Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark is a third-person shooter in the Transformers franchise. The game has a new developer and bridges the gap between the Transformers movie universe and the game Transformers: Fall of Cybertron. It acts as a prequel to both Fall of Cybertron and the movie Transformers: Age of Extinction . It takes place before the Ark is launched in the Aligned continuity, but also deals with one of Lockdown's schemes in the Age of Extinction part. At the start of the game an object flies towards Earth, destroying an orbiting satellite and it is spotted by the mercenary Lockdown. The player starts as the Autobot Drift, sent to a burning city to investigate the attack. The gameplay involves various characters and locations based around the Dark Spark, with 13 chapters that take players through different perspectives of Autobots and Decepticons. The game does not offer a choice in transformers or a specific faction side as in previous games. Players can control up to 9 characters, including Bumblebee and Optimus Prime, each with unique attacks and transformations.
Characters get to control are Bumblebee , Drift , Grimlock , Jetfire , Optimus Prime , Sharpshot , Sideswipe , Soundwave , and Swindle . There are about 20 guns in total, including a regular shotgun and various other weapons such as chaining beams and a slime cannon. The game features an online multiplayer mode called Escalation, where up to four players work together cooperatively to destroy waves of enemies.
Weapons can be upgraded with bonuses for specific weapons, faster reload and larger clips. By leveling up or completing bonus challenges gear drops can be earned, ranging from bronze to gold in value, and prime for specific milestones. These boxes provide new weapons, character unlocks for multiplayer, Tech (single-use power-ups) and Hacks (gameplay modifiers). The experience and leveling system with its unlocks is shared between the single-player and multiplayer mode.
The online multiplayer mode is called Escalation. Up to four players work together cooperatively to destroy waves of progressively more difficult enemies on eight maps in total, grabbing ammo and reviving each other during games. In multiplayer there are over 40 characters to choose from, some with different models based on the movie or the game universe, and also the Generation 1 Optimus Prime.
