Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark

 PlayStation 4
User Score
4.2

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 107 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 107
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 107
  3. Negative: 58 out of 107
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  1. Silentum
    Jul 29, 2014
    1
    As a fan of the series but also an avid gamer, this game was horrendous to me. It's honestly not worth spending the time to write out a long review, so I'll be brief.

    The graphics are sub-par and NOT "next-gen" in any way. The story is weak and full of contradictions and plot holes. The game-play is nothing more than a shooter with zero innovation. Everything seems so poorly executed    As a fan of the series but also an avid gamer, this game was horrendous to me. It's honestly not worth spending the time to write out a long review, so I'll be brief.

    The graphics are sub-par and NOT "next-gen" in any way. The story is weak and full of contradictions and plot holes. The game-play is nothing more than a shooter with zero innovation. Everything seems so poorly executed and fails to hold a light to any previous game.

    Verdict: Unless you're a truly hardcore fan who doesn't care whether it's good or not, give this game a miss.    … Expand
  2. TheBigshug
    Jun 24, 2014
    2
    This game is very weak, Compared to the last 2 Transformers games, this one is embarrassing. We need another Transformers game on next gen from highmoon. The only thing redeemable about this game is Highmoons FoC and WfC assets....the earth stuff, supper unfinished. do yourself a favour pick up Fall of Cybertron and war for cyberton....
  3. masterjohnson1
    Jul 3, 2014
    6
    I really wanted to multiplayer for this game because in war and fall of cybertron the multiplayer was good, the story is good but this was not worth full price for what you got I would not recommend this game to anyone
  4. Kalaban
    Jun 24, 2014
    7
    All i can really say is wow, really???? Graphics wise the game is horrendous. The definition in the environment is so substandard i was trying to find ways to convince myself it is a game worth playing. Graphically, it is so unfinished i cried inside. I loved the Transformers cybertron games and was really looking forward to seeing what they would do, and disappointment is what i felt.All i can really say is wow, really???? Graphics wise the game is horrendous. The definition in the environment is so substandard i was trying to find ways to convince myself it is a game worth playing. Graphically, it is so unfinished i cried inside. I loved the Transformers cybertron games and was really looking forward to seeing what they would do, and disappointment is what i felt. Sure, you have 40 playable characters, plenty of chances to open up lockboxes to up your arsenal and transformer collection. I'm not going to point out the lack of pvp multiplayer that had been available in previous titles. The content and storyline isn't the issue here at all. I was looking forward to ps4 graphic quality, and was handed a ps2 game at best. Handling and control while in vehicle mode is laughable. It reminds me of those old television shows where there is a vehicle and a big screen in the background. A 7 is being GENEROUS.Only because i am a gen1 transformers fan. Finding the positives, it's a transformers game, unlocking all content, and leveling will provide plenty of gametime. There are plenty of weapons to choose from, and a "build your own loadout feature' in escalation mode. As i stated before, i was forcing myself to find the positives within this one, and that isn't a good thing....… Expand
  5. CIVICMINDED
    Jun 26, 2014
    4
    I really wanted to like Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark. Despite knowing in advance that High Moon Studio was no longer involved with the series, I remained cautiously optimistic--a sometimes fatal trait. The three previous (yes, THREE; not TWO) Transformers games by High Moon were top notch, in my opinion. But, two days ago, I picked-up TF:RotDS for PS4...and was almost instantlyI really wanted to like Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark. Despite knowing in advance that High Moon Studio was no longer involved with the series, I remained cautiously optimistic--a sometimes fatal trait. The three previous (yes, THREE; not TWO) Transformers games by High Moon were top notch, in my opinion. But, two days ago, I picked-up TF:RotDS for PS4...and was almost instantly disappointed. Graphically, the game is an absolute abomination. It...looks...friggin'...bad. There is literally an early cutscene with Optimus Prime on Earth that looks as if it was rendered on a PSP. In 2007, that would have worked, but not in 2014. There are audio level issues with spikes and drops. There are collision detection errors. There are instances when the NPC allies are non-responsive. The enemy AI is purely idiotic. The escalation mode is terribly dumbed-down...I beat it on my second attempt without dying once. The bottom line is that this game was a rush job in a futile attempt to merge the successful formula of the High Moon games with the questionable material from the Bay movie line. All-in-all, it just doesn't work. 4/10.… Expand
