A little more transforming would have made this Transformers title a whole lot better!
When you first fire it up you have five options from the main menu. The first is called "Campaign" and this is the main story mode of the game. When you choose this option you will play through 5 game acts, with each act comprised of 2 to 4 levels for a total count of 15 levels in the game. As the game unfolds you will find yourself switching back and forth between using an Autobot character and a Decepticon character, the game kind of portrays the events from both sides of the coin. Over the course of the game you will get to use Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Jetfire, Megatron, Starscream and Sideways. As you make your way through the game there are two very important things to look out for in terms of pickups. First are the pinkish/purple Energon canisters. These refill your Energon bar, which is located just below your health bar on the game screen. This Energon is vital as it powers a lot of your special attacks as well as helping to repair your Transformer when damaged. Your Energon bar also fills as you defeat your enemies. The other things to look out for are the Transformer icons. If you are playing an Autobot mission you will find glowing blue Autobot icons throughout the level, and if you are playing as a Decepticon you will find glowing red Decepticon icons located throughout the level. These icons represent all of the unlockable content in the game and there is a fair amount of it. There are also a few of what they call "bonus games" spread throughout the levels. Basically you need access to a locked door and for the bonus game are taken within the locking mechanism to solve a puzzle. When you finally solve the puzzle it unlocks said door. All but two of these bonus games are really easy. And that's all there is to Campaign mode, just a 15 level battle to save the world from the fate of the Star Harvester!
The second option from the main menu is "Arena Mode". This is the 2 player versus mode of the game, but there isn't all that much to it. Campaign mode has a 2 player option to it fyi, but the second person doesn't control an actual Transformer, they control a remote weapons system associated with the character player 1 is using. Anyways, in Arena Mode each player chooses a Transformer (six to choose from, all of the above mentioned except for Jetfire) and then a battle arena is selected (of which there are three to choose from). Then the battle begins, a fight to the death!
The next option is "Options". Here you can adjust some various settings including the Sound settings (sliders for the music, sfx and dialogue volumes) as well as some Game settings (invert flight controls, toggle subtitles/tutorial tips).
The fourth option is "Extras" and this is where all of the game's unlockable content is accessed. The first section of this content is called the "Gallery". As you collect the Transformer icons throughout the levels some of them will be images related to the characters and locations seen as the game unfolds. The Gallery is where you view these images. Next is the "Video Gallery". As you progress through the game you will randomly unlock the three videos contained in this section. The videos are quite retro, dating back to the original Transformers cartoon series from the mid-80s! Next we have the "Model Gallery". The Transformers icons you collect throughout that game that don't go in the image Gallery will go here in the Model gallery. Each Transformer seen in this game has a 3D model that you can view (and even rotate!), and this is where you go to do that. Next we have "Feats". This unlockable content is not collected during the game but earned by performing certain tasks/objectives. First we have the "Mastered Attacks" feats which you unlock by performing certain battle functions throughout the game. The "Combatant" feats are gained by performing objectives like achieving a certain weapons accuracy rating during a level or defeating so many enemies at once with a certain type of attack. To obtain the "Collector" feats you just have to be thorough and collect all of the unlockable content/complete all the bonus games in Revenge of the Fallen. We then have the "Story" feats. Basically just complete each act and then finish the game and you will achieve most of these feats. Next is the "Cooperative" feats but I didn't gain any of them as they are all specific to objectives achieved during a 2 player Campaign. And lastly we have the "Level-specific" feats. Usually obtaining these feats coincides with destroying a certain number of environmental objects during a level or by not dying. Anyhoo, back to the Extras option, the last choice we come to is "Credits". To view all those responsible for this Transformers adventure this is where you go.
Back to the main menu, the fifth and final choice you come to is "Exit". Once you are done playing this takes you out to the title screen in preparation for shutting down.
