Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (game)
From Transformers Wiki
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 War. War never changes. | |||||||
| Developer | High Moon Studios (console), Mercenary Technology (PC) Funlabs (Next Gen port) | ||||||
| Publisher | Activision | ||||||
| Written by | Dan Jolley | ||||||
| Platform | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Xbox One, Playstation 4 | ||||||
| Release date | August 21, 2012 August 8, 2016 (XB1, PS4) | ||||||
| Ratings | ESRB: T PEGI: 12 | ||||||
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is a direct sequel to the 2010 game War for Cybertron that was released on August 21, 2012. Published by Activision and developed by High Moon Studios (with the PC version being handled by Mercenary Technology), the game is a continuation of the events of War for Cybertron. It explores the Autobots' attempts to escape from a rapidly deteriorating Cybertron aboard the Ark, as well as the gradual downfall and collapse of the remnants of Cybertronian society. A side story also focuses on the creation of the Dinobots.
Considerably darker in tone than its predecessor, the game begins with Optimus Prime outright conceding defeat to the Decepticons, who are in no better straits than their enemies. The story does not shy away from the grim realities of a dying planet and its inhabitants who cope with it. Characters grieve their losses, be it their home or their comrades. Both sides are depicted resorting to extremes just to keep fighting another day, and all hope seems lost. Yet a critical discovery by Grimlock may light the way for the Transformer species to a new era and hope; provided they can survive the fall of Cybertron.
Synopsis
Chapter I: The Exodus
- Character: Bumblebee
The Ark heads off to the portal which will take them to Earth. Megatron invades the ship using the Nemesis, sending Decepticons over directly to the bridge of the Ark, forcing Bumblebee, Ratchet and Optimus Prime to fight off the aggressors. With more Decepticons swarming the engine room, Optimus heads off to help, leaving Bumblebee to protect the bridge. The artillery cannons are taken offline and the ship blows a fuse. Ratchet sends Bumblebee off to fix it, and after braving nearly being sucked into space, the scout soon replaces the fuse and ascends up a lift to the defense tower. He witnesses Autobots being overrun by a Titan and then on another level, Soundwave, Laserbeak and Rumble attacking. He reaches the defense mainframe and rushes the Decepticon manning it, reactivating the Ark's guns. The tower is hit by a claw that knocks him down a shaft. With his alternator jarred back into gear, Bumblebee transforms and races through an outer area, avoiding explosions, Decepticon tow cables and large chunks of rubble. He passes Bruticus having a brawl and bringing an onslaught of destruction. He makes it to a stronghold, restocking on ammo, energon and weapons. He fights his way through a few waves of Decepticons, making his way to the engine room, where Prime and Megatron are doing battle. He pushes through enemy lines, with the help of two Titans, and makes his way to the engine room. There he finds Optimus and Megatron engaging in a fierce melee battle on the hull of the ship, and just as Megatron fires a huge cannon at Optimus, Bumblebee throws himself forwards, taking the shot meant for Prime. As Bumblebee falls, Optimus lifts his body...
Chapter II: Defend the Ark
- Character: Optimus Prime
Six days earlier, the Autobots are preparing the last transport for launch. Ironhide reports the energon reserves are aboard, and Perceptor is overseeing city shutdown, only for the news to come that the Decepticons have invaded the city. Optimus tries to contact Grimlock, as it's his sector the Decepticons have invaded, but gets no answer. As Prime moves to head out, a Warp Cannon crashes to the ground nearby and _targets the Ark. Optimus heads through the Iacon ruins and enters Autobot City through a side door to find the Autobots trying to get the city stable without the absent Grimlock. After helping Ratchet stabilize a badly-injured Silverbolt, Prime sends Jazz to find where Grimlock's disappeared to. At the armory, Warpath reports that Perceptor and others are trapped in a nerve center, so he and Optimus fight their way there. After fighting off a horde of Decepticons, they unseal the detpak from the nerve center door. Sending Warpath back to the Ark, Optimus goes in to meet with Perceptor, who's struggling to get the city working again so they can fight off the Decepticons. He sends Prime to activate an old artillery gun using energon from the Ark, and Prime soon puts the weapon to good use taking out Decepticons. With news that the Warp Cannons are firing on the Ark, Optimus heads to the engine room, but as he moves towards the flight deck, the corridors restructure around him. Decepticons, including Starscream, have invaded the area, and Optimus finds many bodies, but heads for the neutron cannon. After fighting his way through more Decepticons, he brings the neutron gun online, but again the _targeting is out. Optimus takes manual control and helps defend the Ark refueling station from a number of Decepticon tanks. When the cannon runs out of energon, Optimus heads back inside the city and is guided by a mysterious intelligence to the city's core where he pulls a lever... and the entire city transforms into Metroplex.