  6. DJosh21
    Jun 24, 2014
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This Game Was Horrendous. Where to begin....Graphics, bought it for the ps4 and jeez they just seemed like a ps2 garbage game graphics. Game cover "When Two Worlds Collide" no worlds collided at all you remove a object from your universe and put it in another. Story was just weak, i liked how they tried to bring you up to fall of Cybertron but the ai, the execution everything was so awful compared to High Moon. High Moon has this bar and the people who did this game did not meet it. No pvp Multiplayer which was fun making your own Transformer, not in it. Unlock stuff with energon no you have to earn Battle Packs....seriously? I am playing Transformers not Battle Field. Hell I was playing Fall of Cybertron before i got the game. Picked it up a hour after i finished fall of cybertron for the umtienth time and First few minutes.....What is this....this looks horrible okay lets just grit through it. What i though was some Dimension shinanigans what i got was Accidents. Whoops was trying to save my universe from megatron so i shot it away and not cared for the consequences. Then you get another plot of some guy who we have only seen in commercials come in and have this whole army and other things attacking earth because why the **** not i want the dark spark. Then he plans to use a time bridge to bring the Decepticons to the present. (Insert Hype Here) OMG they are actually gunna do it! They are gunna mix the universes due to plot shenanigans! And then no....They break the story continuity by Optimus suddenly having the gen 1 Matrix in his chest....the movie optimus does not have gen 1 Matrix of leadership in his chest. Then oh hey i will send this thing off into a time vortex and not care for the consequences. Game ends with Generation 1 Optimus seeing the dark spark and saying what the other Optimus said in the beginning and cut game there. Took 4 hours to do that...all i had left was Escalation....nope...didn't really enjoy escalation before why would i now...also i played it for the story but that was horrible. Only fun i got out of it was Grimlock but that was clunky. Alot of the game is clunky. If i were you do not purchase this game. I am selling it tomorrow and putting it towards Evolve for that awesome 40% extra trade in value. Hopefully next game that comes out will be high moon studios and not some people who just port things.… Expand
  7. PyongyangMayor
    Aug 17, 2014
    0
    28 positive reviews? Really this game is tied with positive & negative reviews? I'll fix that. 5.1 is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much for this pile of feces. The graphics are atrocious, the gameplay is boring as hell and honestly, $50 or $60 is WAY too much! $20? Maybe, but not $60. I have a feeling the reason why this has a positive rating is because fanboys of the movie just rated it28 positive reviews? Really this game is tied with positive & negative reviews? I'll fix that. 5.1 is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much for this pile of feces. The graphics are atrocious, the gameplay is boring as hell and honestly, $50 or $60 is WAY too much! $20? Maybe, but not $60. I have a feeling the reason why this has a positive rating is because fanboys of the movie just rated it without playing it. Is it better than the last 2 games? Maybe, but it still sucks.… Expand
  8. CrusaderForever
    Jun 24, 2014
    9
    My son and I started playing TRotDS for the PS4 today. I must say that our fears have been put to rest. The game is more of the same but I am so happy about that. Edge of Reality didn't ruin what Highmoon Studios created. This is reminiscent of what WB Montreal did for Batman with Arkham Origins. They took what Rocksteady created and made a great 3rd game. Edge of Reality needs to beMy son and I started playing TRotDS for the PS4 today. I must say that our fears have been put to rest. The game is more of the same but I am so happy about that. Edge of Reality didn't ruin what Highmoon Studios created. This is reminiscent of what WB Montreal did for Batman with Arkham Origins. They took what Rocksteady created and made a great 3rd game. Edge of Reality needs to be commended for this great effort.

