What started as a toyline soon blew up into a mega-franchise. Transformers have been around since the 1980s and it’s gone from a humble little toyline to comic books, cartoons, and even a blockbuster film franchise. Fans can’t get enough of this IP where we got to watch Autobots take on the Decepticons. Over the years, there have been a few notable video games to have released for this IP and like other IPs, there are some hits along with a ton of misses. We recently covered the best Godzilla games there are and we made note that there are a ton of subpar games which is the case here as well. Instead of focusing on games that might not have been as well-received or all that fun to play, we’re instead picking out the best of the best here. In this list, we’re highlighting some of the Transformer games you should check into if you haven’t already.
#7 Transformers Forged to Fight
If you have an android or iOS smartphone then you can give Transformers: Forged to Fight a download right now for free. It’s a fighting game where you’re going around a linear map, collecting some resources but mainly duking it out with an opposing side character. The battles are all done with swipes and taps on your display which will allow your character to melee attack, bring out some gun power, or transform into a vehicle. What you might find interesting is that characters and locations from the different Transformer shows or movies are present. So you’ll get a nice diverse set of characters to control or fight against.
#6 Transformers Prime: The Game
Transformers Prime: The Game was a title released in 2012 and it launched on everything under the sun for Nintendo. We had releases for the Nintendo Wii, Wii U, DS, and the 3DS, but that’s all. If you were on any other platforms then you’re simply out of luck. This is a brawler action game and it’s a pretty decent one at that. Players are following a story based around the Autobots trying to stop the Decepticons from awakening an old Transformer called the Thunderwing. Here players are thrown into different levels that will star a specific Autobot and it’s a mix between racing around or brawling combat. You’ll find that the game throws in a good diverse set of levels but you might find the game to be a bit repetitive at times. With that said, this game is based on the Transformers: Prime animated series which started in 2010 and lasted until 2013, but you can still dive into this game without having any knowledge of the Transformers: Prime series.
#5 Transformers Animated: The Game
The Nintendo DS also found a Transformers game on its platform with Transformers Animated: The Game. This is a single-player action title that was based around the Transformers: Animated series which came out in 2007 and lasted to about 2009. This is more of a new-age style Transformers series that fans either loved or hate. It was quite a bit different from the past series but again it was developed in mind for a young new audience. Here players are going through a section of the animated series based around a set of episodes that deals with rogue factory robots. Players here are controlling three characters, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead as they complete a series of platformer side-scroller levels. With each character present, players will have to constantly swap around between the three to use their different abilities required to reach the exit point. It’s been a well-received game and kid-friendly enough that it moved units on the Nintendo DS, but for fans of the hardcore old-school style Transformer game, it might not be as appealing. With that said, it’s a great side-scrolling platformer that offered the iconic Transformers IP to new young fans.
#4 Transformers [2004]
Back in 2004, we got a Transformers title that was released exclusively on the PlayStation 2. This game was based around the animated series at the time, Transformers: Armada, which ran for about a year. With that said, you don’t really need to watch the series to get this game as it’s a storyline you’d come to expect from Transformers and it’s a bit different than the series mentioned. Here we have another civil war between the Autobots and the Decepticons where you’ll be controlling different Autobots throughout various missions. It’s a third-person shooter where you’ll strafe around as these Autobots and attempt to demolish the Deceptions. While you can transform, most of the game is mainly based around third-person shooting. In fact, the game has several Mini-Cons that you can find and equip which offer more weapons or enhancements. Up to four of these Mini-Cons can be equipped so you do have the ability to tweak out your characters throughout the game. Since this game was released back in 2004 it does show a bit of its age and it was only available on the PlayStation 2. Still, if you’re a fan of Transformers and haven’t played this game yet, it’s often one of the more recommended titles you’ll see pop up from fans.
#3 Transformers: Devastation
Transformers: Devastation is a solid game especially if you’re into the old-school Transformers cartoon series. The cel-shaded view looks like the game hits that 80s kind of animated style along with the upbeat heavy metal music playing in the background might hit some nostalgia for some. This is also a title developed by PlatinumGames and you can immediately tell that from its high-speed action-packed gameplay. It’s very hack and slash with players taking the role of different Autobots quickly zipping around battling enemies through the melee to guns or even transforming into a vehicle to deliver some more insane blows. If you’re not familiar with PlatinumGames then these are the folks behind Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Nier: Automata, and Astral Chain to name just a few of their games. In this game, we’re following the Autobots who are having to save Earth from a new Decepticon plan of turning the planet into a new Cybertron. Unfortunately, there is a bit of bad news here and it’s the fact that this game was taken offline from digital storefronts after the licensing deal between Activision and Hasbro came to an end. The bright side is that Transformers: Devastation is not a rare or expensive game yet. You can typically find this game anywhere from $15 to $30 online for a physical copy.
#2 Transformers: War for Cybertron
Development studio High Moon Studios was able to bring out a Transformer title that hit the strides fans were hoping for with Transformers: War for Cybertron. It’s set way before the events of the original cartoon series and is considered canon. This means that fans were given a bit of a backstory to different beloved characters and events that help fill some of the narrative gaps. In this game, we’re following the showdown between the Autobots and the Decepticons during a civil war on their home planet of Cybertron. It’s an action-packed third-person shooter that throws players into the role of both Autobots and Deceptions. Taking the role of these iconic characters, you’ll get to use their different transformations and abilities when battling it out. While fans have enjoyed the multiplayer aspect of this game, its servers have since been shut down. However, this is not the full storyline for this game narrative and there’s a follow-up title. Fortunately, the follow-up title is just as good if not better than Transformers: War for Cybertron. That’s of course Transformers: Fall of Cybertron which we’ll be diving into next.
#1 Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
Coming off of Transformers: War for Cybertron we have the sequel Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. We know that the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons did not go well. The planet that they were fighting for, Cybertron, has become unstable for their life and it has left the Autobots to flee. Of course, the Decepticons are not fond of players taking off and are doing their best to ensure that either the Autobots fall in line or are destroyed. This is still a third-person shooter game full of different Autobots that players will be taking the role of. Likewise, you can expect certain in-game moments to feature the different attributes these large mechanical protagonists will be able to make use of in the heat of battle. This is the last big fight on Cybertron where the goal is for the Autobots to flee the galaxy and find a new refuge in the Milky Way. Fans have found this game to be incredible from the storyline and over-the-top action-packed moments, the developers behind this game High Moon Studios delivered a solid product. Unfortunately, the multiplayer component here is no longer active, since the servers were shut down in 2020. Likewise, while this game originally launched in 2012, it did find its way on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2016 so you could still get a copy of this game for more modern platforms today.