Chapter III: Metroplex Heeds the Call
- Character: Optimus Prime
Optimus and Metroplex head for the Iacon ruins where the Warp Cannons are located. Once they find the first Warp Cannon, Metroplex laboriously synchronizes his _targeting systems with Optimus and together they take out the first cannon. Moving on, Prime helps the survivors of a crashed Autobot ship and finds Warpath in a huge plaza. With the second Warp Cannon shelling them, they head into a building and manage to get close enough to the cannon for Optimus to mark it for destruction by Metroplex. That done, Optimus heads down more corridors and is confronted by three Leapers, which Metroplex handily takes out by putting a fist through the wall. After fighting his way across a huge bridge, Prime gets close enough to the last Warp Cannon to mark it, only for it to take out Metroplex first. With no other choice, Optimus makes his way to the base of the cannon and forces open a door, only to be blasted by Starscream, bashed by Brawl and Onslaught, and dragged in front of Megatron. While Starscream gloats at his victory over Prime, Megatron simply blasts his Air Commander before killing an Autobot in front of the bound Prime. Luckily it turns out Metroplex is back online, and he rips the roof off Megatron's throne room before smashing Megatron into the ground repeatedly with his fist. Starscream pronounces Megatron dead, himself leader and orders the Decepticons back to base. The day is won, but unfortunately all the Autobots' energon is exhausted and they need to find more. Prime believes Grimlock may hold the key, and says Jazz and Cliffjumper are tracking down their missing comrade.
Chapter IV: Eye of the Storm
- Character: Cliffjumper
Sideswipe drops Jazz and Cliffjumper off over the Sea of Rust in the middle of a rust storm to look for Grimlock. In a ruined base, they find a crashed ship which they recognize as one that was stolen by Grimlock from the base. They soon spot Decepticons moving around and sneak inside the base. As they stealthily make their way through, they overhear some Decepticons discussing Shockwave and his "pets". Using a garbage conveyor, Cliffjumper finds himself in an ancient tomb where guardians are roaming around, scanning for Autobots. Jazz reports the rust storm is increasing in intensity outside. Cliffjumper finds a huge domed room and activates a starmap that shows him an image of Earth. Continuing through the tomb, Cliffjumper finds more Decepticons, plus sword marks and a trail of destruction he recognizes as Grimlock's work. Eventually he reaches outside again and spots Jazz, but a collapse cuts them off from each other. Cliff hunts through the storm and finds Jazz, freeing his companion from some fallen debris. They soon find more devastation and Jazz detects a faint Autobot distress signal which Cliffjumper tracks to a huge pit, just as the Decepticons seal it. Luckily the two Autobots find a huge bomb they use to blow the pit open and, leaving Cliffjumper behind, Jazz leaps in.
Chapter V: Cut and Run
- Character: Jazz
Jazz reaches the bottom of the pit, where he discovers Sludge, who has been so badly damaged he's been forced into stasis lock. The audio he plays back from Sludge's memory is not promising. The meaning of the green pods Jazz spots is clear when he finds himself under attack by the Insecticon horde. He blasts a tank which releases a toxic green gas, and he has to race to escape in time. Escaping the pit, he seals it and pair continue to look for the source of the distress signal. They stumble on a huge lake filled with energon which the Decepticons are mining. They fight their way across the moat to the Decepticon facility where Cliffjumper promptly manages to trip an alarm. Jazz utilizes a network of service tunnels, but creeping down one of them, he falls through a grating and is ambushed. Naturally he fights the Decepticons off and even helps out Cliffjumper who's pinned down by Wall Crawlers and other Decepticons. The pair rendezvous at the other side of the moat and head inside the tower. Within, they find Insecticons in tubes and a map pointing to Earth's solar system. Intriguing! Further in, they find Shockwave arguing with Starscream via hologram. Cliffjumper fails to creep up on Shockwave, who sets a bunch of Insecticons on them before leaving. While Jazz keeps the Insecticons busy, Cliffjumper diverts toxic waste into the refinery to make it overload. The refinery starts to melt down and the pair book out, getting picked up by Sideswipe just in time. Jazz contacts Optimus with the news there's a lake of energon ripe for the taking. The Autobots begin preparing a massive energon transport to take the energon to the Ark.
Chapter VI: Death from Above
- Character: Vortex
The Decepticons get wind of the Autobot plan, and as the transport heads back with a load of energon, Starscream tasks the Combaticons with intercepting it and leading it to an ambush. Vortex and Blast Off are sent to clear a short-cut so Brawl can take a dropship and destroy a bridge. They fly through an ancient Autobot city. The pair run into Autobots though, and Blast Off ends up racing ahead, leaving Vortex to fight them. They eventually reach the bridge, but when Brawl shells it, they find it's shielded. Vortex deactivates the shielding, allowing Brawl to take out the side supports. The central support is a little trickier, and Brawl has to blow a hole in it so Vortex can get in to find the shield controls. After fighting more Autobots, including a Titan, Vortex uses a detpak on the central support and races out as the bridge collapses.
Chapter VII: Belly of the Beast
- Character: Swindle
Starscream springs his ambush on the transport, but the transport's defenses blast them. Onslaught exasperatedly sends Swindle under the transport to try to stop it. Swindle takes out the rear wheels and heads to the front, using his grapple to avoid the deadly acid pools, and takes out the front wheels. This unleashes a pair of titans which he has to destroy. However just as victory looks certain, the transport's wheels convert into jets. As the transport takes to the air, Swindle grapples on board.
