sight.
If you choose to be an Autobot, you’re already limiting your play. Autobots all transform into wheeled vehicles, while the Decepticons can turn into scorpions, helicopters and jet planes. Also, as an Autobot, you need to protect the city. That means your health is tied into the health of the area you are protecting. So, essentially, if you break it, you bought it, since, if you break enough things, you’ll kill yourself. Clever play on words, right? Yeah, that’s why they pay me the big bucks. Anyway, being penalized for breaking a building can be frustrating. But players will get used to it.
My biggest complaint was that as a gigantic transforming robot, players get a wealth of power, but very little chance to use it. Most of the missions can be completed without ever needing to transform, and when you do need to shape-shift, you’ll only need to do it for a minute or so.
Also, every character gets two kinds of weapons, a heavy attack and a quick attack, but the weapons are completely useless. Except for a few small enemies that appear on only one level, the weapons are ineffective with every other enemy because all the transforming robots have shields to block the shots. So, what could have been an all out, blow-em-up fun fest is instead reduced to you holstering your weapons and using the same three-punch combo to take out every enemy. It’s just a shame.
Overall, i liked the game. It’s a blast to transform at ease and race around the levels, but completing the missions can get boring, and the fighting could use more weapons and less shields. So, if you’re a real fan of the Transformers, give this a try. Otherwise, well, wait two months and get Grand Theft Auto 4.