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Ever since I was little, I have always loved Transformers movies and series. Despite the negative reviews of these products, I always enjoyed seeing the action and destruction of giant robots that transform into cars and for some reason are made for war. I didn’t care if they were aliens or if humans were part of the problem, what I loved was having Optimus Prime toys and having fun like always, like a little boy fighting with robots. But of course, at that time, video games were something far away for me, so finding out that a Transformers game existed made me feel fulfilled, like I didn’t need anything else in my life .
In 2007, I tried Transformers: The Game for the first time. It was one of my first interactions with video games, and even though I didn’t understand anything about it, I was able to feel the excitement of driving Bumblebee, one of the most iconic characters in this saga and who , from the start of the game, transforms into a car. . yellow and travels the slopes in complete freedom. This game was unique to me, and it seems to be more the nostalgia that brings back good memories, since it seems like the game is no big deal.
Now, being older, I went to the cinema to see the Transformers One movie that motivated me to go back to different emulators to try Transformers games from the past and although I knew what to expect, I gradually realized that this was a saga that we could learn a lot from. Therefore, this article will be an exploration of the Transformers games and find out if it’s worth getting more in the future.
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A saga with a lot of potential
After researching many games from over 20 years ago, I realized there was a whole world out there that I didn’t know about. I can’t say there are many games that I found, but I was surprised to find that there were a considerable number of titles with mostly positive reviews. Even the game I was so nostalgic for seemed relegated to the background, because compared to other games released years later, Transformers: The Game was just a simple and entertaining experience, but not a good game. It was then that after researching different references, I came to the conclusion that there are two different categories in which we can classify the games that exist in this saga.
Mobile games or Nintendo DS
Unfortunately, and as expected, the majority of games developed for mobile phones or for the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS have been failures or are simply forgettable. Although it is a very well-known and popular brand among children, these cell phone games tend to be simple and repetitive, as if they were flash games.
Most of these mobile games are simple, so it is not worth comparing them with other games in other categories. Of course, the quality is not at all similar, especially because the games made for mobile haven’t had a major studio behind them, which feels more like Hasbro’s desperate tests to keep the IP up to date .
In this category it seems that it was common to think of strategy games or running. It’s not usual for these games to be successful in the mobile market, but based on store ratings, they seem to be very well received. Of course, they are not very downloaded, because they are forgotten and soulless games that have no interest nowadays.
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Third person games
The second and highest rated category is third-person action games. It seems obvious that these games are action games, but despite everything this saga is as versatile as it is atypical, since there can be driving, strategy and reflection games, so yes, indeed, action games action are dominant. In addition, A common point between them is that they are all in the third person, betting on 3D in the style of modeling and art.varying slightly depending on the period.
These games like to be great acts of violence and explosions, in addition to having deep stories that remove the human factor, leaving exclusively the problems between robots as the central axis of each game. Although we classify them as games to third person, their qualities are unique compared to mobile games, since the graphics power and production size reach another level.
In this way, and to focus the conversation on a particular category, these will be the games that I will focus on from now on, because their value is something that I did not know about, and even if they did not occupy all the attention At the moment, there may now be a slight chance to enjoy new and better Transformers games.
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What are the new Transformers games missing?
After discovering works like Transformers: War for Cybertron or Fall of Cybertron, I realized that there already existed games with “deep” stories and acceptable gameplay. Even it seems that This saga established itself very well in the era of PlayStation 2, where most of its successes were released for sale, then continued with a small legacy in the era of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 .. This “golden age” of Transformers games left something established, namely that third-person action and muted colors defined the saga, which is why most games are like that, like the first two films in the live-action franchise.
However, the last major Transformers game to hit the market dates back to 2015 with Transormers Devastation, a fairly colorful and dynamic hack and slash that the public loved. For my part, of course, I didn’t know that, so I had a closer interaction with the game and realized that it was a good action game, but with Transformers. That is to say, this game was well received and named because of what the toy brand is, not because it is a good game in itself.
So, looking at the current state of these video games, it seems clear that the essence of Transformers has only been explored in a few simple mechanics such as transforming into vehicles and shooting. Beyond what is described, the games could have another IP behind them and function the same way. As if they were games with mechas or robots that shoot. That being said, it is interesting to explore the possibilities available when developing a game in this saga, because they are numerous and seem like a lot of fun.
But it’s not just about game mechanics, since other features such as game modes can also be discussed. Variants such as racing games, an RPG or even an open world have not been explored. Armored Core VI showed that giant robots are no obstacle to developing dynamic, epic games with interesting storytelling. Despite what it seems, the Transformers IP has a lot of potential, and it’s currently being wasted.
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An interesting gift
Finally, and as a result of researching and updating these games, I discovered that there were two games in development that were due to be released this year. These games, as different as they are interesting, make me think that the future of Transformers games is not as gray as I thought. Now, knowing the industry and its similarities, both games are in situations that make me think they won’t be a success.
The first game is Transformers: Galactic Trials, an action and driving game closer to what Mario Kart is than you think. Even though the game doesn’t seem technically superior, its release date appears to have been delayed. What little is known about the game is that it will be a racing game and that each character will have unique abilities. This, although it is another game in the franchise, is not what I expected to “revive” the saga in its video game aspect.
In the category of speed games, it is interesting to have a reinvention of the genre, or at least a different proposal. Now it doesn’t seem like the game is a success, as it looks more like an AA with a low budget than an innovative production looking to break into the market.
On the other hand, and as a more interesting game, there is Transformers Reactivate, a proposal similar to what we were used to years ago, but with renewed graphics. Leaks and everything that is known about the game are quite few, plus it seems that the development studio has had some issues over time, leaving people who follow this game hanging. first presented two years ago at the Games Awards with an exciting cinematic trailer, but which unfortunately says nothing about the game.
Now, everything that is known about the game’s gameplay is due to leaks, so speculating based on that may be irresponsible. Beyond that, the game looks promising and appears to be everything a Transformers fan expects, as it has the action, mechanics, and story, all in one game with big aspirations. But of course the problem comes when there is little news, when fans realize that the studio shows no signs of life and they have to search for information. In these cases, it often happens that the final match is not what was expected, so the criticism turns out to be harsh given the expectations.
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Currently, we can’t expect much, and yes, we know that Transformers games don’t generate much hype in the industry in general. Despite this, there is a niche of gamers who expect great things from this franchise, there is a community who enjoys the products Hasbro builds and tries to find new content to enjoy. Therefore, the fact that this saga, so great for popular culture, does not have great works in the video game industry is quite curious.
Ultimately, and given how they have developed in the past and currently, the Transformers games seem to owe a debt to the community that, if its license never goes to a major studio again, we will never see a good game in a long time. time.
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