PS2 TF Game: Retrospective

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 11:45 pm

I tried to find a topic on this to resurrect, but there was none, so here's a new one.
I came across my copy of 'Prelude to Energon' (or whatever it ended up as) after not playing it for ages. I'd struggled through it to the end on purchase, but now had the cheats for it so I decided to have another go where I could just run around as a transforming robot and kill stuff.
I don't know if it was because of the cheats, but I enjoyed the game about ten times more than I did when I first got it.
So I ask this: Now we've had the game for a while and the newness has worn off, what do we really think of it? What was great? What was not so brilliant? What did the gamesmakers totally screw up on or miss out?
Personally, I HATED the concept of 'Decepticlones', and the fact I couldn't 'BE' Starscream and fly around shooting Megatron in the back.
The Unicron thing at the end was in a completely different style to the rest of the game and was too frustrating (I reckon). What was the point of all the running about collecting Minicons if you didn't need them for the final boss? Also, the last episodes of the Armada TV show were on Cybertron - I wanted to blast around on Cybertron dammit!
The extras were brilliant though - giving the game that 'DVD special features' buzz. And I could drive around as Optimus Prime (even if he did jump like a brick at the worst possible moment). The controls still bite, and I still hate Red Alert (Robocop wannabe).
And yet, it's still great fun - especially when you have cheats and don't have to worry about dying.

So, what are your memories of the game? Was it worth it? And why the hell wasn't it the G1 one the Japanese got?

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 12:12 am

The G1 Japanese game was apparently ****.

Loved the Armada game. Lush graphics, great playability, good voice over work.

But I gave up not long after I got to Megs' island. Not because I didn't enjoy it (though it did get repetitive) but I have a habit of getting bored of my games and then moving onto the next one. I'll come back to it someday.

Optimus Prime Rib · Post by **Optimus Prime Rib** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 1:49 am

Loved it. Aced it.

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 4:47 am

Worth the price of admission.

About the G1 Japanese game: If you've got the patience to sit through the terrible gameplay, there's a fairly interesting (brand new) G1 storyline there. Complete with english dubbing and decent CGI.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 4:21 pm

Yeah, loved it. Played it through on all difficulty levels. It's still fun to just go around blasting things on super hard mode.

One thing though: Here's the minicons I use:
The heaviest cluster rockets
The best charge beam(or is that second best based on overload? I don't remember)
Energy Shield
Armor/Wings.

Almost every situation, these worked better than virtually anything else when I got them (aside from the bunkers on the last level on super hard, where you need to have ballistic shields instead of energy). I didn't think I was forced to vary my minicon use, and I found myself collecting minicons for the sake of completion, not because I used them.

On the same subject, in order to have that combo, I had to stick with Optimus, since he's got more room. Which is fine with me, since I'm a G1 guy, but still: There was no real place where it forced you to use the camo, or the tornado gun, or the thing that causes people to go bezerk, or where you really needed to race around in car mode, or where Red Alert or Hot Shot were totally preferrable to Optimus (except maybe the Cyclonus fight).

Also, I thought the extras were lame. Pictures of instruction booklets? The crappy in toy comics? Only a FEW PSAs? LAME!!

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 6:44 pm

C'mon, the extras weren't THAT bad - better than nothing at all anyway. Yeah, the comics and insruction booklets were a bit pointless 'cos we'd all got them, but the prototypes were mildly diverting and the 3D art was nice. Those TF songs were a bit 'meh', but the 'Theme 2' was a fairly good rework of the old tune.

As for the game, I totally HATED the later levels - I'm just not a good gamer and must have played those levels a hundred times until I scraped through to the next one by luck. It was fun whizzing around Tidalwave though.
I never had much strategy with the minicons (probably why I sucked at the game most of the time). If only I'd had some cheats when I first got the game (I won it from 'PS2 Magazine': Hurrah!!! - then I had to buy a PS2 console: Boooo!!! Why do all the TF games come out on consoles I don't own? - I had to buy PS1 to play Beast Wars. There's another forum topic right there).

I'd have still liked to have played the Japanese G1 game - I love G1 most of all!

So, what should the PS2 gamesmakers have put into the 'PTE' game? I'd have liked to have ran around inside Unicron a'la Tidalwave. And we should have had more areas that demanded using your vehicle mode - but not time trials: I HATE those.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 7:25 pm

I can't think of anything that stands out. I mean, there's things that I WANT in a TF video game, like aerial and non car alt modes, battles involving multiple characters with names, and integrated chases a la GTA style.
But those ideas really wouldn't have fit with what they were doing here, which was basically an action game with a "lone" hero.
As far as Decepticlones, yeah, it is a cop out, but what else are they going to do? You have to have droves of things to kill, you know? Kind of proceeded the Ravages of Energon, you know?