Chapter VIII: Combaticons Combine!
- Character: Swindle/Bruticus
Within the transport, Swindle begins heading through the transport, aiming to take out the anti-aircraft defenses so the other Combaticons can come over in their drop ship. He blows a hole in an exterior wall and starts making his way along the side of the transport. Starscream announces he's calling off the assault, but is corrected by Onslaught, who still believes they can pull it off. Swindle finds the anti-aircraft cannons can be destroyed by simply shooting the shells being fed into them, so he does that, then moves around to the other side of the ship. Unfortunately the Autobots are wise to what the Decepticons are doing and destroy the controls for the shell feed shields so Swindle can't deactivate them. Onslaught brings the drop ship around, and Swindle hops on. Once he uses the top turret to destroy the last gun emplacement, the Combaticons merge into Bruticus and start breaking things. He smashes through the transports turbine and break into the control room where the Combaticons split and make swift work of the Autobots. Unfortunately though they have the transport in their control, it's badly damaged and going down, and they can do little more than try to control its course as it crashes. Starscream's unimpressed that they managed to destroy half the energon supply in the crash, and when Onslaught talks back, pointing that the Autobots would have gotten all of it if they did nothing and everything going wrong was a result of Starscream's incompetence, Starscream orders the Combaticons arrested.
Chapter IX: Megatron Returns
- Character: Soundwave/Megatron
In his old workshop under the gladiator pits, Soundwave powers up the assembly systems so he can put Megatron's salvaged body back together. With the help of his minions, he manages to get Megatron back in one piece and uses an infusion of Dark Energon to bring his master back to life. Megatron's enraged by the news Starscream is in charge and, grabbing his cannon, heads out to confront his former lieutenant. He arrives, naturally, in the middle of Starscream's coronation. Starscream sets the assembled Decepticons onto their former leader, but as Megatron points out, he was practically forged in these arenas. Once he finishes with the many, many Decepticons, he blasts Starscream who flees. Onslaught offers to chase them down, but Megatron doesn't consider him a threat and has other plans. As the Decepticons move a huge statue of him into pride of place, Megatron meets with Shockwave who has deciphered the ancient technology to open wormholes and located a suitably energy rich planet for them to plunder. Megatron boards a drop ship and heads for the crater where Trypticon crashed with the intention of recovering the giant Decepticon's power core. Unfortunately his drop ship is shot down on the way.
Chapter X: The Final Countdown
- Character: Megatron
Jumping clear of the ship, Megatron notes that the Autobots have installed anti-aircraft defenses. Once the Decepticons assault the facility and take it over, Soundwave detects a power source nearby—the Autobots are using Trypticon's power core as an energy source, which left Megatron impressed by their rather bold choice. Megatron goes on to investigate and takes out the defenses surrounding the main compound before calling in Bruticus to clear a path. The Combiner makes short work of the remaining Autobots and holds the massive doors open so Megatron can enter. After emptying the main compound of Autobots, he enters the main building where some Autobots are reporting to Optimus. Megatron slags them and makes it clear he blames Optimus for Cybertron's depleted state. The Autobots redouble their attempts to keep Megatron away, but as he gets closer to Trypticon, he realizes that the Autobots haven't removed the power core—Trypticon is still functional. Fighting through more Autobot defenses, including a titan, Megatron gets to Trypticon's legs and finds they've been bound. A few shots of Megatron's cannon free them. Trypticon's torso is similarly easy to find, with a little help from Laserbeak. Once Megatron breaks Trypticon's bonds, Soundwave arrives and hacks the computer while Megatron smashes the Autobots attacking them. Trypticon, however, is still badly damaged. Megatron informs Trypticon that he failed to destroy the Autobots and will be rebuilt into a new form—the Nemesis.
Chapter XI: Starscream's Betrayal
- Characters: Decepticon trooper/Starscream/Grimlock
As the Nemesis nears launch, the Decepticons are roused by an alarm as someone tries to hack Shockwave's data logs. A trooper and his friend are sent to check the main server. As the two troopers enter the server, they discuss Starscream's humiliating defeat, only for Starscream himself to decloak and flatten them. Hoping to build an army of his own, Starscream analyzes the data logs and discovers that Shockwave's latest experiments are imprisoned within the tower. He uses EMP detpaks to take out the security towers providing the defenses, which knocks out the force fields protecting the maintenance shafts. Flying inside, he finds Shockwave experimenting on Grimlock with Hardshell, Kickback, and Sharpshot. Once they leave, Starscream drops into the lab and informs Grimlock he'll be set free if he pledges allegiance to the Air Commander. Grimlock responds that he can free himself, then throws Starscream into a wall. Grimlock's surgically altered body leaves him confused and unable to transform, and before long he searches for Swoop by smashing everything in his path. He finds Swoop, only to be confronted by a hologram of Shockwave, who has predicted this move. After destroying all the Decepticons in the lab, he solves the problem of freeing Swoop by smashing more things. Swoop reveals that he has gained a new alternate mode, although Grimlock still cannot transform. The pair search for the rest of their team, and discover more of Shockwave's experiments—Insecticons in tubes—and Swoop remembers where Slug is. Unfortunately Hardshell is waiting for them with some artillery, and Grimlock has to throw fuel pods at him until the ship's destroyed. Grimlock holds the Insecticon up to the optical scanner so they can progress. When they reach the surgical lab, it's totally trashed and there's a big hole in the floor. Grimlock and Swoop jump in.
