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# ‘Transformers’ ★★★
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/transformers/
- Published: 2007-08-09T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T02:32:49.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Entertainment, Santa Monica, #archive-import

That’s the case with Activision’s “Transformers: The Game,” a relatively repetitive, but yet visually appealing third-person shooter that thrusts the player into the middle of an intergalac-tic battle for survival between the noble Autobots and the evil Decepticon. These “robots in disguise” are locked in a life or death struggle to capture the powerful All-Spark.

Modeled after the summer blockbuster by director Michael Bay, complete with narration by actors in the film, the game offers parallel stories that allow players to be both the good guys and the bad guys, accomplishing one mission after another until one side is victorious.

Since the game is fairly simplistic, consisting of button smashing and melee attacks using intimidating but slightly clumsy, multi-ton robots, it’s much more exciting and rewarding to play as a dreaded Decepticon who has free reign to destroy nearly everything in his path, blowing up large buildings with a single blast of his rockets.

The Autobots, on the other hand, must play nice and protect life, almost tip-toeing around town trying not to disturb anything, which is difficult considering a human is about the size of one of the robots’ fingers and the camera action isn’t the most user friendly, making it difficult to see exactly where enemies are.

Playing with reckless abandonment is basically the only way to go. It’s better than treading lightly in this world, especially when one has lethal weaponry at their disposal.

The game loads fairly quickly, so failing a mission isn’t too painful. The controls are pretty simplistic so a beginner can pick up and start kicking Cybertronic butt in no time.

Players can explore different environments, but must play each mission in order to advance. It’s not free flowing like Activision’s “Spiderman” series or the “Grand Theft Auto” franchise, where one can explore the high-rises of Manhattan or the gritty streets of Los Angeles for hours without getting bored. Here, many of the streets and buildings look similar, making the game feel a little claustrophobic.

To make up for the loss of freedom and mobility is the ability to destroy just about anything in sight. Players can pick up a host of objects and hurl them through the air, causing damage to their opponents. Buses, cars, fences, trees, light posts —they’re all at your disposal. Very few games have utilized destructible environments as well as “Transformers.”

That said, the game is still fairly rudimentary and falls far short of expectations. It’s fun, much in the same way Midway’s “Rampage” gave teen boys hours of enjoyment as they used giant monsters to bash buildings and eat helpless humans. But that was the ‘80s and “Transformers” was still just a cartoon on television. With the advancements made in gaming, Activision could have dug deeper and offered more challenges or a feature allowing two players the ability to battle in various settings, including the ravished planet of Cybertron.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/080907-08_01.jpg)

of Activision GOOD VERSUS EVIL: ‘Transformers: The Game’ offers little more than button mashing. (Photo: Photo courtesy)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 9, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/080907.pdf?ref=smdp.com)