Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen [PS2]

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hits theaters nationwide today, and it's no surprise that the film has gotten a videogame adaptation. Or, should I say multiple videogame adaptations, as the Wii and PS2 versions of the game are nothing like their PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC counterparts.

Now let me start off by saying that I haven't seen the film yet, though a number of folks in the office have, and after going over what happens in the game with them, it seems that this version of Revenge of the Fallen only very roughly follows the story of the movie. There are still the same "boss" Transformers that show up (like Devastator) and the story reaches roughly the same climax, though the in-between stuff seems like it's very much different. So, if you're looking for something that gives you the movie experience point-for-point on your console of choice, this won't do it for you. On a positive note, Shia Labeouf isn't in the game at all, save a couple sentences that he says at the end of the game (though you don't even see him), so there's that.

The game is a third-person action title where you work straight through its story and switch between playing as Autobots and Decepticons as the story dictates. In other words, there's no exploring to do (aside from looking around a corner for a hidden pickup) and you can't choose which side you want to play as, like in the PS3 and Xbox 360 games. While this straight-forward style should theoretically make room for some big action sequences and perhaps a tighter experience, that's not really the case at all.

A big part of this is that it's incredibly repetitive. What basically happens is that you walk into an area, have to kill a handful of dudes to unlock a closed door, and then move on. While this is true in a number of games (even some very good ones), you don't see very much variety in the enemies, and the combat is so awkward and, at times, frustrating that you will very quickly get sick of fighting anything.

For the Wii version of the game, you move with the analog stick on the Nunchuck and use the Wii Remote to aim a reticule on the screen at what you want to shoot at. The camera is static, so you don't have to worry about manipulating it (for better or worse).

One problem with this setup is that since your character is in a 3D space, but your reticule essentially only lies on a 2D plane, you don't always shoot at what you're pointing at. There are angular issues at times because the reticule doesn't necessarily mean that's what you're shooting at, but rather where you're shooting. So even though you might have your reticule right on top of a guy, your Transformer may be shooting straight past him, even though technically speaking your shots are indeed going through your target. Also, if your reticule goes over something in the environment, perhaps maybe a pillar that's near the camera, you'll shoot at that object instead of the enemy on the far side of the screen.

The control issues extend to the melee combat as well. Rather than tapping a button to fight, you need to hold down the C button and then waggle your Wii Remote either side-to-side or up and down. The problem is that you have to make sure your pointer clears both sides of the screen during these motions, which means small wiggles won't cut it - you need to wildly move your arm back and forth to make it register as an attack rather than simple aiming.