New Transformers Game Announced (aka Activision what have you done?!!)

[Silver Shocker]

So I happened to see online that  a new Transformers game had been announced this weekend at Toy Fair (it was leaked on Amazon UK earlier though).  It's called "Rise of the Dark Spark" (Which sounds kinda lame to me, and reminds me of Dark of the Moon), and it looks to be a followup to Fall of Cybertron, on PS3, PS, X-Box 360, X-Box One, WiiU and 3DS. It's NOT being developed by High Moon, but instead, Edge of Reality, a company that makes console ports (such as Spider-Man on Nintendo 64, Mass Effect on PS3 and ME 3 on WiiU and Dragon Age Origins on consoles). The 3DS version is going to be a "tactical RPG" developed by Wayforward (who specialize in gloriously retro action games).

Based on the trailer, it's going to be a half-and-half game with a War for Cybertron campaign set on Cybertron and a Bayformers-looking campaign set on Earth.  One of the campaigns will allow you to play as the Decepticons.

My thoughts:

When I read who was developing the game, my immediate thought was "Darn you Activision! You've farmed out another franchise!" I suspect this might have something to do with High Moon's Deadpool game (which personally, I thoroughly enjoyed) not going over well. That it's on the new consoles and the old ones has my wondering which to buy, I'll need more information on that.

But that trailer. SWEET CHRISTMAS, that trailer. When I saw those Bayformers designs, I literally said out loud "oh *%^& no.". Between that and the War for Cybertron characters using their old designs, this game looks for the heavens like it was done on the cheap. The presence of Bayformers Grimlock at the end hits home that this is a cash-in game for the new movie. Activision has effectively screwed over their War for Cybertron fans by trying to get them to buy a Bayformers tie-in game. I loved Fall of Cybertron, but I'm not sure about this one. I'll have to wait in see. I'm guessing I'd get on the cheap if it doesn't turn out to suck.

[Edit]: Further details on the two settings:

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark' will run alongside the new film, Age of Extinction, the representative said, and will be "marrying two different universes, the Tranformers Cybertron universe and the Michael Bay Transformers universe," and players will get to experience characters from both environments.

While playing through the single player campaign, you will be able to play as both the Autobots and Decepticons. One character you'll get to play as in the merged worlds is the new Grimlock from the upcoming film.

Extinction mode, the multiplayer portion of Transformers' games, is back for 'Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark': It is now horde-based combat with over 40 playable characters. Additionally, multiplayer and single player will link up, where progression will follow you from one game mode to another, meaning the rank ups and power ups you gain in multiplayer can travel with you to single player, and vice versa.

So I've been trying to find out if actually takes place in the Bayformers universe, or if it's still Cybertron, but the characters are on Earth now and look like Bayformers. Now it sounds like it's literally Sonic Generations or Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions but with Transformers. I don't know what to think at this point.

[BentonGrey]

I'm at a loss.  I love these Transformers games.  They're the games I have waited for since I was a boy, and they have been fantastic, though flawed in a few ways.  Now, they are FINALLY bringing the 'bots to Earth...and it's only to taint them with the terrible, terrible touch of those movies?  Holy hannah, this just ties me up in knots!  I am disgusted, and I'm also a bit angry.  I would love a new Transformers game.  I'd love to see that story come to Earth.  I would LOVE to see this team pick up the story and adapt the old cartoon...but no, not this.  And, if we get this, if it mars the continuity as it is established, we might not get the game that we should on the next outing.  Egghh...I'm just disgusted.  I'd like to tell these folks what they can do with their movie tie-in and their "Bayformers."

[XStream]

Loved, LOVED War for Cybertron; and although I have not been able to invest in buying/playing Fall of Cybertron I couldn't help myself (I am a spoiler addict) and truly enjoyed the story.

I can't believe they have made this decision... I so wanted to find out the Cybertron stories were continuing (undoubtedly the melding of Bayformer universe will kill it).

[SickAlice]

Of course they're going to incorporate the Bay Transformers. I only ever got to play the first game based on the first movie, and loved it. I want to try to get on board of this one.

[BentonGrey]

SA, if you haven't, you should definitely try out the Cybertron games.  They are to the movie games what Freedom Force is to Hero X, or what Star Wars: A New Hope is to Phantom Menace.  I liked the first movie game a lot too.  After all, it was an actual Transformers game, something I'd always wanted, but Cybertron is THE Transformers game fans have always wanted.

[SickAlice]

Like War Of Cybertron right? I saw the previews and was really excited but other things ended up occupying me at the time. I'll take it that advice and look into it. I really don't have a game I'm " into " right now and could use one to make the days pass.

[Tomato]

So... theoretically, if someone here wasn't a transformers fan, but wanted to try and use these games as an introduction to the franchise (having only experienced Bayformers) would he be able to do that, or would he need to do a ton of homework beforehand?

[Silver Shocker]

I don't think you need to do research to enjoy the first two Cybertron games. While there are quite a few references to the old cartoons and animated movie that fans of the franchise will appreciate, the game's stories stand on their own pretty well. What you need to know about the characters tends to be present in the game.

[deano_ue]

so the two great games are gonna be forced to merge with the Micheal bay crapfest.....ohhh joy

[XStream]

Silver Shocker is right, Tomato. The first two Cybertron games are awesome and a good intro to the TF franchise. War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron are part of Hasbro's new aligned continuity. TF is kind of like Zelda. There are many different versions and they are not all connected... well except for this one storyline in one series that attempted to connect them all by creating singular characters that exist in all realities... but it got very Infinite Earth like and thankfully Hasbro said, "enough is enough."

WfC (video game),Exodus (novel), Exiles (novel), FoC (game), and Transformers Prim (CGI cartoon) represent the new Official timeline and storyline. There is some conflict between the works, but it is a good storyline overall. You do not need to read any of the novels or watch one episode of Prime to enjoy the games, and the games really do not add anything to the other media... I hope you give them a shot, they are very fun.

[XStream]

Oh, and I also enjoyed the first Bayformer game. It is one of the best movie games I have ever played (after Spider-man).

[Silver Shocker]

It's out now. By most accounts, it sucks.

Sigh.

[gengoro]

Its just mind boggling that they dont have more games based on this franchise about TRANSFORMING FRIGGIN ROBOTS! Japan pumps out a boatload of Gundam games while we had to wait forever to get a decent transformer series, only for it to go down the drain now.

So has this series officially become movie games or is there hope for something else?

[Silver Shocker]

I don't know. They've told us nothing, just like they told us very little about the game and showed even less (I literally did not know what the titular "Dark Spark" was, looked like or its role in the game until the LAUNCH TRAILER).  there was just very short trailers that showed new characters from Age of Extinction, characters we'd already seen in the previous games (and I've looked it up: there are NO new characters in the War for Cybertron levels) and that the gameplay was a carbon copy of FOC.

High Moon Studios, the guys who made the first two games (and between the two, they made the Dark of the Moon game, which was based on the same engine as War for Cybertron) is currently working on Call of Duty games for Activision, so this franchise is either dead or in very bad shape.

I do remember, like Benton, speculating on and imagining a third game where they go to Earth back when I finished FOC, and the idea that that game and storyline ISN'T going to happen is pretty disappointing.