As for the controls in this game, they are pretty well laid out. The control stick is what moves your character around the game environment. Swinging the Wii remote from side to side is used for a quick and light melee attack, and swinging it up and down is used for a slow and heavy melee attack. Pointing the Wii remote at the screen is how you aim your targeting reticle. The A button is used to jump (after you jump, if you are near an enemy you can swing the remote and do a jumping attack). The B button is used to fire your primary weapon, which is your blaster cannon (never runs out of ammo). The Z button is used to fire your secondary weapon, hold the button down and release for a more powerful attack (using the secondary weapon spends your Energon bar somewhat). The C button is used to block enemy attacks and is also used in conjunction with swinging the Wii remote to perform certain alternate melee attacks. Holding C and swinging the remote from side to side performs an area attack, holding C and swinging the remote up performs an uppercut attack, and holding C and swinging the remote down performs a shield break attack. Last is the control pad on the Wii remote. Each direction performs a certain important function that draws power from your Energon bar. Up on the control pad performs a Power Up attack, right on the control pad is to Energize your Transformer, down on the control pad performs a Special Attack, and left on the control pad is used to Repair your bot.
During a few of the levels you will use characters that will transform from time to time. When you are using a car based character the control stick is used to steer, the Z button is used to brake, the B button is used to accelerate, and the A button is used to transform. When you are using a jet based character the control stick is used to steer, the A button engages your afterburners, swinging the Wii remote from side to side makes you do a barrel roll, twisting the Wii remote 90 degrees in either direction performs a knife edge vertical, and holding down on the control pad is used to transform. In all situations the controls in this game are very intuitive and easy to use. They also respond quite well. The only trouble I had at first was remembering which direction on the control pad performed which operation! But once I got used to it it became second nature.
As for the game's presentation, it was pretty darn good. The graphics weren't outstanding . . . but they were really good. They got the characters bang on and that is the important part. A bit of the backgrounds sometimes could have used a little extra polish, but for the most part they were well above the bar. The game's sounds was good as well. The layout of the game, menu navigation, etc. is all easy peasy.
As for the pros and cons, let's start with the pros. First, this game has a very high fun factor, I truly enjoyed playing Revenge of the Fallen. You get to use a fair amount of characters and you get to battle all of the big boys in the movie like Demolishor, Devastator and the Fallen. Another pro is that there were no technical issues with the game whatsoever. The controls, camera angles and all other functionality were spot on. Lastly, there is quite a bit of unlockable content in this game, and I always appreciate that as it gives you something to strive for and enjoy outside of simply beating the game.
Now for the cons, and they are a couple of big ones. First, the game is very short. The main mode, Campaign, only consists of 15 total levels. Some of the levels are fairly long, but 15 levels is just not enough in the grand scheme of things in today's competitive video game industry. They could have worked around this by offering a secondary game mode or two, but they didn't even do that. The only other game mode available is a multiplayer mode that features just three different game environments to battle amongst. This game is over in a hurry and it's a shame, because it's a lot of fun. The other con I found was the fact that you don't really get to control transformations in this game. What I really liked about the game they made for the first Transformers movie was that it was kind of a free flowing game that you were able to take at your own pace. You could explore the game environments at your leisure and only move on and complete the tasks in the level when you were ready to do so. While exploring the levels you could transform as often as you liked, and that was a great feature in that game. However, in Revenge of the Fallen it more follows the scheme of Transformers: Cybertron Adventures. You are led through the level on a pre-set path and your bot only transforms during cut-scenes plus the odd time you get to control the transformations during the vehicle based levels. Considering the main characters in this game are called Transformers . . . you should probably be able to transform them at some point! I found this a pretty negative feature of the game.
Overall this is a really fun game, it is just way too short. I would look for it in the bargain bin for sure unless you are a big Transformers fan and need to have it! The game is so good in many ways I would have given it a 9 or 9.5 otherwise, but it is just lacking in depth a little too much for my tastes. But no matter what I'm still glad I got it, it's another much appreciated addition to my personal Transformers universe!