After Nearly 15 Years, The Greatest Transformers Game Somehow Still Doesn’t Have A Remake Or Remaster

There are plenty of games featuring the Transformers, the sentient robots from Cybertron who have always had a dedicated fan base throughout their history since the first animated show. While originally meant to just be toys, the Transformers have a wealth of narrative depth surrounding them, from various factions like the Autobots and Decepticons to the many conflicts revolving around their home world and Earth. One of the best games to capture the richness of the Transformers story has, unfortunately, slowly been losing itself to time, despite the desperation of fans to see a remake or remaster. 

The comics, movies, and TV shows surrounding Transformers have created a truly deep library of media involving the IP, with even immersive tabletop RPGs that capture the franchise’s spirit. According to fans, the best Transformers experiences are ones that revere the complex, almost Shakespearean drama that exists within its characters, such as the brothers to enemies relationship between Optimus Prime and Megatron. With the first Transformers animated movie coming back with a remaster, it only makes sense that other great pieces of media for the series should also return.

Transformers: Fall Of Cybertron Came Out In 2012 To Provide One Of The Best Experiences For The IP

One of the boldest games ever made for Transformers was Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, a title released nearly 14 years ago in August 2012. This game was the quintessential Transformers project at the time, allowing players to choose their side and jump into a mature, heavy third-person shooter campaign involving the generational war between Optimus Prime’s Autobots and Megatron’s Decepticons on the planet Cybertron. Unlike many of the movies, there are no humans in this game whatsoever, focusing entirely on the war’s tense drama and destruction.

The brutality of this game is framed through whichever side the player picks, as there are two stories from either faction that change your experience. If players choose the Autobots, they embark on missions for that side, but the Decepticons have their own campaign that doesn’t use any of the same content from the Autobot’s side. Levels will have players control certain characters from either faction, with specific Transformers having access to unique abilities and weaponry. Every Chapter of the story forces you to adapt to whichever Transformer you’re assigned, making levels fresh and interesting as you progress.

The environments of Fall of Cybertron are immaculate too, featuring futuristic sci-fi settings in the middle of war, creating unforgettable cinematic moments in every Chapter. Some sections of the game break the mold from what has been established, such as the Dinobots level that ramps up the chaos in the best way. Dynamic visuals are matched by distinct Transformers gameplay that entirely depends on which robot you’re playing as. The constant novelty of your Transformer comes from their special skills and transformations, changing up the gameplay from action, stealth, and more for almost unlimited variety.

Fans Have Been Begging For A Remaster Or Remake Due To The Games’ Excellent Systems

The sheer spectacle and presentation of Fall of Cybertron already felt like it was ahead of its time in 2012, making it no wonder why players would love to see the game again. A potential remaster could raise the quality of the game’s visuals to be even better than they were before, with other features added to improve gameplay. Perhaps players could get the chance to replay levels as whichever Transformer they wanted, adding some version of New Game+ to the title. On the other hand, a remaster might make the game’s online features more accessible to players.

Fall of Cybertron had a well-liked multiplayer mode called “Escalation,” a place where players compete against each other and create a custom Transformer for battles. The character creation systems in this title weren’t incredibly detailed, but a remake or remaster could change that. Some co-op systems from Transformers: War for Cybertron, the predecessor to Fall of Cybertron, could also be brought back in a remaster bundle, giving players ways to team up throughout story Chapters.

Lost Production Rights Could Be Reclaimed Due To Hasbro’s Willingness To Integrate Its Properties In Unlikely Places

There are two problems that stand in the way of Fall of Cybertron from getting remastered or remade anytime soon, and they both have to do with Activision, the studio involved with licensing the original game. Activision lost the Transformers license to Hasbro some years ago, which puts the franchise in a complex legal hurdle between Hasbro and Microsoft for any potential new games. The publishing license held by those two companies took place because Activision let their hold on Transformers expire, causing Fall of Cybertron and other games to get de-listed from stores.

Despite Microsoft’s collection of Activision through its buying of several game studios, the recent “reset” at the company has seen them drastically change how they approach projects. Over 3,200 layoffs and the closure of several studios likely means that Activision will be prioritizing more reliable games in its catalog, such as the evergreen Call of Duty series. To make matters worse, there are rumors that Activision lost the source code for Fall of Cybertron, meaning it can’t be recovered for a simple graphical upgrade remaster, let alone a full-blown remake.

The high costs of another Transformers game would not just come from standard production, but from copyright deals and agreements with Hasbro. The amount of legal issues surrounding the franchise already makes the chances of Transformers: Fall of Cybertron slim, but as the game stays relevant in fans’ minds almost a decade and a half later, the odds are never zero for its return.

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