I got the Wii version and from what I've read of other formats it's very streamlined.
No character selection available: each stage you start as a predetermined character (i.e the first Autobot stage you are Sideswipe, Megatron in the first Decepticon one) but even worse you can't transform! The game will transform you for the driving/flying stages but that's it. The Transformers movie game had many faults but at least in that one you could transform whenever you wanted.
To me there's nothing uniquely "Transformers" about the game. It could be about any alien race in a civil war.
Having said all that I do like the game and more importantly so do my kids. I just wish the Wii version could have had more to it.