Since Transformers: War for Cybertron takes place before the robots made it to Earth, they all look like weird alien robots in this game instead of weird alien robots that are half truck. That freedom from real-world machinery means leeway in character design, which then translates to character customization.
What we're saying is that you can make your own Transformer in this game.
In this trailer, see the four different classes available in War for Cybertron's multiplayer mode. Even though the "turning into fighter jets" bit is out in favor of turning into space tanks and other fictional vehicles, the other main linchpin of the Transformers franchise is fully intact: robots fighting constantly.
Transformers: War for Cybertron meets the eye (and the shelf) June 22.
#clips
While the upcoming Transformers: War for Cybertron lets you play as actual Transformers, its multiplayer mode also lets you create your own Autobot or Decepticon and, as my people would say, get amongst it. More »
#wii
Systems like the PS3 and Xbox 360 will be getting a good-looking Transformers game soon called "War For Cybertron". That same game is headed for the Wii, but when it hits Nintendo's console, the name won't be so combative. More »
Playable versions of Decepticons Shockwave and Demolisher are part of Activision's pre-order bonuses for Transformers: War for Cybertron. Squishy humans who pre-order through Amazon will receive an unlock code for Demolishor, while GameStop customers receive a code for Megatron's cold and calculating companion, Shockwave. (Sorry, Amazon, there's just no competition here.)
The bonus codes are available for the Xbox 360 and PS3 deployments of the game. Wii's Transformers: Cybertron Adventures currently has no announced pre-order bonus.
#preorderbonus
Transformers: War for Cybertron is all about exploring the original Cybertronian Wars through the eyes of reimagined first generation Transformers. Then who the hell is this Amazon preorder-exclusive multiplayer character? More »
After popping up on the ESRB and OFLC rating websites, a game called "Transformers: Cybertron Adventures" for Wii led some to wonder whether it was a new, unannounced game. An Activision representative tells Joystiq that it's "the Wii version" of the company's upcoming Transformers: War for Cyberton on PS3 and Xbox 360.
The DS version of War for Cybertron, which comes in two versions with Autobot and Decepticon campaigns, still maintains the less family-friendly title. So, Wii owners can expect "adventures" with the Transformers this summer, as high-def consoles prepare for "war."
#clips
In this video documentary for Transformers: War for Cybertron, the development team at High Moon Studios talk about bringing the Autobots and Decepticons back to Cybertron to tell a story never fully told. More »
#multiplayer
Would you play a multiplayer video game in which you only controlled one limb of a character, while your friends controlled the others? What if, I asked a developer of a Transformers game, it was Devastator's leg? More »
Remember those other awful Activision Transformers games based (in some part) on the Michael Bay movies? No? Good, let's work from there.
Transformers: War for Cybertron, developed by High Moon Studios (The Bourne Conspiracy, Darkwatch), takes its inspiration from the G1 universe of the '80s cartoon. Actually, that's not entirely accurate. It's more like what the new J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie is to the original. The characters are the same, their motivations are similar; however everything has a whole new (in this case, literal) paint job. Lead Designer Matt Tieger tells us the game presents "nothing that violates your expectations" and the studio worked closely with Hasbro to stay true to the original idea of the Transformers ... speaking of the original idea of Transformers, there will also be action figures based on the game's interpretations of the characters.
In War for Cybertron, players participate in two campaigns, one following the righteous Autobots and the other shadows the misunderstood Decepticons. Both campaigns take place on the Transformer home planet of Cybertron and, as Tieger puts it, "Ends up with them having no place to go."
Each campaign features three-player online (no offline or "couch") co-op. For the Autobots, the level we saw featured Optimus (not a Prime, yet) and Bumblebee meeting for the first time, and rolling along in the always awkward "third wheel" spot was Ratchet. The Decepticons included Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Soundwave and Megatron. Of course, in both cases, there are several more playable characters. For fans of the original series, many of the voices will sound wrong -- sadly, in some very important instances, the cartoon's original voice actors have passed away.
The upcoming Transformers: War for Cybertron seems determined to impress with its rendition of the titular transforming robots' home world, Cybertron. But see, there's one crucial mistake made by the game, one that hasn't been entirely evident until now: No matter what planet he's on, no matter where he is, Optimus Prime is only allowed to transform into a truck and not Tim Burton's version of the Batmobile from 1989. Well, okay, we lied -- we'll also accept Optimus in gorilla form, too.
After you've checked out the trailer above, be sure to morph into our gallery below, which is packed with a bunch of new screens from the upcoming robo-brawler.
After narrowly escaping Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's impact crater in late 2009, Raven Software's tardy, time-bending first-person shooter, Singularity, finally appears to have settled on a new ETA. Speaking in an investor conference call following the release of the company's latest financial results, Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith mentioned that both Singularity and star vehicle / vehicle star Transformers: War for Cybertron were due some time in May 2010. [Update: Activision's Dan Amrich has an updated release timeframe for Singularity, confirming a June release.]
If neither of those appeal to you, Shrek Forever After: The Game is also set to release during the same month. But ... really? You don't like transforming robots or time-distorting techno-gloves? What if the robots were wearing the gloves?
After narrowly escaping Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's impact crater in late 2009, Raven Software's tardy, time-bending first-person shooter, Singularity, finally appears to have settled on a new ETA. Speaking in an investor conference call following the release of the company's latest financial results, Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith mentioned that both Singularity and star vehicle / vehicle star Transformers: War for Cybertron were due some time in May 2010.
If neither of those appeal to you, Shrek Forever After: The Game is also set to release during the same month. But ... really? You don't like transforming robots or time-distorting techno-gloves? What if the robots were wearing the gloves?
You may have already caught a glimpse of Transformers: War for Cybertron on this very site, but now we're happy to report that Activision has docked on the Space Station Stiq with an extended trailer in tow. After decrypting and uploading to our network -- which is fueled by caramel and old E.T. Atari 2600 carts -- we're glad to show you, dear reader, the full debut trailer, with one caveat: it may not be for the faint of heart. Much WD-40 is spilled on the war-torn streets of the Transformers' home planet, so much that we ask all of our mechanically-inclined readers pour themselves a stiff drink before viewing.
Seriously, lots of robots die, people.
Resident Game Informer Transformers nerds Andrew Reiner and Matt Miller join Philip Kollar and Dan Ryckert, who went to see the game last month. The group discusses what would make for a perfect Transformers game, what we’ve seen of War For Cybertron so far, and a few of the elements — like co-op and competitive [...]
This first teaser trailer showcases the war for Cybertron that began before the Autobots and Decepticons ever made it to Earth. Activision returns to the world of Transformers with an all-new game tha
The latest Transformers game, War for Cybertron, takes place before the Autobots and Decepticons arrived on Earth. As such, they have no concept of our Earth "trucks" and "awesome jets," and can only transform into ... things that look pretty much like trucks and awesome jets, but alien.
The teaser after the break introduces the setting for the new High Moon-developed title, and Game Informer promises more info on its constantly updating War for Cybertron hub page. If the new locale and exotic transformations don't grab you, think about this: all humans are millions of miles away from Cybertron, so unlike the movies, you'll actually get to see the Transformers in this game.
