PlayStation

Beast Wars: Transformers

Beast Wars Transformers is a decent game, but I must admit that I was disappointed. When you have the kind of characters that are as well established as the Transformers are, you find yourself hoping for a really killer game. In the end, it fell short of my rather high expectations. Beast Wars was pretty tough, and even the easy levels are fairly unforgiving. I like the Transformers and was excited about this game when I got it, but in the end, I found myself getting a bit frustrated with the gameplay. Not being able to save a game in the middle of a level was something that I didn't like, and I found myself starting each mission over and over again. It was extremely frustrating. However, if you are a fan of the show -- and like a game that will challenge you -- you might want to give Beast Wars Transformers a try.

In general, Beast Wars is a tolerable over-the-shoulder shooter. Aside from targeting issues, control is adequate. Design has some interesting elements but isn't long on detail. Of course, one can't help but think that the game would have been better if it were based on the original "cars, trucks, jets, and tape decks" Transformers series instead of all these silly animals. And hey, how long has it been since you've played a shooting game with onscreen points - that's right, points? There's even a high-score page you can check out. Go figure.

Beast Wars was not all I expected it to be. After watching the cartoon, I expected to see the same kind of animation used in the game, but it almost seems as if the game was a knock-off of the real thing. The levels are drawn well, but the robots in beast mode was very disappointing. Combine the average graphics with the slow and unresponsive control and the result is a game not worthy to bear the Transformers name.

In the end, Beast Wars Transformers is a frustrating gaming experience that no one should have to go through. Aren't you glad you've got me to take the lashes for you?