    You get to be different characters in the SP than you did in the previous games. The graphics are also better as the character models are more HD with better textures and shinier than WoC/FoC. The story is great so far and the voice work is fantastic. Going to play some Vita Remote Play later tonight as the options show the controls for VRP.

    There are many unlocks as well in the form of boxes. For example, Bronze Box or Iron Box that you unlock from the Pause Menu. I have been unlocking items and power ups through challenges like crazy. For instance, challenge Roach Motel for killing a certain number of Insecticons! It looks like I am unlocking MP characters by completing the SP challenges which is awesome! I haven't played MP or Escalation yet, but will do that after I beat the SP. I am loving that Escalation gives you the ability to create turrets!

    All in all I am having a lot of fun with the game. The PS4 version controls great and has great graphics and sound. I couldn't be happier. I hope this sells well so we get another Transformers game. So far I haven't given the game a 10 because it is very familiar. I would have liked some new weapons as the weapons are exactly the same as WoC/FoC so I docked the game a point for this fact. All though any game with the Combaticons should get a 10! :)    … Expand
  9. SirStriking
    Jun 24, 2014
    8
    This game is good. I have been playing through the campaign and dabbled in the co-op offering, Escalation. First off, the campaign is what you should expect EoR to bring to the table. It is your classic Transformers game plot. The Decepticons have once again managed to do something that will bring about utter chaos, and the Autobots must save the day. There is a healthy heap ofThis game is good. I have been playing through the campaign and dabbled in the co-op offering, Escalation. First off, the campaign is what you should expect EoR to bring to the table. It is your classic Transformers game plot. The Decepticons have once again managed to do something that will bring about utter chaos, and the Autobots must save the day. There is a healthy heap of intentionally corny, if not at times childish, dialogue. Although, if you are still young at heart, or even have a little sense of humor, you will find yourself giggling at times (thinking of you Sharpshot). For all of you Transformers fanatics, you are probably wondering who Sharpshot is, right? He is actually the insecticon Shrapnel. This is something that still leaves me in wonder, what did EoR have to change the names of characters due to Trademark issues? This is a Transformers game, released two days before the fourth movie, with reason, yet they have Trademark issues with character names!? Nonetheless, that is a minor complaint.
    I understand this next point is something that has been ragged upon enough by now, but for an all around, honest review, the negatives must be included. The graphics sincerely are behind the times. This will make you feel as though your PS4 regressed to old hardware and for a moment you may find yourself feeling as though the system on the TV stand is an Xbox 360. After playing beautiful titles, such as NFS: Rivals and Killzone, it's a hard thing to do to move on too games with shoddy graphics. The lack of a versus multiplayer is fairly mind boggling too, considering the lobbies for the past games were generally quite full of players.
    If you are even a minor fan of Transformers and enjoy third person shooters, you should purchase this game. I do not give the three tier, "Buy, rent, trash" opinions, rather two levels, buy it or don't. This game falls under buy it, if you meet my aforementioned criteria. It is an enjoyable action game on a system currently lacking an expansive library of games. I only wish the developer would not have been pressed to release the game on the Tuesday before the next movie. A little extra time could have gone a long way for this fun title.
    All in all, Transformers:RofDS will not blow minds or break records, but it is an enjoyable play through worth the small investment,    … Expand
  10. baconbuck
    Jun 27, 2014
    10
    This game is GREAT! If you would give it a chance on it's own, instead of comparing it to past games all the time the world would be a greater place. I am an adult gamer. I've played games most of my life without multiplayer. The co-op isn't bad at all. If you want a death match and have people cheat, camp, and shoot you at respawn, then go play call of duty!
  11. MAD_GAMER_210
    Jun 27, 2014
    2
    Say what u will I beat it in 1 hour dude, yea I have played war for cybertron and fall, and they still beat out this game any day campaign and multiplayer wise. PS3 transformers looks a whole lot better than this game on ps4.. The story is garbage , the characters they stole from previous games are nothing new, and the new characters look like they should even be in a transformers game.Say what u will I beat it in 1 hour dude, yea I have played war for cybertron and fall, and they still beat out this game any day campaign and multiplayer wise. PS3 transformers looks a whole lot better than this game on ps4.. The story is garbage , the characters they stole from previous games are nothing new, and the new characters look like they should even be in a transformers game. The graphics are like playing on the damn ps2. I am a big transformers fan and I even played it again to see if I could get into it and I just can't,,,,,,,,it is a huge letdown and it is what it is, a rushed out game to get my 60 bucks into they're pockets,,,… Expand
  12. ChaosPrototype
    Jun 24, 2014
    9
    So like many people I was concerned about how this game would turn out. I was questioning if adding the Michael Bay transformers into the game was a good idea, and if Edge of Reality would deliver a great experience like High Moon did with the first two games. Being optimistic I picked up the game, and I have to say it was a great decision. Edge of Reality delivers the same greatSo like many people I was concerned about how this game would turn out. I was questioning if adding the Michael Bay transformers into the game was a good idea, and if Edge of Reality would deliver a great experience like High Moon did with the first two games. Being optimistic I picked up the game, and I have to say it was a great decision. Edge of Reality delivers the same great experience in this game and adds much more to make it great, although there is no PvP multiplayer, I believe escalation makes up for it. They include Gear Boxes which are mystery packs of objects, such as characters or weapons you can use in any gamemode. I also saw many people complaining about the graphics, and I have to say I was blown away by them. The graphics on earth sometimes look a bit weird, but on Cybertron (where almost the hole game takes place) they look fantastic. Lastly, I want to talk about including the Movie transformers, to the people who do not like the idea, they only include the characters. It is not a movie licensed game and does not have much to do with the movie, but spends most of the time before war of cyberton. Overall if you have enjoyed the first two games, you will not be disappointed by this one.… Expand
  13. DirtyLilHamster
    Jun 25, 2014
    8
    Mad Gamer 210 is a huge bucket of wrong info. That person never played this game. The career takes about 30-45 mins per stage and there are 14 stages so it'll take about 6-7 hours. The dorks that gave this a 3, 2, and 1 are dumb, immature, and never played this game. Scum like them are pointlessly ruining metacritic for everyone else. Also there is multiplayer. 4 player team death matchMad Gamer 210 is a huge bucket of wrong info. That person never played this game. The career takes about 30-45 mins per stage and there are 14 stages so it'll take about 6-7 hours. The dorks that gave this a 3, 2, and 1 are dumb, immature, and never played this game. Scum like them are pointlessly ruining metacritic for everyone else. Also there is multiplayer. 4 player team death match with over 40 robots to choose from. If you liked the past 2 Transformers games then this is more of the same.… Expand
  14. kenmil
    Jul 11, 2014
    5
    The Transformers junkies will either love this simply because it is another serving of Transformers, with familiar characters, voices and weapons, or they will hate it because it is a rather sub-standard version of an otherwise excellent game series. I am in neither camp ; I would simply call it disappointing. This game reeks of haste and budgetary constraints. It could have been so muchThe Transformers junkies will either love this simply because it is another serving of Transformers, with familiar characters, voices and weapons, or they will hate it because it is a rather sub-standard version of an otherwise excellent game series. I am in neither camp ; I would simply call it disappointing. This game reeks of haste and budgetary constraints. It could have been so much more. The escalation levels are pretty ordinary, but do provide some entertainment - that's if you can find anyone else to play with.… Expand
  15. yeaaa
    Jul 10, 2014
    10
    it was a really good game, if you didnt look at downsides. though i had a rally great time playing it. the graphic may change alot from cybertron to earth but the game is still a really nice experiance if you are into tranformers
  16. iduncan91
    Dec 20, 2014
    0
    garbage game. what else did you expect?

