Autobots and Decepticons made their return to cinemas worldwide this summer with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, so the Transformers IP is getting a much-needed boost of energon. Mind you, the franchise's diehard fanatics have never let it fall asleep, but mainstream popularity has been an entirely different story over the years.
With the release of Rise of the Beasts and the striking triple-A title Transformers: Reactivate coming in the near future, fans and casual players alike might be looking for some games to revisit or discover for the first time. The full repertoire is nearly as vast as the property's many animated and comic book iterations, so we thought it'd be good to put together a comprehensive list of the best Transformers games of all time, ranked worst to best.
If you need more to be prepared to transform and roll out when Transformers: Rise of the Beasts arrives, be sure to check out our big list of the Transformers movies ranked, worst to best as well as the Transformers movies in order (there are quite a few). Likewise, we've got plenty of other sci-fi gaming suggestions with our ranked lists of the finest Alien, Warhammer 40K, Marvel, and DC games of all time.
10. Transformers: Forged to Fight
- Platforms: iOS, Android, Netflix
- Developer: Kabam
Forged to Fight is a strange beast, part fighting game and part story-driven role playing game (RPG). Despite its mobile game structure, full of in-app purchases, the actual core experience was surprisingly solid and filled to the brim with content from G1, Beast Wars, and even the live-action movies.
The original game was shut down in January 2023, but it returned in May, exclusively as part of Netflix's game offerings. While in-app purchases and ads have been entirely removed and new characters have been added, the live-action iterations of our favorite Autobots and Decepticons are no longer present, so keep that in mind.
9. Transformers Animated: The Game
- Platforms: Nintendo DS
- Developer: Artificial Mind and Movement
We all know plenty of big IP tie-in games are bad, and Transformers is no stranger to stinkers, so we can't blame you if you're skeptical about this one. It's a little Nintendo DS tie-in for the off-beat and highly stylized Transformers Animated cartoon. But this one was a pretty solid 2D platformer with a strong focus on puzzle-solving and much less exciting driving sections.
While Transformers Animated: The Game might be hard to recommend for more adult players and fans looking for the best the franchise has, we believe it's an above-average release which the youngest fans could fully enjoy before diving deeper into the lore.
8. Transformers: The Game
- Platforms: PC, PS2/3, Xbox 360, Wii
- Developer: Traveller's Tales
The first of many tie-ins built around Michael Bay's movies, Transformers: The Game covered the basics of a satisfying modern Transformers video game quite well. No one raved about it back when it was released, and few gamers remember it, but amidst many late-2000s tie-in games which weren't even trying anymore, Traveller's Tales' first go was perfectly enjoyable.
Each area has an open structure and contains secondary missions. Moreover, players can control both Autobots and Decepticons, so the overall package was meatier than anyone had anticipated. The Nintendo DS and PSP versions of the game understandably aren't as exciting and were handled by different studios, a tradition that would be maintained moving forward.
7. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
- Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360
- Developer: High Moon Studios
The third of the Bay-era Transformers games is slightly better than the first installment. Development was once again split across three different studios depending on the target platforms, and the main version by High Moon Studios – who developed the stunning War and Fall of Cybertron titles – felt perfectly adequate and even surprising in some regards.
Unlike its predecessors, Dark of the Moon had a single unified campaign while still retaining the swapping between the two Transformers factions. It overall felt like a more refined version of the two previous games, but a disappointing multiplayer and pointless cutbacks prevented it from topping Revenge of the Fallen (see below).
6. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
- Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
- Developer: Luxoflux, Beenox
The second Transformers movie tie-in is arguably the most solid one that Activision put out back in the Michael Bay days. Given that the second movie is generally regarded as the worst of the bunch and that the studio (and game engine) situation for this game was a nightmare, the final result – at least for the main version – was more than decent.
Graphics and mission objectives were a bit on the bland side, but the two separate campaigns delivered squarely on the core premise of the live-action renditions of the Autobots and Decepticons duking it out all over the globe. Moreover, the unexpected online multiplayer mode was praised and had a decent following.
5. Transformers: Prime – The Game
- Platforms: Wii, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS
- Developer: Now Production
The Transformers: Prime tie-in game is another weird one to classify, mainly because of how much it tried to do despite a very limited duration. However, its ambitions mostly paid off, making it a quick ride that fans of the Prime animated show should be able to enjoy.
Part brawler and part light driving game, Transformers: Prime has a rather packed story mode and both co-op and competitive multiplayer modes. Plus, there's a handful of extras to unlock, giving it some replay value for the biggest fans of the show.
4. Transformers Armada: Prelude to Energon
- Platforms: PS2
- Developer: Atari Melbourne House
From this fourth position onwards, the Transformers games we're presenting are truly notable and well worth chasing down even if you're not a big Transformers fanatic.
The first of the franchise's "top tier" is Transformers Armada: Prelude to Energon, generally known as just Transformers. Much like the Armada animated series, this release was a winner that reignited the mainstream following of the IP in the early 2000s.
Although non-canon to the series, the third-person shooter's basic premise is similar to that of the show. And while players could only assume the roles of Optimus Prime, Red Alert, or Hot Shot, the game made up for that and other weak points with stellar combat options, impressive scenarios (for the time), and punchy visual effects.
3. Transformers: War for Cybertron
- Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
- Developer: High Moon Studios
Before High Moon Studios was tasked with adapting Transformers: Dark of the Moon, they made a splash with War for Cybertron, a third-person shooter set on Cybertron, prior to the Transformers' arrival on Earth. By making great use of a fresh continuity and a faithful yet unique and darker art direction, the studio delivered a Transformers game that felt truly genuine.
Multiplayer was also an option, but most of the praise went to a memorable story campaign full of dramatic beats and big-scale battles between the Autobots and Decepticons as their home world crumbles.
2. Transformers: Fall of Cybertron
- Platforms: PC, PS3/4, Xbox 360/One
- Developer: High Moon Studios
The direct sequel to War for Cybertron was bigger and better, not messing around and expanding on the spectacular set pieces, boss battles, and sincere drama that made its predecessor a hit.
On the downside, the co-op mode for the campaign was removed, though competitive multiplayer was still a thing. Aside from that low point and a couple of sections in the story that slowed down a bit too much, Fall of Cybertron has pretty much everything a Transformers fan would want and could be considered one of the biggest love-letters this universe has ever received.
1. Transformers: Devastation
- Platforms: PC, PS3/4, Xbox 360/One
- Developer: PlatinumGames
Giving the keys to the Transformers IP to PlatinumGames, who are widely known for their knack for slick beat 'em up combat and striking audiovisual presentations, resulted in the best Transformers game that has graced consoles and PC so far. This one still looks gorgeous to this day.
Devastation is short but sweet and hyper-focused on delivering the perfect homage to the G1 series. More importantly, it's a blast to play unless you hate beat 'em ups for some reason. You can use both ranged and melee weapons, but all the action looks remarkably clean and rewards players that strive to improve their techniques. Among these is the ability to drive into your opponents' faces as part of combos. Rad.
