Transformers: Dark of the Moon (video game)

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (marketed as Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Stealth Force Edition for Nintendo products) is a third-person shooter video game which was released on June 14, 2011 in North America. The game is a tie-in and prequel to the film of the same name. Transformers: Dark of the Moon was first revealed on February 12, 2011 along the release of the trailer for the game. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game were developed by High Moon Studios who previously developed Transformers: War for Cybertron while the Wii, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS versions were developed by Behaviour Interactive. The game features a mode known as "Stealth Force" in which characters only partially transform from their vehicle mode. Weapons protrude from the vehicle form and more precise controls are available, such as strafing, airplanes also use this Stealth Force. Electronic Arts also released mobile incarnations of the game for Symbian, iOS and BlackBerry.

Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3
Taking place three years after the events of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, humanity believes the Decepticons have fled Earth. However, Optimus Prime knows better and is constantly searching for Megatron and his forces. Bumblebee is sent to South America to upload a virus into Soundwave's network system so that the Autobots can track down all remaining Decepticons on Earth. Decepticons forces attack the city of Detroit and Ratchet is ordered to help civilians evacuate while Ironhide goes off to wipe out the attackers in the city, slaying Mixmaster along the way.

Sideswipe is captured by Decepticon forces and Mirage is sent to retrieve him. Starscream intercepts Mirage and injures him. Mirage survives and finds his way to Bumblebee and a NEST helicopter to receive repairs. After the two race through the jungle and free Sideswipe, they go deeper into the ruins where Starscream is trying to launch a Decepticon device into space. The Autobots had failed to prevent this from happening and Starscream retreats. Meanwhile, Soundwave lands on Earth and discovers the secret location of a NEST facility. Using a SUV alternation he is unable to get inside. He sends Laserbeak to infiltrate the facility to unlock the front doors. Soundwave destroys the facility, successfully.

Later, Starscream pursues Air Raid and the other Aerialbots who have loaded their new MechTech technology onto an Autobot disguised as a cargo plane, Stratosphere. After the Aerialbots are defeated, Starscream steals the weapons and destroys Stratosphere. He returns to Megatron hoping to please his master but Megatron becomes furious, knowing that the Autobots were sure to have placed a tracking system in the weapons, proceeds to kill Starscream only to be interrupted by Soundwave who informs Megatron that they are under attack. Autobot forces storm Megatron's lair, but Megatron rallies his troops to hold off the Autobots while he escapes into the underground tunnels hoping to free Shockwave from cryostasis. During this time, Megatron takes on the form of a Mack Titan truck. He encounters the Autobot Warpath who tries to stop him, but Megatron disposes of him easily. Megatron disables Shockwave's cryo system reactors, setting him free. Optimus arrives and gains the upper hand in his fight against Megatron due to his energon shielding, but Megatron sends Optimus plummeting into the chamber below and escapes. Optimus attempts to reactive Shockwave's cryo system, but fails. The two duel as Optimus is able to damage Shockwave with the help of Autobot troops and is about to dispose of him as Shockwave's "pet", the Driller saves him. Optimus claims this battle has been won, but knows the war with the Decepticons is far from over.

In South Africa, Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave and Shockwave meet where Megatron tells Shockwave to head to Chernobyl to search for a certain ancient Cybertronian artifact.

Wii and 3DS
Taking place three years after the events in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the Autobots continue to hunt for the Decepticons despite humanity believing that they have fled the planet, defeated. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Mirage head to a desert to test out the new "Stealth Force Mode" upgrade given to them by the Autobot scientist Wheeljack. After finishing up, Optimus tries to contact N.E.S.T. headquarters, but something jams his link to them. Bumblebee is sent to infiltrate a Decepticon base also located in the desert to find out why. He discovers that the Decepticons are using satellite dishes to jam the Autobots communications. After shutting them down, Bumblebee heads inside the base to scout it out, but his link with the Autobots is lost, prompting Optimus to go in after him, blasting down the door to the base after a brief fight.

Wheeljack tasks Optimus to plant an upload virus into three satellites so the Autobots can learn the Decepticon's motives, and ends up trying to protect them from the Decepticons. The upload is a success and Optimus ends up fighting the Decepticons for five minutes until Bumblebee escapes the base and Stratosphere arrives to pick them up. The Autobots had escaped and learned that the Decepticons are plotting an attack on Detroit, Michigan and are involved in a project called "Operation: Pillar" and Megatron is interested in something or someone called "Shockwave". In Detroit, Soundwave and the Constructicon Mixmaster lead a full scale assault on the city, with Ironhide as the only Autobot in the area.

Soundwave deploys Lockdown to attack the Autobots and to infiltrate the base, where Lockdown targets the mainframe terminals to upload a virus created by Mixmaster. Meanwhile, Ironhide protects some satelitte dishes from the Decepticons and learns that Mixmaster is trying to bring the rest of his former teammates back online and to reform Devastator. After destroying the components and killing Mixmaster, he battles Soundwave, who is being aided with aerial support from Starscream. After a brief fight, Soundwave ends up defeated and flees. Optimus calls Ironhide back to headquarters and enters the Autobot base Lockdown entered. Starscream tasks Lockdown with destroying the controls for the main gate and escaping, all while avoiding Optimus. He succeeds and Starscream tells him to retreat, as Megatron has new orders for him to carry out.