    I mean this is transformers. The game has a plot that is as poorly thought out and poorly executed as the movies.
  17. megamega
    Oct 24, 2015
    9
    Hello Gamers
    this is a great game whether you like or not
    is your choice.i think people try to dig more into a game than nesessary. play or don't everybody's a critic this is a hd port over from 360 and ps3 so the graphics ain't going to be totally amazing look at final fantasy type o hd it is a vita port. game play good, graphics so so all this to say im playing this game right now    Hello Gamers
    this is a great game whether you like or not
    is your choice.i think people try to dig more into a game than nesessary. play or don't everybody's a critic
    this is a hd port over from 360 and ps3 so the graphics ain't going to be totally amazing
    look at final fantasy type o hd it is a vita port. game play good, graphics so so
    all this to say im playing this game right now and i get to play this game with more than 20 different bots from the movie and war for cybertron(awesome). excalation is brutal with friends... what the heck do i know about texture maps and frame rates. i know the game controls well, has good missions(lots of them) Peter Cullen as optimus prime nuff said stop hating. if you hate it so much develop your own transformer title, post it on steam so i can dog the crap out of it. Unity is free download it and get to work. I REALLY LIKE THIS GAME    … Expand
  18. EzioA88
    Oct 12, 2014
    7
    The last few Transformers games have been surprisingly excellent. War for Cybertron was great, Dark of the Moon was alright and Fall of Cybertron is one of the best licensed games ever, this side of Batman: Arkham City.Rise of the Dark Spark is in a very tricky position. It is a movie tie in game. The story sees it combining the Micheal Bay and High Moon universes. It's the firstThe last few Transformers games have been surprisingly excellent. War for Cybertron was great, Dark of the Moon was alright and Fall of Cybertron is one of the best licensed games ever, this side of Batman: Arkham City.Rise of the Dark Spark is in a very tricky position. It is a movie tie in game. The story sees it combining the Micheal Bay and High Moon universes. It's the first Transformers game on new gen consoles. It is releasing after the superb Fall of Cybertron. It isn't developed by High Moon Studios. Frankly, you would be hard pressed to find a greater amount of problems. In the end, Dark Spark succumbs to the pressure, even if it does put up one hell of a fight to stay above the average bar it has so easily slunk into.

