Home Gaming Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark is a fumblebee

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark is a fumblebee

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Hey, remember how surprisingly awesome the last batch of Transfomers games have been? High Moon Studios somehow made pretty damned good games from the licence that nobody was expecting to be any way decent. War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron were excellent, unshackled from the constraints of the film licence. The latest one isn’t quite as lucky, bridging the gap between the film and game universes. It’s not developed by High Moon this time. It’s also terrible.

Released last week, reviews have started popping up all over the internet – and the general consensus is that it’s terrible.

Here’s what critics have to say.

IGN – 4.9/10

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Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark has a few bright spots; the co-op Escalation mode is enjoyable, and there are cool weapons befitting the bots. But the bland campaign is a slog with uneven difficulty, while vehicle transformations and combat are largely unsatisfying. Without nailing that, you’ve got a bad Transfomers game.

Gamespot – 4/10

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The Transformers are a great property, one that seems like it should lend itself to the creation of great games, but Rise of the Dark Spark is so sloppy and incoherent that it feels more like a cheap knockoff than a proper Transformers game. Optimus Prime deserves better, and so do you.

Shacknews – 5.10

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Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark isn’t a bad game, it’s just one that’s incredibly sub-par, especially in the face of such brilliant fare that came before. With a little more effort (and a lot more polish), we could’ve had the kind of Transformers fare that escalated the series to an all-new high. Instead, it’s a pale imitation of much better fare.

The Wii U version is even worse; skipping out on the game’s serviceable multiplayer.

Nintendo Life – 3/10

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The last few Transformers video games bucked the trend of subpar licensed products, instead giving us the Transformers games we always wanted as kids. Perhaps the PlayStation and Xbox versions of Rise of the Dark Spark are just as high-quality as their predecessors, but on Wii U, Rise of the Dark Spark is everything Nintendo fans have come to loathe about movie tie-ins and multiplatform gaming: a lazy port with missing features that treats Nintendo players like second-class citizens.

After the disastrous Deadpool, Activision took High Moon Studios off of Transformers duty, putting them to work porting the next Call of Duty game. It’s a shame, and it’s something that’s happened at the detriment of Transformers games. If you were hoping a a videogame would take the bitter taste of the (seemingly) 7 and a half hour long Transformers: Age of Extinction, then you’re in for disappointment.

Last Updated: June 30, 2014

72 Comments

  1. oVg Panzaboye

    June 30, 2014 at 14:34

    ACTIVISION, Fcuk this shit, lets just throw it out there like Spiderpoop and re-allocate all our resources to Destiny the Titanfall killer.
    If Destiny tanks then we can fire everybody and buy M TV so we can sell more plastic guitars, because that shit and COD made Bobby a member of the Board for Coca Cola International and got to star in a movie with Brad Pitt.

    No jokes 😛

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      June 30, 2014 at 14:49

      Or we can all play indie games. Playing Valiant Hearts at the moment.

      Reply

      • oVg Panzaboye

        June 30, 2014 at 14:51

        Sounds Violent 😛 Is it banned in Australia?

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          June 30, 2014 at 14:56

          LOL

          Reply

  2. Alien Emperor Trevor

    June 30, 2014 at 14:36

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA As I was reading this I was thinking about making some crappy comment about how it must be an Activision game then & now I can’t… BECAUSE IT IS.

    Reply

    • oVg Panzaboye

      June 30, 2014 at 14:38

      CRAPTIVISION 😛

      Reply

    • FoxOneZA

      June 30, 2014 at 15:25

      Copy and paste comments…

      Reply

  3. Viking Of GabeN

    June 30, 2014 at 14:37

    Yeah, High Moon shouldn’t have been pulled from Dev Duty… Their Games are great Fan Service. And tht includes Deadpool….

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      June 30, 2014 at 14:38

      Are they being rewarded or punished by being put on COD duty?

      Reply

      • Viking Of GabeN

        June 30, 2014 at 14:39

        I think it’s punishment… because Deadpool was for Fans of Deadpool, so it didn’t make “enough money”

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          June 30, 2014 at 14:42

          You can’t even get that game on Steam anymore. Just checked. You CAN get a Deadpool Pinball FX2 table though, which is pretty sweet.

