Transformers Autobots/Decepticons
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Transformers The Game for the Nintendo DS portable console was developed by Vicarious Visions for Activision, in conjunction with the 2007 live-action Transformers movie.
Gameplay overview
It consists of two separate games: Transformers Autobots and Transformers Decepticons. The games have different storylines and environments, but the basic gameplay elements are shared between them.
In both games, the player creates a character who can scan many different transforming forms. Each game features missions involving this character as well as missions focused on the movie cast.
Unlike most versions of Transformers The Game, the DS version has multiplayer ability. The game features the AllSpark Wars online challenges, which allow the player to compete against other players for points to unlock more vehicle modes.
Also, in both games, Bumblebee remains the rusty '70s Camaro throughout the game, yet his character art during the talking scenes depicts him with the chest based on the Concept Camaro, which he never scans in game.
Autobots
This game revolves around the Autobots and their attempts at preventing the destruction of Earth and the resurrection of Lord Megatron, the former military leader of Cybertron. After the battle of Tyger Pax, Create-A-Bot arrives on Earth, landing in the Las Vegas casino strip. After a quick run-down with Ironhide, he teams up with his fellow Autobots to retrieve the All Spark, searching the quiet (and appropriately named) city of Tranquility, but later heading to the Hoover Dam and even going as far as the Arctic to find the frozen remains of Megatron. All the while, Create-A-Bot must learn what it truly means to be an Autobot.
Cast
Missions
Casino Strip
- The New Arrival - Create-A-Bot arrives on Earth and is instructed by Ironhide on the basics.
- Put It to the Test - The mission begins with your character being summoned to kill three Decepticons, after which the Create-A-Bot from Transformers Decepticons will come as a boss for this level.
Tranquility
- Protect the Locals - Optimus Prime sends Create-A-Bot to kill a drone in a minute, before having to transform and hide from the police. After losing them, he must kill two drones without destroying anything else.
- Car Shopping - Bumblebee arrives and tells Create-A-Bot to scan some vehicles. The last car transforms into a Decepticon.
- Information Super Highway - Create-A-Bot must scan the internet through radio towers to find the glasses. No, it isn't about Sam Witwicky.
- Police Brutality - Bumblebee goes to the suburbs and finds Barricade. He chases Barricade while being shot down by police cars. At the bridge, they battle.
The Arctic
- Follow that Convoy - As a helicopter, Create-A-Bot must protect military convoys heading to Megatron.
- Too Late - Ironhide protects 3 convoys being attacked by Decepticons, then searches for Megatron, but discovers the Decepticon leader has been moved. Afterwards, he steals a military computer.
- Bad Reception - Create-A-Bot protects Ironhide as he goes to the radio tower.
- Winter Showdown - Ironhide duels with Starscream at the radio tower. Starscream flies away to parts unknown, probably afraid of dying. He learned that strategy the hard way.
Tranquility 2nd Visit
- Happy Landings - Bumblebee must destroy Sector Seven defenses so Optimus Prime can come to Earth.
- Know Thy Enemy - Jazz must bring back three Sector Seven vehicles. The final one, a helicopter, turns out to be Blackout, whom Jazz must fight. It turns out that Sector Seven has both Megatron and the AllSpark, to Optimus' horror, who reluctantly decides to kill his former brother.
- Driven to Distraction - Bumblebee must neutralize Sector Seven forces at various locations, distracting them so the Autobots can escape to Hoover Dam. Afterwards, Create-A-Bot accidentally leads more Sector Seven forces to Bumblebee when trying to help, and 'Bee ends up performing a kamikaze attack to let Create-A-Bot escape. Optimus decides to focus on the AllSpark and leave Bumblebee, which angers Ironhide, who claims Optimus doesn't care about the Autobots, only caring about killing Megatron.
Hoover Dam
- In Through the Back Door - Jazz must go to the radio tower and uploads a virus. Afterwards, he must head to a computer terminal to download data on the facility and protect himself as it downloads. Ironhide apologizes to Optimus for his earlier outburst, which Optimus accepts. Jazz and Optimus note that the AllSpark seems to be favoring their luck.
- Prison Break - Create-A-Bot is asked to destroy six satellite dishes and eight gun turrets and break into Hoover Dam. He frees Bumblebee afterward.
- The Heist - Bumblebee must retrieve his weapons chip and the All Spark. Afterwards, he escapes the dam.
- Clearing the Road - Optimus Prime must destroy Sector Seven roadblocks with Bumblebee in tow, after which he must fight Barricade and a Copter drone. Barricade dies, mentioning he was a diversion, then a cutscene plays in which Megatron finishes thawing and talks with the Decepticon Create-A-Bot.
- Bombing Run - Overhearing Megatron's return, Ironhide must defuse bombs placed on the dam to prevent the loss of countless lives.
- Interference - Optimus must duke it out and destroy Brawl.
Tranquility 3rd Visit
- Narrow Escape - Bumblebee must escape Blackout while being under assault from Tranquility's police force.
- Downtown Blackout - Atop a roof, Ratchet fights and destroys Blackout.
- Fire Fighting - Create-A-Bot fights against drones with Ironhide, then heads to fight All Spark-created drones with Jazz and then finally goes to protect the All Spark and Bumblebee. Once they get the AllSpark to Optimus, Megatron appears and steals it from them. Optimus goes to confront Megatron for a final showdown.
- End Game - Create-A-Bot must knock the All Spark out of Megatron's hands and slam it into Megatron's spark. Create-A-Bot is killed, and Optimus Prime must defeat Megatron. Upon the death of his brother, Optimus vows to honor Create-A-Bot's dying wish that Earth be the Autobots' new home.