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 7:31 pm

Okay, the concept of the Decepticlones was unavoidable, but they could have at least made them LOOK like they came from Cybertron. They were either bricks or some waspishly thin 'bot that could have been a guy in a suit. It would have certainly been nice if they transformed a bit more too.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 5:12 am

Yea, they definetly could have been more Transformer like instead of basically just robots.
I remember thinking while playing it that it was kind of like a 3rd person view Halo, with the detailed enviroments, and the shield guys/flying guys with pretty decent AIs.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 7:10 pm

I hated those spider-things. They were more Star Wars than Cybertronian Wars.
And I'd have liked at least ONE level set in a city - "Protect the humans!"
Also, Unicron (yawn) should have transformed to make the end level more interesting.
Given the current trend in recolours, I'd have thought that they could have had Nemesis Prime as a bonus character. Or just any hidden character. Or some TF in-references.
I don't know - the more I think of it, the more the game disappoints me with its lack of TF-related effort. Like you said, it's kinda Halo with 'bots.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 9:20 pm

Nonetheless, for a child of the 80s like me, I was peeing my pants just seeing Optimus Prime fly around and fight Unicron, even if he WAS some Armada looking, minicon covered thing. It was a total bonus, because I would have said the game was awesome entirely without that level.

The first time I played that part, it reminded me a lot of another part in a video game that blew me away: the first time I played Super Star Wars on the SNES where at the end, you're flying around the Death Star in an X wing blowing up stuff. That was awesome!

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 9:27 pm

'Being' Prime was indeed the best thing ever. I remember the joy at playing the TF game on the old ZX Spectrum (I'm SO old) - pity the game was *****.
the Unicron thing was cool, but it just wasn't what I expected for a last level. I always considered the Megatron level as the last proper one 'cos Megs was the real bad guy all through the game.

I think it's only just us two on this topic (thanks for you support).
Surely there were other people who bought the game - perhaps someone who really HATED the whole thing from start to finish, from concept to completion. Stop browsing and post dammit!

Hound · Post by **Hound** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 10:05 pm

I loved the game, still do.

My only compaint is that I would like to have been able to choose from more than 3 players, it would be awesome to be Hoist with his super-arm. A Jetfire level would have given some variety..

Are there plans for a sequel?I would love tosee a similar game based on Galaxy force

jboyler · Post by **jboyler** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 10:47 pm

I really loved the game. I played it over and over, backwards and forwards, inside and out, counterleftwise and any way I might have missed. I thought the graphics were stunningly beautiful, the action was fun (if the hit points were a bit high) and I loved customizing my character with minicons. The rendered cutscenes were innovative and exciting, the artwork and figure galleries were great, and the music was pretty neat, too. Unicron was just the icing on the cake.

I have only two complaints. First, while the game was excellent, it lacked the expansiveness and depth of story to put it over the top and make it a really A+ game. (Re: Jak 2 or 3)

Second, the vehicle modes were underused and it had no need for "robots in disguise." It needed a GTA - style city to cruise around in in vehicle mode. It would be so much fun to blend in with traffic, and then watch the humans scream and run when you transform and start fighting.

BB Shockwave · Post by **BB Shockwave** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 6:34 pm

Professor Smooth wrote:Worth the price of admission.

About the G1 Japanese game: If you've got the patience to sit through the terrible gameplay, there's a fairly interesting (brand new) G1 storyline there. Complete with english dubbing and decent CGI.

Speaking of which, I have the game (a demo version of it anyway) but so far no PS2 emulator I tried could play it and I refuse to buy one just for one game,

Any ideas, Prof?

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 7:41 pm

What did you all think of the FMV cutscenes? Jboyler has the same opinion as me. If only the current crop of TV shows had been done like this - it was like BM/BW but a bit dirtier. I'd have certainly not complained as much if Armada and Energon had been done with those graphics. Why is it that the people who aren't making the TV show are doing a better job of it than those (supposed professionals) who are? The FMV was even peppered with lines from the TF movie for fans who recognised them - Megatron's "I would've waited for and eternity. It's over, Prime." or Unicron's "You cannot destroy my destiny." Were there others? I'm sure there were, but I haven't seen the FMV for ages - I just had a quick bash on the actual game.

So, we wanted:
A better game story
A city level (perhaps with 'disguise' elements) that includes driving.
A Cybertron level (on the actual planet - not just above it)
More playable character choices (including the chance to be a Decepticon)
Flying levels (Jetfire and the Aerialbots (if G1 or Energon) Vs the Seekers)
Humans - not as main story characters, but to protect (as an Autobot) or squish (as a Decepticon).
Multiplayer - transforming into a car to try and escape some seekers. Yay!
Perhaps team play - Optimus or Megatron in command of a load of AI controlled troops. Megatron: "Retreat! RETREAT!!!" Prime: "Autobots, transform and roll out!"
More imaginative extras

Anything else to add to that list?

Don't know about a sequel. How did this one sell? A GF-themed one would be cool (but without those bloody humans!). Perhaps someone connected with the game will read this and take the suggestions onboard for next time.
Hey! There's BOUND to be a tie-in game for the new movie!!! G1!!!!

Darth Aux · Post by **Darth Aux** » Thu Mar 31, 2005 10:39 pm

AAAAAAHG Play Station!

lol

Would've been nice to see it come to xbox.

Autobloke · Post by **Autobloke** » Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:55 pm

I'd just be happy that, when a new TF game came out, it was on a console I already owned. I'm mostly a Nintendo fan, so I had to shell out for a PSone for Beast Wars and a PS2 for PTE. I wouldn't mind, but I don't really like the other games that came/come out on either of Sony's consoles, so they don't get much other use.