          Reply

    • Saint_Dee

      July 2, 2014 at 11:15

      As a fan of the previous 2 games, this 3rd game and all things associated with it can go eat a bag filled with steaming s**t… As a fan, I was hopeful that it would be the sequel fans were hoping for, but as a realist gamer I saw the red flags as soon as it was announced and I started following the development of the game. No High Moon, a mixture of Cybertron and Bayformer universes, etc. Oh well, such is life in this industry we support and fuel.

      Reply

  4. ElimiNathan

    June 30, 2014 at 14:38

    Crazy thing is this game is like R900 on PSN. I lold when I saw that, just saw flames and ppl losing their jobs

    Reply

    • oVg Panzaboye

      June 30, 2014 at 14:41

      There we go. Thats what I have been ranting about ever since that day a saw Thor for the same price on the shelf next to Red Dead Redemption.

      Reply

      • Weanerdog

        June 30, 2014 at 14:59

        I am pretty. I don’t come cheap. It is the hair you see.

        Reply

      • Rince&Shitity

        June 30, 2014 at 14:59

        Was Thor at least on the PC? *Runs

        Reply

        • Weanerdog

          June 30, 2014 at 15:00

          Was it single Player?

          Reply

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            June 30, 2014 at 15:01

            More importantly, do we care?

          • Weanerdog

            June 30, 2014 at 15:51

            OVG might at least he will have movie tie ins to play when the rest of the games go online only.

  5. Liquid Kaz (Umar)

    June 30, 2014 at 14:39

    Its activision? Are you surprised BRO? This isn’t their main focus

    Reply

    • oVg Panzaboye

      June 30, 2014 at 14:40

      They just collect license for when they can sell them off at a larger profit like EA.

      Reply

      • Liquid Kaz (Umar)

        June 30, 2014 at 14:41

        But hey, lets make these assholes richer with Destiny

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          June 30, 2014 at 14:42

          The PC master race won’t stand for it! We’ll all boycott it!

          Reply

          • Liquid Kaz (Umar)

            June 30, 2014 at 14:45

            Good for you, you guys were boycotting GTA 5 also till a while ago,right?

          • Hammersteyn

            June 30, 2014 at 14:46

            XD

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            June 30, 2014 at 14:46

            Let’s go with yes.

          • Rince&Shitity

            June 30, 2014 at 14:57

            Snap! And OUCH!

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            June 30, 2014 at 15:01

            It would be… if not for the fact that that’s exactly what I was playing on *sigh*

        • oVg Panzaboye

          June 30, 2014 at 14:43

          People forget. Im waiting for the day that Bungie get back to the office after lunch only to find that they have all been locked out by security like the dudes from Infinity Ward.

          Reply

          • Liquid Kaz (Umar)

            June 30, 2014 at 14:44

            Don’t worry bro, Activision looks after their people, just look at how well they treat the customers

          • oVg Panzaboye

            June 30, 2014 at 14:46

            I wonder how many devs have lost their jobs at Activision? Most probably made Guitar Hero games.

  6. alcatraz5953

    June 30, 2014 at 14:39

    Haha my day is made

    Reply

  7. Rince&Shitity

    June 30, 2014 at 14:46

    So basically the same as the movie but with less Mark?

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      June 30, 2014 at 14:52

      The ratings don’t even give it a pass Mark 😉

      Reply

      • Rince&Shitity

        June 30, 2014 at 14:55

        You could say it hit a wall mountain? 0_O

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          June 30, 2014 at 14:58

          Reply

          • Rince&Shitity

            June 30, 2014 at 14:58

            Get it!? GET IT?!

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            June 30, 2014 at 15:02

            This is one of those times where I really wish I didn’t. :/

          • Rince&Shitity

            June 30, 2014 at 15:06

            🙁

    • Weanerdog

      June 30, 2014 at 15:02

      And without the $100000000000 opening weekend,

      Note there may be too many 0s in the above number I got tired of counting.

      Reply

      • Rince&Shitity

        June 30, 2014 at 15:07

        I fear to few lol

        Reply

        • Weanerdog

          June 30, 2014 at 15:58

          So is the movie a total train wreck?

          Reply

          • Rince&Shitity

            June 30, 2014 at 16:13

            I actually haven’t seen it, but it’s more of the same I hear. It’s already pulled in 300 million I believe.

          • Weanerdog

            June 30, 2014 at 16:52

            That is disappointing, yip I think 300 million world wide and 100 million in the states.

          • Rince&Shitity

            June 30, 2014 at 17:15

            Well not very surprising. Bay does explosions, not expositions 😉

  8. Sith JJ

    June 30, 2014 at 14:48

    Why am I not surprised?