Decepticons
Similar in setting but unique in portrayal is the flip side of the story, Decepticons. Here, a nearly identical robot has come to Earth at the command of Starscream to find the source of a distress signal from a "lost" Decepticon somewhere in the area. However, Starscream keeps many important pieces of information to himself, including the location of the All Spark and the identity of the Transformer locked in the icy grip of the Arctic. While this Create-A-Bot has to learn that being a Decepticon means loyalty to Megatron, it also becomes apparent that though they fight for different reasons, the Autobots and Decepticons are aiming for the same goal, namely peace on Cybertron, and also that their senses of honor are not that far apart.
This game is also unique in that the Arctic level is replaced with Qatar, and that this Create-A-Bot is almost immediately put into a position of authority, mainly because Starscream wants everyone dead.
Cast
Missions
Casino Strip
- The Rookie - Create-A-Bot arrives on Earth, contacts Barricade and learns the basic controls.
- Hazing - Create-A-Bot dukes it out with several Autobot Drones. Afterwards, the Autobot Create-A-Bot shows up.
Tranquility
- Beware the Locals - Barricade proves to be a crap boss, ordering Create-A-Bot to destroy property to learn how the human police force will strike back.
- Robots in Disguise - Create-A-Bot must scan/destroy several cars. The last one turns out to be an Autobot.
- The Diversion - Seeking to gain Barricade's respect, Starscream advises Create-A-Bot to neutralize the police and cause more collateral property damage.
- Stings Like a Bee - Barricade chases and battles Bumblebee, and sends Create-A-Bot to meet up with Brawl and Blackout in Qatar.
Qatar Military Base
- Decoy - As a chopper, Create-A-Bot must destroy tanks, jets, and helicopters.
- Blackout at Qatar - Blackout must destroy 5 satellites, then scan 4 buildings under two minutes, all while under extreme fire from human forces.
- Leftovers - Brawl must stop convoys from getting to the town.
- Ratchet Retaliation! - Create-A-Bot fights Ratchet and Autobot drones. Ratchet escapes, and is not seen again. Starscream confides in Create-A-Bot that the AllSpark is on Earth, as is Megatron.
Tranquility 2nd Visit
- Torching the Welcome Wagon - Create-A-Bot must take out the city's defenses.
- Codebreaker - Brawl must protect several generators from Sector Seven for Barricade.
- Reinforcements - When Optimus Prime arrives on Earth, Create-A-Bot must destroy several protoform Autobots and then incapacitate Bumblebee. Create-A-Bot is also disturbed by the reason the Decepticons hate Starscream: he is a treacherous snake who would kill you in your sleep. The Decepticons roll out to Hoover Dam.
Hoover Dam
- Communication Breakdown - Starscream rather aggressively warns Create-A-Bot to not let the Decepticons find Megatron or the AllSpark. Brawl must take out 3 satellites and then plant bombs along the dam. Afterward, he brings Barricade a tank to get some information.
- Cover Your Six - Create-A-Bot reveals Megatron and the AllSpark's prescence on Earth (though Barricade had already figured out Megatron was on Earth), gaining the other Decepticons' trust for making the "right choice". Barricade raids a Sector Seven base to find info on Megatron's location, and then discovers that the Autobots have allied themselves with Sector Seven.
- Tag Team - Blackout carries Barricade to get into the base. Barricade then must find the control room.
- Megatron's Return - Create-A-Bot must protect Megatron from Sector Seven and later Autobots as Megatron is revived.
- Get the Chip - Blackout must obtain Megatron's weapon chip from fleeing Sector Seven convoys. Megatron then rallies his forces to Tranquility to recover the AllSpark from Bumblebee.
- Ambush - Megatron takes out turrets and Autobot drones. Jazz comes and brawls with Megatron, but is killed.
Tranquility 3rd Visit
- Street Brawl - Megatron orders the Decepticons to storm Tranquility for the AllSpark. Brawl must destroy Ironhide, but is never seen again.
- Starscream's Betrayal - Starscream must chase down Bumblebee, after which he fights and kills him, retrieving the All Spark. Starscream then kills Blackout, and Barricade tries to fight against him. Too bad he also dies.
- Sibling Rivalry - Starscream learns of Create-A-Bot's defection to Megatron, which does not go well with the Seeker. Create-A-Bot takes down 25 All Spark Drones. Then he chases Starscream, who sends 25 more drones. After chasing Starscream again, 5 Autobot drones show up and Starscream escapes while Create-A-Bot must destroy the drones. Meanwhile, Megatron duels his brother, Optimus Prime. Optimus is killed. Shockingly, he is not the last boss. Starscream challenges Megatron and his last soldier, Create-A-Bot, to battle in the Casino Strip.
Casino Strip 2nd Visit
- Final Showdown - Create-A-Bot weakens Starscream, who drops the All Spark. Create-A-Bot then slams it on Starscream, mortally injuring himself but not wounding Starscream at all. Megatron chases down Starscream, battling him at three rotating positions all over the map. Starscream dies, and Megatron eats the not-quite-dead Create-A-Bot's spark, claiming that he and the other Decepticons were weak, and only served to "benefit the strong." Poor kid. The AllSpark gone, his troops killed, Megatron then flies off into the night.
Reception
Although still scoring fairly low, the two versions of the game got generally better reviews than their other counterparts. Autobots currently has a 67 on Metacritic, while Decepticons only has 66. Reviewers were turned off by the poor graphics and number of glitches when compared to the console versions, but praised the open-world gameplay and ability to transform at any time. Because, you know, this is a game about Transformers.
