• Posted May 28th, 2009 at 18:42 EDT by
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Blasting bullets, mangled metal, and enormous explosions are par for the course in Activision’s upcoming movie game, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Last week, Activision treated us to a hands-on preview of the game, showcasing both its single and multiplayer modes. For a movie-based title, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is surprisingly enjoyable and looks set to please any fan of the franchise.

A total of 13 Transformers will make an appearance in Revenge of the Fallen, including Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Starscream, and Megatron. Each Transformer features its own skills set, abilities, and weapons, giving players a variety of approaches in how they want to play the game. For example, Ratchet is equipped with a stun weapon and has the ability to heal, whereas Megatron is insanely powerful, wielding an arm cannon that can destroy enemies in one shot.

The controls are fairly simple to learn and easy to use. Players can jump with the X button, climb walls with circle, and mow down smaller buildings by stampeding through an area. Holding L2 enters weapons mode, then by using R1 players can unleash their arsenals. The square button prompts melee attacks and combos, which can be charged up for devastating blows by holding down the button. The triangle button uses the Transformer's special ability, which players can switch out and upgrade using points earned by completing missions. Most importantly, holding down R2 allows players to transform from a robot to a vehicle, speeding around before releasing the button and transforming back to the Transformer's initial form. The transition from the two forms is smooth, allowing players to jump straight from vehicle mode right into combat or back into vehicle mode to make for a quick escape.

Players will have the chance to play through the game across two separate campaigns, the Autobot campaign and the Decepticon campaign. The missions in Revenge of the Fallen will have players running through basic objectives, like saving engineers and battling hordes of Transformers. The boss battle against the Devastator was by far the most impressive part of the single-player hands on, but we don't want to spoil the fight for you. The game overall seems relatively easy, but that may have just been for preview purposes. Until we get our hands on the final game, we can't pass accurate judgment on that front.

While single-player offers the core Transformers experience, multiplayer is where players will find themselves spending much of their time. The game features five multiplayer modes, each providing plenty of metal carnage. Multiplayer contains the standard fare like Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Control Points, but also includes 'One Shall Stand' and 'Battle for the Shards.' One Shall Stand is a "captain" mode in which players need to hunt down and eliminate the opposing team's leader to succeed, while Battle for the Shards is a unique twist on the capture the flag formula where players must collect multiple pieces of the Allspark that are scattered across the level.

We found that the Transformers' skills and abilities were evenly balanced between each character, allowing for a fair fight when battling online. Whether dropping missile turrets as defense or sniping heads with Megatron's devastating weapon, there are Transformers to fit any kind of strategy.

For those worried about the PS3 version, we're told that the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are nearly identical. Also, Activision has stated that a wide range of Trophies will be supported and that downloadable content is planned for after the game's release. Overall, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a solid movie-based title that brings together all the necessary to make a Transformers game work and more. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is set to release June 23. Stay tuned to PSU for our full review.