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      June 30, 2014 at 14:49

      Because after getting smacked into a volcano by your ex-master nothing much surprises you anymore?

      Reply

      • Sith JJ

        June 30, 2014 at 14:50

        Wait a second…..that’s not a compliment!

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          June 30, 2014 at 15:06

          Why would you think it was? :/

          Reply

          • Sith JJ

            June 30, 2014 at 15:07

            Because it’s you! And you’re such a nice person.

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            June 30, 2014 at 15:09

            Oh right… um… but if it wasn’t for that, you wouldn’t be half the man you are today!

          • Sith JJ

            June 30, 2014 at 15:09

            Well, as a Sith I do take after Darth Maul.

      • Rince&Shitity

        June 30, 2014 at 14:55

        He didn’t have the higher ground?

        Reply

        • Sith JJ

          June 30, 2014 at 15:09

          Hey hey hey. I’m taller than both of you. I always have the higher ground.

          Reply

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            June 30, 2014 at 15:10

            lol

          • Rince&Shitity

            June 30, 2014 at 15:20

            You may have the higher ground but black eye blindness is still black eyed blindness *RUNS

          • Sith JJ

            June 30, 2014 at 15:23

            *pats eyes softly with tissue without ruining eyeliner

    • Matthew Holliday

      June 30, 2014 at 15:01

      dont get it either.
      has there been a good transformers game, that would have gotten our hopes up for this game?
      I tried playing one befor, it was laughable.

      Reply

      • Sith JJ

        June 30, 2014 at 15:08

        That’s what I’m thinking. Same goes for most movie-games (if I can call it that)

        Reply

  9. Hammersteyn

    June 30, 2014 at 14:48

    • oVg Panzaboye

      June 30, 2014 at 14:49

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        June 30, 2014 at 14:55

        Why do they expect us to pay top dollar for this kak. R900? They can go fuck themselves. Destiny costs R650 why must this average piece of shit be so expensive even

        Reply

        • Weanerdog

          June 30, 2014 at 15:04

          Single Player, destiny only has MP so only half a game. Dammit I think I am starting to channel OVG.

          Reply

        • Dutch Matrix

          June 30, 2014 at 15:04

          Because the movie just raked in like a $100m on opening weekend. They be milking the guys that walked out of the movie and into a game store. “Hey, I saw this awesome movie, let me buy this awesome game. But it is R900.00. Yeah, but it is an awesome R900.00!”

          Reply

    • Rince&Shitity

      June 30, 2014 at 14:54

      Still best IT show in da world!

      Reply

  10. Dutch Matrix

    June 30, 2014 at 14:50

    “After the disastrous Deadpool…” You made me cry there Geoff. You made me really cry… Deadpool deserved better…

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      June 30, 2014 at 14:53

      He deserves his own decent movie at least.

      Reply

      • Dutch Matrix

        June 30, 2014 at 15:03

        From which Activision will do another sub par game.

        Reply

  11. HisDivineOrder

    June 30, 2014 at 15:35

    Activision likes to do this kind of thing to make sure their studios NEVER get uppity. If High Moon thought they could do one franchise well, perhaps then they might get to thinking they were actually necessary.

    So Kotick puts them in their place by slamming them into port duty and putting in another studio to show them who’s boss. Alas, he doesn’t have many quality developers left that they own (ie., Infinity Ward, Treyarch, Sledgehammer, Blizzard, what’s left of Raven) or virtually own (Bungie) that could do the duty.

    What’s sad is that of the studios they own, FOUR of those I listed are working on Call of Duty’s in some capacity with the aforementioned High Moon ALSO working on Call of Duty porting. So think about that.

    Activision is a three trick pony that hopes no one notices in the investment world. They have Blizzard, Skylander, and Call of Duty. Coming this Fall, they might add another trick to the pony (ie., Bungie), but that’s a big maybe.

    Thing is, take Blizzard away from Activison and suddenly they are spending a LOT less on making Call of Duty’s.

    Reply

  12. Pieter Smal

    June 30, 2014 at 15:41

    Never trust games based on movies!

    Reply

  13. Xx_-Gaben_of_Gamen-_xX

    June 30, 2014 at 16:00

    Game of the Year

    Reply

  14. Unavengedavo

    June 30, 2014 at 16:04

    Is it just me or is Optimus making a duckface? O_o

    Reply

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