The Autobots track the Decepticons to an abandoned base in Siberia, where Wheeljack informs Optimus and his team that Megatron is trying to reactivate his primary objective: Shockwave, who is revealed to be a deadly Cybertronian assassin. Optimus deploys Mirage to take out the Decepticon's communications and Ironhide to take out the shield that is protecting the base's entrance. Upon learning of the Autobot's presence, Megatron deploys Soundwave to hold off the Autobots while Megatron reactivates Shockwave. Soundwave ends up battling Mirage, who is being aided with aerial support from Stratosphere. Mirage ends up defeated and flees proclaiming, "You got lucky! It won't happen again!".

Megatron destroys the coils inside the base to speed up Shockwave's reanimation, which he succeeds in doing. Upon awakening, Shockwave tells Megatron that his energon levels are depleted, prompting Megatron to hold off the Autobots while Soundwave takes Shockwave to a safe location. After defeating multiple Autobots, Megatron learns that Shockwave's minion, a massive Cybertronian, multi-headed, metallic, worm-like creature called "the Driller" has been awakened. Megatron tells Starscream to take the Decepticons and leave Siberia and decides to use the Driller to destroy Optimus.

Ironhide confronts Megatron as he is fleeing the base, having defeated Optimus. Against Wheeljack's warnings, Ironhide battles Megatron and defeats him, who admires him for having "a warrior's spirit", and vows that when they meet again, he will crush it to dust. Wheeljack advises Ironhide to retreat and that they'll get Megatron next time, which Ironhide swears to accomplish.

In South Africa, Megatron tells Shockwave to head for Chernobyl to retrieve an ancient Cybertronian artifact, and proclaims that Optimus believes that he struck a fatal blow to his plans, but "nothing could be further for the truth". He vows that "Operation: Pillar" cannot be stopped, that Earth and its resources will be his, and that Cybertron will be born anew.

Characters
Character can be unlocked by pre-ordering the game from Amazon.com

Character can be unlocked by pre-ordering the game GameStop

Character can be unlocked as a skin for the 3DS if the game is bought at Toys 'R Us

Character can be unlocked as a deco in-game character for the Wii and/or DS if the game is bought at Target.

Audio
Tom Keegan voice directed the game.

Peter Cullen and Jess Harnell reprise their roles as Optimus Prime and Ironhide from the films. Jamie Alcroft replaces George Coe as the voice of Wheeljack. Dave Boat voices the Decepticon Construsticon, Mixmaster. Steven Blum who voiced Starscream in the television series Transformers: Prime reprises his role as Starscream. Multiplayer exclusive characters Warpath, Breakaway, Air Raid are voiced by Dave Fennoy, Christian Lanz and Rick D. Wasserman. Nolan North portrays Major Reynolds. Isaac C. Singleton, Jr. voices Decepticons Soundwave and Shockwave. Hugo Weaving didn't reprise his role as Megatron, Neither did Frank Welker. Fred Tatasciore instead voices Megatron, Ratchet, Sideswipe and Bumblebee. Travis Willingham voices non-player boss Stratosphere. Dave Wittenberg replaces Francesco Quinn as the voice of the Autobot Spy Mirage.

The original music score for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game was composed by Jeff Broadbent. The game soundtrack released on iTunes and Amazon November 8, 2011.

Reception
The title has received generally mixed reviews, with a score of 60, 62 and 36 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and Wii versions on Metacritic. GameZone gave the 360 and PS3 version a 7, stating "Transformers: Dark of the Moon is a perfectly fine, if short, adaptation of the Transformers film. The characters are likable, and the different vehicle types work beautifully." IGN gave the Xbox 360 and PS3 version a 6.0 of 10. Praising the ideas but criticizing the game as a whole. GameSpot gave 5.5 of 10. They praised the transformation abilities but criticized the bad graphics, strange vehicle physics and brief campaign.

Joystiq gave the title a bad rating of 2 out of 5 stars. Criticizing the game because it feels half-finished. Destructoid gave the title a 5.5 out of 10 rating. Stating that the title is better than most movie video games but feels like a rushed movie tie-in. The Official Xbox Magazine awarded the title a 6.5 out of 10 rating. Praising the controls, stealth force mode but criticized the last levels of the game and the multiplayer component. GamePro gave the title a 3.5 out of 5 star rating. They praised the good graphics, voice acting and variety of transformers for each mission but criticized the story, vehicle physics, multiplayer mode and the repetitive combat. GameTrailers gave the title a 7 out of 10 rating. Stating that "Dark of the Moon provides plenty of popcorn thrills that you'll likely forget as soon as the credits begin rolling. Judged against other movie games, it's actually pretty good; next to last year's superior entry, however, it looks a bit like a tin can." GameInformer gave the title a 7.5 out of 10 rating. Stating that anybody who played last year's Transformers: War for Cybertron should enjoy this title. Eurogamer gave the title a low rating of 5 out of 10. Stating that the title doesn't have enough polish as Transformers: War for Cybertron had received and High Moon Studios should've been given more time.