Transformers: Devastation trailer makes the series fun again

By Gabe Gurwin July 11, 2015

The last Transformers game, Rise of the Dark Spark, served as a great companion to Michael Bay’s latest entry in the film series, Age of Extinction — but it’s because they’re both terrible. Instead of trying to match the tone of the recent movies, Activision has enlisted the help of action game developer PlatinumGames to make Transformers fun again, and if the latest trailer for Transformers: Devastation is anything to go by, it’s a success.

“Gear up and get ready to crush some metal,” the trailer reads over a shot of Optimus Prime blasting through an oil tanker before coming face to face with Megatron.

Related: Play out your childhood Autobot fantasy in Transformers: Devastation

While PlatinumGames is best known for extremely fast combat — the best examples of which can be seen in Bayonetta 2 and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance — Transformers: Devastation appears to move away from this style. In its place are heavy, powerful strikes made even better by clanging, metallic sound effects.

But Transformers: Devastation also appears to contain more, well, transforming. Tank combat and high-speed racing segments all appear to be fair game, as does a lock-on flying car attack that looks like something out of the latest Sonic the Hedgehog game. Of course, Devastator appears to be the star of the show, towering over Optimus — the famous hero yells “take this” before the screen cuts to black, at which point I am 100 percent positive he bounced off Devastator after doing no damage.

Transformers: Devastation arrives October 6 for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PC, but it’s just one of the projects PlatinumGames is working on. Scalebound, first revealed at last year’s E3, will be front and center at Gamescom next month, and the studio recently announced a partnership with Nintendo to develop Star Fox Zero for the Wii U. And then there’s the Metal Gear Rising sequel that totally isn’t in the works.

Editors' Recommendations

Bathe in nostalgia with the trailer for Netflix’s ‘Transformers’ anime series

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

Gaming

VR headset deals: Meta Quest 2 and VIVE XR

htc vive vs pro headphones

While VR may not be as big as was predicted back in the early 2000s when the original Oculus Go was released, there is still a considerable market these days, and some great VR games like Half-Life: Alyx that you can have fun with. Of course, VR headsets remain expensive, and while options like the Meta Quest don't necessarily require a high-end gaming PC, they can still be a bit pricey for those who just want to put a foot in the hobby. Luckily, there are some good deals you can take advantage of, even on some of the best VR headsets, so be sure to check out all your options below.
Meta Quest 2 -- $199, was $200

Even though the Meta Quest 3 came out quite recently, the Meta Quest 2 is still a pretty powerful contender, especially since it has a wider library and app support than the Quest 3 currently has. Even more so, the Quest 2 is a lot cheaper than the Quest 3, and with the latest permanent discount down to just $200, that's a whole $300 or so difference from the Quest 3. Of course, the Quest 3 does have more advanced AR and slightly better performance with software and Wi-Fi, but that may not be worth the extra cost for some. Either way, be sure to check out the breakdown between Quest 2 and Quest 3 to get a better sense of what you should pick up.

Gaming

BlizzCon 2024 is not happening despite Blizzard’s strong 2024 lineup

A still from World of Warcraft The Worldsoul Saga's reveal tralier.

World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch maker Blizzard Entertainment confirmed that BlizzCon 2024 will not be happening.

BlizzCon was a convention that Blizzard Entertainment held almost every year between 2005 and 2019 to celebrate its games and make new announcements. The pandemic and hostile workplace allegations against Blizzard meant that no shows were held in 2020 or 2022 (2021 was digital-only), but BlizzCon made its grand return in 2023. We attended it last November and had the opportunity to speak with developers and learn more about Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer's first visit to Blizzard, upcoming plans for franchises like Diablo and Warcraft, and more. Although Blizzard never outright confirmed that it would hold BlizzCon in 2024, the event was expected to continue after its return last year.

Gaming

How to unlock fast travel in Another Crab’s Treasure

Kril with a coconut shell

Another Crab's Treasure is a fantastical soulslike set deep under the ocean where danger lurks around every corner. And like other games in the genre, it's often brutally difficult to overcome the various challenges you'll encounter. As such, you may find yourself wanting to backtrack for level grinding, to uncover new secrets, or to buy additional items in the game's main hub. However, you may notice early in the game that you haven't yet unlocked the ability to fast travel between the multitude of Moon Snail Shells (aka "bonfires") you've found. Here's how and when you'll unlock fast travel.
How to unlock fast travel
In the opening hours of the game, you may notice that you can access your skill tree, which will show a skill called Shelleportation. But you may be discouraged to see that you aren't able to apply any points to it yet. That's because the game doesn't open up this feature until you've advanced a few hours into the story.

To unlock fast travel, you'll need to work your way through the first few main areas of the game until you reach a boss called the Polluted Platoon Pathfinder. After beating this baddie, you'll soon find yourself teleporting to the Moon Snail's Domain. Here, you'll learn about the power of Umami, as well as unlock access to your skill tree.