The design inspiration for Transformers came from one of part Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, one part of Grand Theft Auto, and one part of Transformers remake, throw it in a pot and let it simmer on high for 20-25 minutes. Players can kick off the game by selecting either Autobot or Decepticon affiliation, and from there work through missions that run somewhat parallel to the main movie.
Once you select your allegiance you're dropped right into the action. The game is laid out in the oh-so-familiar sandbox atmosphere of titles like GTA, Crackdown, or True Crime, where you've got a top-view map with destination blips, red dots for enemies, and green areas for objective sections. Along with the familiar map system is a integrated "good/evil" meter that works along the lines of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
Nearly everything in Transformers can be smashed, picked up, and used as a weapon. Trees were torn from their roots, light posts were used to knock Decepticon cronies (that looked a bit like the 80's Shockwave, by the way) into buses, and buildings would crack and crumble as Bumblebee scaled them to reach a higher vantage point. If you want to knock a Decepticon on his ass and use him as a projectile, it's all fair game. Likewise, if the local police are getting in your way you can lift them sky-high, scout out a target, and give them a little airborne encouragement to fight the real enemy. It should be noted though, that players can't actually fight physical humans, so rather than having hundreds of puny earthlings nipping at your heels you'll be getting a lot of squad cars, tanks, and helicopters instead. We would have loved to stomp over buildings, ending thousands of lives just to take a short-cut, but it just wasn't in the cards.