Licensed games have a bad enough reputation, but when they also happen to be movie tie-ins for potential summer blockbusters? Well, that type of game usually falls somewhere between dysentery and an autographed photo of Bob Saget on The List of Things Gamers Would Most Like to Acquire. That is to say, expectations generally aren’t too high. Fortunately, Transformers: The Game is being developed by Traveller’s Tales, the very same folks behind the well-received Lego Star Wars titles.

In choosing a campaign, the game gives you the option of being either Autobot or Decepticon. Once you’ve started, you’ll instantly notice the free-roaming environments that allow you to cruise from one goal to the next at your leisure. That probably sounds like roughly 72% of all games released since GTA III, but don’t make the mistake of calling this a sandbox game. It’s looking to be a much more linear, mission-oriented affair.

The game does offer its fair share of mayhem, though. In fact, as you may have heard, the environments are fully destructible. Pick up a truck and throw it at a building, and you’ll not only have left a metaphorical dent in the driver’s insurance premiums, but also a very real one in that building. It will be interesting to see how they balance the campaigns, because at this early stage the game seems much more fun when played as a Decepticon smashing everything in sight. With destructible environments still such a novel experience, why would you not want to take advantage of that opportunity?