Best Transformers Games Every Fan Needs To Play

Transformers games have been hit or miss, but titles like Fall of Cybertron and Devastation are worth checking out for fans of the Robots in Disguise.

There have been several great Transformers video games worthy of trying out at least once, including Fall of Cybertron and Devastation. Hasbro’s long-running action figure franchise is one of the most beloved sci-fi properties of all time, featuring a memorable assortment of alien robot warriors who can transform into vehicles, animals, or other everyday items as they battle each other for the fate of the universe. The story of these robots has been told and retold in Transformers cartoons, comics, movies, a crossover with Magic The Gathering, and multiple video games of various quality over the past four decades.

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Just last month, Outcasters and Gears Tactics developer Splash Damage announced a brand-new Transformers game during The Game Awards 2022 titled Transformers: Reactivate. Not much is yet known about this co-op action title, but the Transformers: Reactivate Game Awards trailer featured a group of humans reviving an Autobot warrior to help them free Earth from a new enemy called The Legion. A subsequent press release revealed that Reactivate will allow players to control some of the Transformers franchise’s most beloved characters and seamlessly between robot and vehicle modes. There is currently no release date set for Transformers: Reactivate, but a closed beta test is planned for sometime later this year.

Related: Transformers: Reactivate – Everything We Know About Its Story

Transformers Has Spawned Several Great Video Games

As mentioned before, Transformers: Reactivate will be the latest in a long series of video games starring the fabled Robots in Disguise. Many of them are based on the original 1984 Transformers cartoon, while others have drawn inspiration from later Transformers continuities like Beast Wars or the Transformers: Armada anime of the early 2000s. In general, Transformers games have been hit or miss, with most winding up forgotten in a sea of mediocre licensed titles. However, there are some, like High Moon’s excellent Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, that stand out as solid games. Older copies of these Transformers titles can still be played on some current consoles thanks to backward compatibility.

The Transformers: Cybertron Games Offer An Action-Packed Origin Story

After a series of so-so adaptations of the Michael Bay-directed Transformers films, lesser-known developer High Moon Studios surprised fans with the release of a new Transformers game in the summer of 2010. Titled Transformers: War for Cybertron, this third-person shooter allows players to take control of their favorite Autobots and Decepticons through separate campaigns and cinematic Transformers cutscenes that tell the origins of their legendary conflict on Cybertron. Bolstering the solid shooting mechanics is the ability to shift between vehicle and robot mode at any time, giving players plenty of options in taking down waves of Dark Energon-infused enemies with various customizable weapons.

An all-star voice cast rounds out War for Cybertron’s excellent presentation, with Peter Cullen once again lending his iconic voice to Optimus Prime and gaming mainstays like Fred Tatasciore, Johnny Young Bosh, and The Last of Us voice actor Troy Baker bringing classic characters like Megatron, Bumblebee, and Starscream to life for a crowd of fans that had started to grow weary of mediocre Transformers movie tie-ins.

Related: Transformers: Fall Of Cybertron Had One Of The Coolest Dinobot Moments

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron takes everything that made the two Transformers Cybertron games a surprise hit and builds upon it tenfold with increased action and plenty of Easter eggs for Transformers fans young and old. The plot details the last days of Cybertron as the Autobots prepare to leave their now-corrupted home. Meanwhile, the Deceptions plot to eliminate their enemies once and for all, leading to a climactic final battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron.

The gameplay from War for Cybertron is enhanced with new special abilities and designated vehicle segments. Additionally, players can take control of the Dinobots and even a five-robot Combiner named Bruticus in levels that are an absolute blast to play. Sadly, the poor reception of 2014’s Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark – which was developed by a different studio – spelled the end of High Moon’s series before it could get a proper conclusion.

Transformers: Devastation Is A Love Letter To The G1 Cartoon

Bayonetta 3 developer Platinum Games released Transformers: Devastation in the fall of 2015. Like Platinum’s The Legend of Korra tie-in from the year before and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan the year after, Devastation is a third-person hack-and-slash title that sees players battle waves of enemies as Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Wheeljack, and Grimlock in both their robot and vehicle forms. There are special moves that can be performed after gathering enough energy, and successfully dodging attacks temporarily slows down time so the player can retaliate.

Transformers: Devastation’s simple, fast-paced gameplay isn’t that far removed from Platinum Games’ usual offerings, and is a video game best enjoyed in short bursts. However, where the game lacks in depth, it makes up for in a great cel-shaded visual style and plenty of affection for the old Transformers cartoon. The plot wsa written by former IDW Transformers comic writer Andy Schmidt, parts of the soundtrack are provided by The Transformers: The Movie composer Vince DiCola, and several of the voice actors from the original cartoon reprise their roles. Overall, Transformers: Devastation is a lightning-paced action title that is worth checking out over a weekend for Transformers fans.

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