Transformers - #83 Top PS2 Games - IGN
- Transformers is based on the Armada Transformers series
- Players spend most of the time fighting Decepticlones and not Decepticons
- Developed in Australia
Licensed videogames get a bad rap. Sadly, it's usually deserved. But Transformers happily bucked the trend in 2004 by putting solid gameplay first with just a smattering of Transformers flavor. In fact, the Transformers licensing is so non-crucial to the game that it could be absent entirely without ruining the experience.
The core gameplay is a pretty basic third-person shooter with first-person-style dual-analog controls. The shooting starts simply, perhaps repetitively, but ramps up the entertainment value as players collect and equip all manner of mini-con power-ups. There are myriad mini-cons hidden throughout the game and as they're collected, the player can mix and match mini-con combos to outfit one of three main playable characters. Juggling between multiple shot, shield and gliding abilities becomes a crucial skill as the game's difficulty increases, and what once was a brainless blaster emerged as an (almost) smart shooter.
The game's boss battles shine and are among the few moments where Transformers feels true to its license. Fighting the skyscraper-tall Tidal Wave is a special treat mid-game and challenged only by the final battle against the planet-sized Unicron. Transformers was a true sleeper hit.