Chapter XII: Grimlock Smash
- Character: Grimlock/Swoop
Beneath the lab, the ground gives way under Grimlock, dropping him into a tunnel, and he decides they'll split up to find Slug. He soon finds the area is infested with Insecticons. Shockwave's voice rings out, telling Grimlock that he has yet to fulfill his full potential and transform, and Kickback has volunteered to help. The Insecticon taunts Grimlock and unleashes a huge "bruiser" Insecticon to fight him, causing Grimlock to get angry enough to finally change into his new T. rex alternate mode. Kickback decides discretion is the better part of not being slagged, but before he can escape, the door crashes down on him as Slug enters. Slug relates the news that Sludge didn't make it out of the caves, and Snarl's been taken by Shockwave for "extensive testing". As they step outside where Swoop is waiting, they see Shockwave's space bridge tower firing up. They soon track down Snarl being guarded by Sharpshot and squash his captor. Searching for a place to take shelter and patch up Snarl, they find an observatory and Slug discovers Shockwave's plans to open a space bridge portal. They contact Optimus, who orders Grimlock to return to base, but Grimlock insists on taking the space bridge himself. With Swoop's help, he flies to the tower and fights his way through more Decepticons until he finds Shockwave working. As he goes to attack Shockwave, he's seized by energy chains, while Shockwave reports to Megatron that all is ready. Grimlock switches to dino mode to break free and rips Shockwave's arm off before bashing the space bridge which explodes. Back in Autobot City, the Autobots note that Megatron's portal is becoming unstable and decide they must urgently launch. Metroplex offers whatever spark energy he has left, which allows the Autobots to launch the Ark, at the cost of Metroplex's life.
Chapter XIII: Till All Are One
- Characters: Soundwave/Jetfire/Bruticus/Jazz/Optimus/Megatron
The Nemesis draws close to the Ark as it nears the portal. Megatron orders Soundwave to lead the first wave of the assault. Soundwave rides a tow cable over and, with the help of Rumble and Laserbeak, neutralizes the Ark's cannons. The Decepticons begin their assault en masse. Jetfire flies outside and severs the tow cables, but even though he's successful, Bruticus flies right past him and lands on the hull of the Ark. After smashing his way through the Autobot defenses, he busts the ship's main energon tank. Jetfire raises the alarm, and Jazz responds. He tries grappling onto Bruticus and shooting the giant in the face, but with the help of Jetfire and an EMP mine, the Autobots hit Bruticus with a series of air strikes, sending him flying off into space. Elsewhere, Bumblebee jumps in the path of Megatron's shot, saving Optimus. Enraged, Optimus punches Megatron across the hull and they face off once again. Their fight is eventually interrupted by the unstable space bridge portal sucking them and both starships in before closing.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Non-Player |
|---|---|---|
Dinobots
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Insecticons |
Autobots
Decepticons Insecticons Other |
*Denotes a character who speaks (or squawks), but is credited as "Additional Voices".
Quotes
"Metroplex heeds the call of the last Prime"
- —Metroplex assures Optimus that he's not there to render him into his component molecules.
"This is needless. All we want is to leave!"
"No one leaves without my permission!"
"I wasn't asking."
- —What Optimus Prime thought would be the last time he would have to tell Megatron how it was.
"Cliffjumper, you catch any of that?"
"You mean the screaming, the horror, followed by more screaming?"
"Uh, yeah, that'd be it."
- —Jazz and Cliffjumper discuss what they heard from Sludge's memory core.
"Ungh! This lever is heavy! Couldn't they just make it a button?"
- —Vortex makes a valid point.
"Ugh, great, it's spooky dark down here!"
"You're afraid of the dark?!"
"Well, it does make it hard to see!"
- —Vortex and Brawl bicker like a bunch of kids.
"Seriously?! We're still trying to stop this thing with drop ships? I haven't stopped the AA guns yet!"
"Think of this as an encouragement to HURRY THE SCRAP UP!"
- —Swindle and Onslaught
"Always tinkering, aren't you, Shockwave? Must be quite the test!"
- —Starscream, after hearing Shockwave and the Insecticons discuss experiments on Grimlock.
"Nothing feels right... Hard to think."
- —Grimlock, shortly after breaking free.
"I remember you, Grimlock. Do you remember me? Me? Me?"
"Kickback..."
- —Kickback taunts Grimlock to provoke him into transforming.
Kickback: Time for me to take my leave!
[Slug knocks the door down on Kickback]
Slug: Excuse me.
- —Never gets old, Slug.
Slug: You cut through those guys like they were Beryllium Bologna!
Grimlock: You mean Cesium Salami!
Slug: No...Beryllium Bologna!
Grimlock: Cesium Salami!
