Summary
Transformersis a landmark property across multiple media formats, including films, animated series, and comic books. One thingTransformersfans have been somewhat lacking, however, is the chance to live out some of those iconic moments in video game format.
Transformersgames that received bothcritical and fan acclaim are in short supply. Many fans still fondly boot upTransformers: Fall of Cybertrondespite the game being more than a decade old. For those looking to further scratch that itch and who aren’t afraid to dig a little into the annals of gaming history, consider these underratedTransformersgames that are worth tracking down.
7Transformers: Tactical Arena
Transformers: Tactical Arenais a mobile game that borrows more than a little from the popular downloadClash Royaleand the many clones that have followed it. It adds aTransformersskin with’legendary' Autobotand Decepticon heroes from across the series capable of being deployed in battle.
Compared to similar offerings on the app store, it’s a very good entry into the subgenre with a couple ofTransformers-inspired twists; great for killing some time, but it is basically as advertised: loot, cooldowns, et al.
6Transformers: EarthSpark Expedition
Light RPG Action Adventure
Based on theNickelodeonanimated seriesTransformers: EarthSpark, it’s no surprise that the game is primarily aimed at a younger audience. That comes with some of the lack of polish that fans might expect from such releases, butTransformers: EarthSpark Expeditionstill satisfies as a relatively short and light action-adventure title.
Players guide Bumblebeeon a quest to save the world from Mandroid with a combination of melee-based combat and racing. The game boasts a decent pool of recognizable enemy types and some light RPG/Metroidvania elements, that allow players to upgrade Bumblebee with new combat and traversal abilities.
5Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen
Explosive Third-Person Combat
Another licensed tie-in, this time to thefirst Michael Bay movie sequelof the same name.Transformers: Revenge of the Fallenslightly improves on its predecessor, although it still falls short in a narrative sense for long-term fans looking for something to sink their teeth into, with little more than exposition-laden screenshots that explain the film’s plot.
It’s dumb fun, with a heavy focus on energetic third-person shooter-based combat, then rinse and repeat. The game features several playable characters on both the Autobot and Decepticon sides; for anyone looking to blow a lot of stuff up in the shoes of their favorite characters, it’s worth checking out.
4Transformers Animated: The Game
Side Scrolling Puzzle Platforming
Transformers Animatedis one of the most kid-friendly properties in the Transformers canon and takes some liberties with the traditional format and representations ofpopular characters like Optimus Prime. That sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it was surprisingly well-received and has endured a bit of a cult status among fans in the years that followed.
Transformers Animated: The Gameis the official tie-in and delivers a fairly in-depth puzzle platforming experience. Players take control ofthree characters simultaneouslyand must switch between them, utilizing each one’s special abilities to navigate the levels.
3Transformers: Battlegrounds
XCOM In Disguise
Transformers: Battlegroundsis a tactical grid-based combat game very much in the vein of popular series like XCOM. It doesn’t add much to that blueprint and strips back some of the more tactical and chance-based elements to offer a fairly simplistic take on the genre.
It’s lacking a little in terms of challenge but still offers a robust system with meaningful decisions, especially when it comes to boss encounters. For dual fans of Transformers and turn-based strategy games, it’s certainly not one to be missed.
2Transformers: Earth Wars
All About The Base
Transformershas touched on just about every genre in video gaming andTransformers: Earth Warsoffers another mobile staple genre, base building. Like some of the other games on this list,Transformers: Earth Warsdoesn’t do a ton to differentiate itself from competitors in the genre, but it does offer a solid gameplay experience.
The game has built up a dedicated fan base and Space Ape Games have done a great job of supporting it with a wealth of updates and new content to keep that player base engaged. It features a full story-driven campaign written by comic royalty, Simon Furman, alongside an addictive gameplay loop that’s sure to keep new players invested for tens of hours at a minimum.
1Transformers: Forged To Fight
Transformers Brawl
Like any great combatant,Transformers: Forged to Fightproved too good to stay down, with support for the original game initially ending in 2023, only to be revived by Netflix as a part of their push into mobile gaming that same year.
It’s a 2D fighting game that most closely resembles theCapcom vs. Marvelfighting series. Playerscollect their favorite Transformersacross all iterations and timelines from the original animated series right through to the current cinematic universe and duke them out. It’s one of the best translations of fighting games to the mobile format with a simple-to-learn but tricky-to-master control scheme.
