Reviewed: July 18, 2011
Reviewed by: Kyle Hilliard

Publisher
Activision

Developer
Behaviour Interactive

Released: June 14, 2011
Genre: Action
Players: 1

3
4
5
2
3.5

Supported Features:

  • Memory Save

    		•  Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Stealth Force Edition has no story, terrible driving, terrible combat, terrible graphics and entirely forgets that it exists on a console capable of 3D graphics. That’s all bad and enough reason to avoid this game, but here is the part of the game that clearly and rather succinctly defines why Stealth Force Edition is a video game atrocity: you cannot transform. That's right. The first nine letters of the title of the game, and the very reason you even like this franchise designed to sell toys to begin with, does not even exist in the game.

    I am exaggerating slightly, but only slightly. You can transform, but not in the way you believe you should. You can only transform between a vehicle, and a harder to control vehicle with guns poking out the side. It takes the very thing that makes transformers cool and says, "never mind, we don't want to do that."

    Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Stealth Force Edition is a vehicle combat game, but it's just no fun to play. You will switch back and forth between, "straight-up vehicle," and, "slower vehicle with guns," form to kill repetitive enemies in order to meet certain goals. There are 18 total missions, and they cycle between a couple of objectives, among only a few different levels.

    The, "straight-up vehicle," mode is faster and used primarily to outrun pursuers and collect energy and missiles. There is no acceleration or brake button. Control is mapped entirely to the circle pad, which means backing up is nearly impossible, and slowing down is either all-stop or full speed with no in-between. The namesake subtitle of the game, Stealth Force mode, which I call, "slower vehicle with guns form," allows you to turn around and shoot pursuers, and strafe with the shoulder buttons. The strafing mechanic basically forces you to switch control styles as quickly as you transform, and it’s never something you are able to get the hang of.

    The main game is playable in 3D, but that’s it. None of the menus or cut-scenes are displayed in 3D, which is too bad. The cut-scenes actually have an interesting cell-shaded art style to them. They’re not putting on a display of any story of any real interest, but they look sort of nice.

    I don’t want to play this game with another person or online, so for the sake of having to play this game for review, I was quite relieved to discover there was no multiplayer. The common-sense gamer side of me though was totally confused. Why would a game that was built to be played in an arena with other combatants have no multiplayer? Every level in the game feels like a multiplayer map, but alas, there is no multiplayer of any kind.

    Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Stealth Force Edition should be avoided entirely. It’s the very definition of a game that was rushed to market to coincide with the release of a film. It’s shallow, difficult to play, ugly (except for the cut-scenes) and barely takes advantage of the hardware at it’s most basic level. There is really nothing redeemable about this game. Don’t play it.