"You're weak, Optimus. You run when you should fight!"
- —Grimlock gives Optimus a piece of his mind.
"Pathetic! This is the so called Ark? The Autobots have placed all of their hopes on a glorified cargo hauler!"
- —Megatron gives his two cents about the Ark.
"No problem! It slices, it dices!"
- —Bruticus, your Swindle's showing.
"After eons of conflict, I finally see the truth of your words, Megatron."
"And what might that be, Optimus?"
[Megatron swings his sword, only for Optimus to stop his strike]
"This universe, no matter how vast, will never be big enough for you and I to coexist!"
[Optimus punches Megatron across the Ark]
- —Optimus Prime tells Megatron that he's done holding back.
Gameplay
Like War for Cybertron, this game is an over-the-shoulder third-person shooter. The player has access to a range of weapons split between light and heavy and can carry one of each class at a time. As one would expect from a Transformers game, the player character can also transform to vehicle mode which provides more maneuverability and in some cases the power of flight. Whereas in the previous game, characters had two abilities that were charged up by shooting opponents, each character now has "dash" and a unique ability that works on a time recharge. Abilities include Vortex's shockwave, Cliffjumper's cloaking, and Optimus Prime's ability to order a missile strike.
While War for Cybertron had three-bot teams in each campaign level, with the user playing as their choice of the three, Fall of Cybertron instead follows a single character at a time, though the character often teams up with other NPCs. This allows levels to be tailored to the player character's special abilities, such as Jazz's level having plenty of places to use his grapple, and Megatron's levels having places which are only reachable by hovering. The player will sometimes also automatically switch between characters as the narrative demands.
Fall of Cybertron introduces an upgrade mechanic. The player collects energon from defeated opponents which they can use at Teletraan-1 machines scattered throughout the levels to buy character upgrades, T.E.C.H. items such as C.L.U.T.C.H. drones, and weapon upgrades. Upgrades carry over between characters, so Megatron gets the benefit of upgrades purchased by Optimus Prime. Collecting the blueprints hidden in each level unlocks more upgrades or weapons. Also hidden throughout the levels are audio logs, recordings left by various characters which give extra information or insight into an aspect of the game world. Energon can be used to open Armory Recreators, which contain weapons and equipment.
Grimlock's sections alter the game mechanics substantially. He has no ranged attack, relying on melee with his sword. Rather than gaining currency from defeating Decepticons, their deaths fill his "rage meter", eventually allowing him to transform to his dino mode that lets him use his fire-breath and jaws to wreak more havoc. Similarly, Bruticus behaves like a melee brawler, fighting with a mix of weaponry like Vortex's propellers, a flamethrower, and the Sonic Pain Wave.
Multiplayer
Fall of Cybertron follows War for Cybertron's tradition in having a fleshed-out, online multiplayer mode. The general idea is the same, but quite a number of gameplay elements have been added, removed, or altered. For example, vehicle mode abilities have been removed, but every character has the ability to dash. Weapons are also exclusive to each class and can't be wielded by other players.
Players can create custom characters to participate in the regular multiplayer mode. Customization options are greatly expanded from the previous game: Individual heads, bodies/alt-modes, shoulders, arms, legs, and wheels can be selected, all based on existing character models. The color palette is also expanded, and players can alter the shininess of characters and choose from three different voices per faction.
Characters level up by performing well in battle. Completing challenges will also yield experience points. Class weapons and abilities become unlocked by reaching certain levels. Reaching level 25 in every class unlocks "Prime Mode," which resets all experience points and challenges and gives the player a cool spinny icon next to their name. Reaching level 25 for all classes in Prime Mode grants the player access to "Elite" heads, which are 4 heads per class, and are the most iconic character of the class (Bumblebee, Optimus, Starscream and Megatron) with a crown.
Finally, Energon shards can be gained along with experience points and can be spent on custom body parts and decals.
- Classes
The four classes return, with some alterations:
- Infiltrators - Cars. Fast, with an emphasis on stealth. Replaces the Scout class.
- Destroyers - Trucks. Mixture of defensive and offensive abilities, with emphasis on explosions. Replaces the Leader class.
- Titans - Tanks. Huge health and defense, heavy weapons. Replaces the Soldier class.
- Scientists - Jets. Great speed, no armor, emphasis on healing and buffer abilities.
- Playlists
- Team Death Match - ELIMINATE THE ENEMY TEAM! Kills count as points for the player's team, and 40 points are required to win on default settings.
- Conquest - There are 3 nodes, A, B and C. Team members wait at nodes to fill a bar and capture the node, and all teams are competing constantly for the nodes. The possession of a node adds points, and the rate at which points are added is increased based on how many nodes the team has. The match ends once a team reaches 400 points.
- Headhunter - This match is very similar to Team Deathmatch, except killed enemies drop their Spark. Players must pick up these sparks and return them to teamless nodes to gain a point per spark. These nodes occasionally move, the approaching change signaled by beacons that mark their location, which flash when nodes are about to move.
- Capture the Flag - Both teams have flags in their base. Players must protect their own flag and capture the enemy flag. Each capture grants a point, and the amount of points required for a team to win is 3.
