Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

The sequel to 2010's Transformers: War for Cybertron, this game shows the the tailend of the War before it left for Earth. Technically the Decepticons have won the war, but since the planet is slowly dying it becomes a race to gather what survivors they can and get off the planet. Because of this it is set to be Darker and Edgier than any other Transformers game.

High Moon Studios has revamped the gameplay system extensively from its predecessor, changing quite a lot of the fundamentals to the point it is more of a natural successor rather than a true sequel. The gameplay is going to be more varied as the abilities of certain characters will factor into the missions and different characters will have different playstyles, e.g. Jazz makes use of a grappling hook to reach higher vantage points to avoid snipers and Grimlock will only be able to transform into his T-Rex form once he smashes enough enemies and gets angry enough.

As tradition for Transformer games, there is opportunities to play both factions. But instead of having separate Autobot and Decepticon campaigns (splitting the game down the middle as WFC did), it intermingles the playthrough to create one complete story told from different perspectives.

The full trailer is here.


 * After the End: Following the events of the first game, Cybertron is in the process of shutting down and energon is in desperately short supply. Thick layers of ash cover much of the land, and many of the Tron Lines that were so prevalent before have gone dark.
 * Arm Cannon: As a nod to Transformers Prime, Optimus shifts his hand into a gun similar in appearence to what he uses in the series, only MUCH larger
 * Art Evolution: The characters have changed appearance since War for Cybertron and seem to be more of a hybridization between the WFC designs and Transformers Prime. Optimus in particular looks a little more lanky with larger shoulder pieces and Megatron is a little bigger and bulkier, and his armour also has spikes. Also of note, Cliffjumper shares a body with Bumblebee, like his toy and appearance in the DS version of WFC, but his head design has changed from the G1-esque look he had prior to a look far more similar to his Prime appearance. Considering that the games and Prime take place in the same Continuity Family, it's likely an intentional change.
 * Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: Bruticus, from the current trailers is much bigger than he should be, meaning, as Matt Tieger put it, enemies that are your size before are just a minor hindrance.
 * On the Autobots' side we have Metroplex, a transforming city. Optimus Prime's special ability is to call down attacks from Metroplex, who can often be seen walking around in the background of stages.
 * BFG: Most guns will be this.
 * BFS: Grimlock's main weapon, which is certainly big compared to him, when one notices that how big he is, it's longer than some characters are tall.
 * Berserker: Grimlock has so far been stated to be very angry with a lot of things, and his ability to use his T-Rex mode is, plotwise, triggered by him getting REALLY angry.
 * Big Creepy-Crawlies: The Insecticons will also appear.
 * Bullying a Dragon: Some info on the level where Grimlock is introduced says that Starscream will go up and throw some insults at him while he's still restrained, and he ends up getting too close, allowing Grimlock to grab him and throw him at a control panel, busting it up and freeing him.
 * Character Customization: Improved over the previous game and the DOTM tie-in. While previously online characters would be just identical to other characters save for changable weapons, abilities, and colour schemes, this time around the developers have confirmed various character pieces available to change and customize. However, this exact same thing was promised for the Revenge of the Fallen DS game, but instead only had three builds and alternate weapon choices, so it may be too early to tell completely.
 * Continuity Nod: The Nemesis is almost completely identical to its appearance in Transformers Prime.
 * Darker and Edgier
 * Everything's Better with Dinosaurs: The Dinobots. Why the Cybertronians know of dinosaurs is actually explained; Shockwave has been observing the fauna of far off planets.
 * Foreshadowing: Promotional materials have focused quite strongly on Bumblebee's heavy injuries. Specifically, a big gaping hole in his chest. It seems likely that the game will be showing how this universe's Bumblebee.
 * Grievous Harm with a Body: At the moment, Grimlock's only projectile will be grabbing enemies and throwing them.
 * Hammerspace: Grimlock's transformation into a T-Rex borrows from his G1 transformation, arms turn into the T-rex's legs, his legs in robot mode form the tail, but has some bits of this with unfolding parts with his tail and the head and T-rex body partially as Rule of Cool, but mostly because the designers wanted to make sure they have a design that doesn't leave anything that block the player's view in robot mode (they noted that if they copied the G1 design too much, all the player would see of Grimlock while controlling him is his back).
 * How We Got Here: The game opens with the Autobots launching the Ark and beginning their exodus, followed immediately by the Decepticons sending a force to board and destroy the ship. Most of the game is a flashback that starts when Megatron joins the invading force and critically injures Bumblebee, leaving him on the verge of death.
 * Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Grimlock is seen with a huge one.
 * Mythology Gag: A tradition for Transformers, but even the trailer already has some, with transformation sound effects from the live-actions films, and Optimus Prime turning his hand into a gun very reminiscent of the arm cannon his Transformers Prime appearance has, except much larger.
 * Weapons named so far include the Pathblaster, the name of a gun from the G1 Marvel comics, the Energon Havester, a reference to a MacGuffin from Transformers Prime (though in this game it functions as a shotgun that restores the health of the player using it), and the Dinobots being Autobots that were captured and experimented on by Shockwave references their origins from the Marvel comics and IDW's G1 universe.
 * Slug knocks down a door on top of Kickback, and whilst walking on top of it apologises to the Insecticon with "Excuse me" as he passes him. The same thing happened to a Quintesson in Transformers: The Movie, only the context in which the line was spoken appears to be more self-aware and sarcastic in the game, rather than the more playful nature that Slag had in the movie.
 * Mad Scientist: Shockwave, who's responsible for giving the Dinobots dinosaur altmodes and mutating the subterranean Insecticon creatures to make them even deadlier.
 * Oh Crap: When the Decepticon troops see Metroplex in the E3 trailer, they run like hell.
 * PC vs. Console: This game will be exclusive to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, whereas its predecessor was also available for the PC. This was not taken well by some people.
 * Funnily enough, on Friday 1st June, the game WAS announced for PC.
 * Red Eyes, Take Warning: The Decepticons as usual have this as per default. But the Autobots also have certain members of the Dinobots displaying this trait as well (and they are traditionally more dangerous or aggressive in combat than your typical Autobot).
 * Certain members indeed. In the second trailer Swoop and Slug have blue eyes. The latter case is very interesting, since he's traditionally one of the most aggressive. (Grimlock had red in both modes.)
 * Not to mention Metroplex's eyes glow red. But with him, that's not so much the real warning. Him transforming at ALL is the real warning, in and of itself.
 * Scenery Gorn: The World Premiere trailer.
 * Stealth Pun: The game is set for release for the autumn of 2012. Fall of Cybertron, get it?
 * There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Grimlock can impale enemies with his sword, tear them off, and slam them into the ground.
 * Transforming Mecha: As always. But this time around, we also have...
 * Combining Mecha: Courtesy of the Combaticons, and Bruticus is playable, giving us more...
 * Humongous Mecha: Metroplex is also making an appearance, letting us see the good counterpart of Trypticon.
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist: This article indicates that Shockwave might just be seeking to save his home.