- Deathmatch: Kill opponents to win. It's a free-for-all. (Check the notes)
- Teletraan-1
The signature Autobot computer here lets the player sift through global player rankings and see the challenges they have completed. Prime Mode is also activated through this menu.
- Escalation
Up to 4 players face off against increasingly difficult waves. Once the players finish wave 15, the game ends and the players are scored on how many kills, deaths, and energon chips they collected throughout the match.
Trophy/Achievement list
When completing various goals and tasks during the game, the player will be rewarded as part of their console of choice's meta-goal system. Players can earn up to 51 Trophies on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, and 50 Achievements on the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The PlayStation versions' trophies come in four types: Bronze, which represent easier tasks and are worth the least experience; Silver, which are awarded for challenges of mid-level difficulty; Gold, which are given for harder tasks and worth more experience; and Platinum, the highest-level trophy unlocked only after earning all of a game's other trophies. On the Xbox versions, each achievement has a Gamerscore value that adds to the player's total Gamerscore across all games played; up to 1000 Gamerscore can be earned in Fall of Cybertron. These achievements can also be earned in the PC version as part of the Steam interface, but lack the individual values and weights from the console versions.
| Icon | Achievement/Trophy name | Achievement/Trophy description | Gamerscore | PS Trophy |
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The Exodus | Complete Chapter I | 10 
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Defend the Ark | Complete Chapter II | 10
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Metroplex Heeds the Call | Complete Chapter III | 10
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Eye of the Storm | Complete Chapter IV | 10
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Cut and Run | Complete Chapter V | 10
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Death from Above | Complete Chapter VI | 10
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Belly of the Beast | Complete Chapter VII | 10
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Combaticons Combine! | Complete Chapter VIII | 10
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Megatron Returns | Complete Chapter IX | 10
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The Final Countdown | Complete Chapter X | 10
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Starscream's Betrayal | Complete Chapter XI | 10
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Grimlock Smash | Complete Chapter XII | 10
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Till All Are One - (Optimus Ending) | Complete Chapter XIII as Optimus (secret achievement) | 15
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Till All Are One - (Megatron Ending) | Complete Chapter XIII as Megatron (secret achievement) | 15
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The Battle is Far From Over! | Complete Campaign - Easy | 25
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More Than Meets the Eye | Complete Campaign - Normal | 50
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All Hail You! | Complete Campaign - Hard | 100
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The Last Stand | Chapter II: Save two Autobots when Optimus is downed by the first Leaper | 15
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Carnage in C-Major | Chapter III: Take out a cluster of five Decepticons using Metroplex's Air Strike | 15
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Invisibility Spray | Chapter IV: Sneak through the Trash Compactor Facility undetected | 15
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_target Master 2.0 | Chapter V: Shoot a Sniper out of the air with a scoped weapon | 15
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Car Wash of Doom | Chapter VI: Destroy all of the homing mines chasing Blast Off before they self destruct | 15
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Club Con! | Chapter VII: Ram a jet (on the ground or in the air) | 15
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Fusilateral Quintrocombiner | Chapter VIII: Melee an enemy through the goal post | 15
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I, Robot Master | Chapter IX: Destroy all images of Starscream and his Statues | 15
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The Harder They Die | Chapter X: Kill five Autobots with a single hover slam attack | 15
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Internal Affairs! | Chapter XI: Hack all of the security terminals before the Decepticons can activate them | 15
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Slap the Grimlock | Chapter XII: Kill a Leaper in the air with an explosive barrel | 15
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Monacus Spender | Spend 250,000 Energon in the Teletraan-1 store | 25
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Reconstructor | Fully upgrade one weapon | 15
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Master Builder | Fully upgrade all weapons | 25
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Teletraan-1 Regular | Rate all weapons, weapon upgrades, and equipment | 10
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Chop Shop | Purchase all weapons and perks | 50
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Beachcomber | Collect all blueprints | 25
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Cassetticon Audiophile | Collect all audio logs | 25
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Octopunch Scavenger | Open fifteen Armory Recreators in Campaign or Escalation | 15
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Reconfiguration Matrix | Create a custom character in Multiplayer | 10
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Headmaster! | Reach max level in a single class | 25
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King of the Scrap Heap | Reach max level in all four classes | 100
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What Prime Directives? | Unlock Prime Mode | 25
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Full Throttle Scramble Power! | Earn MVP in any game mode during a public Multiplayer match | 15
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Ultimate Menasor | Capture three flags in a single CTF game during a public Multiplayer match | 15
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Moonbase One | Personally capture all 3 nodes in a conquest game during a public Multiplayer match | 15
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Ballistic Energon Goodie | Return five heads at once in a headhunter game during a public Multiplayer match | 15
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Heavy Metal War | Kill 6 different opposing players in a TDM game during a public Multiplayer match | 15
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Robotopossum | Complete wave 15 in Escalation (Ignition) | 15
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Maccadam's Old Oil House | Complete wave 15 in Escalation (DownFall) | 15
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Space Pirates! | Complete wave 15 in Escalation (Oblivion) | 15
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Rust Marks | Complete wave 15 in Escalation (Ancients) | 15
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Ultra Power Master | Spend 100,000 credits in Escalation | 25
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Vector Sigma Victory | Unlock All Trophies | 
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Transformers references
Aside from the obvious G1 inspired character designs, the game has some references to previous iterations of Transformers, a number of them from the original cartoon and the 1986 movie.
- Most of the achievements and trophies are named in homage to Generation 1, such as characters, cartoon episodes, Marvel comic issues, and more. Due to the sheer number, we have opted to list them in the achievement list above instead.
- Soundwave does a short impression of a light fixture.
- Jazz and Cliffjumper are paired together, just as they were in the film and in the episode Starscream's Brigade.
- Jazz finds an inscription on a tank in the Sea of Rust that says "IX-XVII-MCMLXXXIV," or the date that "More than Meets the Eye, Part 1" first aired.
- During his coronation, Starscream is wearing the same crown his Generation 1 counterpart wore in the movie, and the dialogue he has with Megatron during the scene is almost word-for-word as well. He even blasts him in tank mode, though this does not kill him like it did in the movie. The crown can be found in Starscream's level and worn for its duration.
- When Megatron is done killing off soldiers under Starscream's command, Starscream calls Megatron a pretender to the throne.
- When Kickback runs to the door, Slug pushes it from outside and the door falls, smashing Kickback to the ground and when Slug sees Kickback under the door, he says "Excuse me!". This is a straight homage to the scene where Slag pushes the door and it smashes the Quintesson prosecutor.
- A secret room can be found in Grimlock's level containing his waiter outfit from "Madman's Paradise"; upon finding it, Grimlock utters his famous movie quote, "Me Grimlock no bozo, me king." It also contains three swords that resemble the Master Sword mounted on fixtures around the room.
- After defeating a group of Insecticons, Slug says that Grimlock tore through them like they were "beryllium baloney", but Grimlock says "cesium salami", mirroring the scene where their Generation 1 counterparts argue on Quintessa.
- In an audio log left by Sideswipe, the Ark is described as Vanguard-class Deep Space Interceptor, a term which originated in Transformers: The Ultimate Guide.
- The five Dinobots are originally grouped together as the "Lightning Strike Coalition", the name of Grimlock's breakaway Autobot faction in Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages. On that note, the Coalition's logo serves as the difficulty symbols.
- The Path Blaster is named for the Pathblaster from "Time Wars". One of its modifications is named for Generation 1 episode "The Gambler" and involves the use of Destronium, a substance introduced in Transformers Animated.
- The Riot Cannon's "Planet Buster" modification is likewise named after the Planet Buster that appeared in the Beast Wars cartoon.
- The neutron assault rifle's special modification is the "P.O.K.E. Beta"—not the first Punch of Kill Everything reference in the game series.
- One of the corrosive slime cannon's modifications for multiplayer is the Cosmic Rust Disperser.
- Other weapon modifications available include tachyon transmitter, fireblast, turbo boosters, transwarp ballistics, and R-Infinity finders.
- Bruticus's special attack is the Sonic Pain Wave, one of the 2001 Robots in Disguise franchise Megatron's weapons.
- When Cliffjumper is accessing the Teletraan-1 store one of the random phrases apologizes for not being able to provide glass gas, the unique weapon of G1 Cliffjumper. The Glass Gas Cannon is awarded, however, after beating the main campaign.
- In Chapter IX, playing as Megatron after his awakening Soundwave says "Less talk, more work", quoting the G1 episode "Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2".
As part of the expanding Aligned continuity, Fall of Cybertron also incorporates thematic and visual references to the Transformers: Exodus novel and the Transformers: Prime television series:
- Bumblebee's voice circuits/vocal processor having been damaged prior to the story's beginning, essentially rendering him mute.
- Optimus Prime's rifle design, which was described by High Moon Studios as being an earlier version of the rifles Optimus uses in the Prime television series.
- Optimus being referred to as having been a librarian named Orion Pax and Megatron having been a gladiator from Kaon named Megatronus.
- Cliffjumper's head design and Megatron's reformatted/rebuilt body design.
- Dark Energon's power to revive the dead is an aspect from the Prime television series that was not seen in the previous game, War For Cybertron.
- Trypticon being reformatted into the Nemesis.
- The discovery that there were Ancients who had traveled to other planets, particularly Earth.
- One of the weapons is called an Energon Harvester.
PC version notes
Initially, developer High Moon Studios commented (as late as BotCon 2012 on the end of April of that year) that there would not be a Windows PC version of Fall for Cybertron due to their own lack of experience with the PC platform and the criticism the PC version of War for Cybertron had received. However, shortly before the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2012 in early June, publisher Activision announced a PC version of the game, to be developed by Mercenary Technology, a new studio formed by "veterans of the industry".
The PC version of Fall of Cybertron improves upon the console versions of Fall (and indeed the PC version of War for Cybertron) by featuring higher quality graphics, higher resolution textures, runs at 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second (versus 30 frames for the console version). Unfortunately, as is standard in most console game ports, the graphical settings are lacking and the controls cannot be reset/rebound.
Even with these pros and cons, there is still a number of changes from the console and PC versions, such as:
- The main menu background in the PC version is a still image, rather than the long, beautiful cutscene file that is used in the console versions. The cutscene is unused in the PC files, but there currently is no way to put it back in the game.
- The VGA trailer isn't in the PC version of the game. It's not selectable in the Movies section of the Extras menu, not played when you idle on the main menu long enough, and isn't in any of the PC version files. This issue isn't present in the console versions, so that's a complete bummer!
- Jetfire's mouth doesn't move in the PC version when transitioning to Bruticus in the final level.
- Though the prompts appear, you cannot pet Laserbeak in the PC version.
Notes
- This game, like its predecessor, plays a Stan Bush song at the end, this time being a slightly modified version of "The Touch", using elements from both the 2007 and 2009 versions to create a unique hybrid of the two. Soundwave plays it, while Bumblebee dances "The Carlton Dance," made famous by Alfonso Ribeiro on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which is also performed in the game by the Lever Transformer hidden in Chapter V.
- One of the unlocks for beating the game is the Glass Gas Cannon, however, Teletraan still tells Cliffjumper during replays that it is not available.
- In Chapter VIII, a Wilhelm scream can be heard when Bruticus is attacking the Autobots.
- If Grimlock is recreated in any multiplayer mode, his T-rex alt mode will function differently than the campaign mode, behaving more like a typical vehicle mode.
- In an unfortunate oversight, the downloadable demo for the game is the first section of Chapter VI, in which one can find an audio log that blows the surprise of Megatron's death earlier in the game. Oops.
- Sludge's model is noted to have been set up for skeletal deformation; which would only be needed if the character had needed to transform in-game. The model also sports beast kibble, so Sludge may have initially had a bigger role in the story mode than what he had in the final game; either that, or he was intended to be a usable model in Multiplayer.
- Unlike its predecessor War for Cybertron, Fall of Cybertron has not been dubbed in languages other than English.
- Some backstory elements are expanded upon in Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Logs for the iPhone.
- The 2011 cinematic trailer for the game features the song "The Humbling River" by Puscifer. The 2012 trailers feature a cover by The EverLove of the song "Cities in Dust" (originally written by Siouxsie and the Banshees).
- The game was "remastered" in August 8th, 2016 for the PS4 and Xbox One in Australia, and on August 9th in America. However, like with High Moon's other "remastered" game, Deadpool, it's just a simple port with updated button icons (not even a framerate boost!). All DLC is unlocked, however.
Errors
- When Soundwave looks at Megatron's arm after he has been crushed by Metroplex, it is in the design of his upgraded body from later in the game, rather than the original one he just had.
- When Shockwave speaks to Grimlock just when the latter comes in to rescue Swoop, the subtitles say, "your attempt to "'you'" rescue your friend was easily predicted."
External links
- Official Website
- November cover revealed: Fall of Cybertron @ Game Informer (Wayback Machine link)
- Transformers: High Moon Studio tour @ Game Informer (Wayback Machine link)
- Fall of Cybertron: The New Optimus Prime @ Game Informer (Wayback Machine link)
- Grimlock Rises In Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Teaser Trailer via Gematsu
- Behind the Crosshairs: The Weapons of Transformers @ Game Informer (Wayback Machine link)
- Fall of Cybertron Teaser 01 @ YouTube
- The Illustrated Tour of Cybertron @ GameInformer (Wayback Machine link)
- The Story And Direction Of Transformers: Fall Of Cybertron @ GameInformer, "Directing Transformers: Fall of Cybertron" on YouTube
- Animating The Transformers @ GameInformer (Wayback Machine link): Optimus, Grimlock, and Jazz
- The Enemies & AI Of Transformers: Fall Of Cybertron @ GameInformer (Wayback Machine link)
- Transformers: Resurrecting The Dinobots @ GameInformer (Wayback Machine link): "The Story Behind the Dinobots in Transformers: Fall of Cybertron", "Designing the Dinobots for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron"
- Fall Of Cybertron Deep Character Dive: Jazz @ GameInformer (Wayback Machine link)
- The Transformers Timeline @ Game Informer (Wayback Machine link)
- True To Form: Safeguarding The Transformers License @ GameInformer (Wayback Machine link)
- Creating The Soundscape Of Transformers @ GameInformer; "Creating the Transformers Sound in Fall of Cybertron", "Peter Cullen and Transformers: Fall of Cybertron", "Capturing Sounds for Transformers: Fall of Cybertron" on YouTube
- Larger Than Life: Designing Fall of Cybertron's Set Piece Moments @ GameInformer (Wayback Machine link)
- Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Gameplay Roundtable @ GameInformer (Wayback Machine link), "Transformers: Fall of Cybertron Gameplay Roundtable" on YouTube
- Special Edition Podcast: Transformers: Fall of Cybertron @ GameInformer (Wayback Machine link)
- Fall of Cybertron Cinematic Teaser Trailer @ YouTube
- Fall of Cybertron Cinematic Trailer @ YouTube
- Fall of Cybertron Official Gameplay Trailer @ GameSpot