    The gameplay of Dark Spark is probably the best part- so long as you stay in robot form. The characters all feel different and respond really well. They move fine and while I rarely dashed or ran, it's all there if you need it. What I mean is that the combat is simply outstanding. There is an amazingly diverse range of weapons, with each one having separate challenges, upgrades and unlockables. While they are all noticeably styled after real life forms of weapons (shotguns, assault rifle etc.), the heavy weapons are where things get really cool. There are guns that shoot blades, guns that shoot acid and even guns that allow you to mind control your foes. While the game is astoundingly hard (mostly due to poor design choices which we'll get to later), I always enjoyed trying out new weapons and taking out hordes of bad guys (so long as they were standard bots). The melee is rarely needed, but it usually results in an insta kill and Optimus Prime has a devastating spinning attack. Every character also has a special ability. Optimus has a useful shield, whereas Soundwave has two smaller bots inside of him that are only really used for story purposes. Then there's Drift- his dash blade attack looks cool, but sloppily functions and underperforms. While every character feels different, not every character has as much polish.

    There are a lot of Transformers in the game, with 25 Autobots and 19 Decepticons. While the 14 mission campaign only gives you access to around 13 characters, you can unlock the others through Gear Boxes for use in the online Escalation mode. Gear Boxes can be earned through completing challenges and levelling up. Initially I loved digging into a new box. Getting cool rewards like new guns and characters feels great, but as I proceeded I began to grow tired of cycling through the unlocks. This is mainly due to the fact that you eventually start to get the same unlocks from the same boxes, with the random structure of these rewarding cases meaning that you could get 4 IronHides or 10 Neutron Assault Rifles. There are a lot of challenges and distinctions, which function across both single player and online. There are also collectibles, so there is room for a lot of replayability in your pursuit to unlock everything and reach level 25. However, the lack of substantial rewards means that you'll probably leave the game before you get what you were going for.

    Story wise, the game varies. The Dark Spark is a great Macguffin and I absolutely loved some of the levels, such as Grimlock's. However, the joining of the two worlds is poorly explained and you only get to spend about 5/14 levels on Earth. With the other 9 being Cybertronian, it feels like a retread of the previous game and the boring villains and bland characterisation doesn't do much to differentiate it. While it isn't hugely convoluted, the plot is too over-the-top for it's own good. The graphics and sound certainly don't help. The bland and ugly Earth environments don't really make you feel like you're travelling the globe and most of Cybertron is spent indoors, rather than out in the mostly good looking spacious areas. The character models are fairly detailed, but for some reason the cutscenes look like they had a jar of vaseline smeared over them. The repetitive dialogue and score are also boring.

    Escalation mode is one of the highlights oof the game, with some well structured co-op and entertaining level design. The gradual difficulty increases are also nice. There's plenty to do, but unfortunately it gets very familiar, a lot like the rest of the game. You always feel like you've been there and done that, which is fairly upsetting. The old saying 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' doesn't apply here, as Edge of Reality have created more problems.

    In the end, Dark Spark has a lot of things hampering it. The fluctuating difficulty, horrible enemy AI and lack of diversity hurt. So does the bad checkpointing and repetitive gameplay. The ugly graphics, lack of key vehicle sections and bad sound design are nasty. While Escalation mode works well, the gameplay is fairly good and the amount of characters is great, the negatives mess with the positives so that Rise of the Dark Spark becomes average quickly.    … Expand
  19. QuadrupleH
    Jun 25, 2016
    0
    If you can get passed the early ps2 graphics weapons that dont kill anything special moves that do the opposite and a story that is more all over the place than the last 3 movies then i guess theres some fun to be had but very few

    I bought this game for 5 dollars at a clearence sale i would not recommend anyone to pay more than 20 at the most
  20. Professorfett
    Jun 8, 2019
    4
    n the end this game just got under my skin because the previous ones were just fantastic and this is mediocre at best. I hate the fact they felt the need to add the movie universe at all in this game. I am seriously afraid that this is going to be where the franchise is heading to. If that is the case count me out. I cannot and will not recommend this game to anyone, even the fans of Agen the end this game just got under my skin because the previous ones were just fantastic and this is mediocre at best. I hate the fact they felt the need to add the movie universe at all in this game. I am seriously afraid that this is going to be where the franchise is heading to. If that is the case count me out. I cannot and will not recommend this game to anyone, even the fans of Age of Extinction should stay away from this game. I give this generous 2/5. If it didn't have the Cybertron stuff as the majority it would've been way lower of a rating. I'm sending this out to all Auto-bots, run like hell Edge of Reality is coming for you.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

80
#80 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2014
90
#90 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
43

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 32
  3. Negative: 23 out of 32
  1. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Aug 26, 2014
    40
    Fleeting moments of fun and an improved Escalation mode aren't enough to save Spark from becoming yet another bland tie-in destined for the bargain bin base. [Sept 2014, p.106]
  2. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Aug 25, 2014
    55
    A hard sell even for die-hard Transformers fans, Rise of the Dark Spark brings nothing new to the table. [September 2014, p72]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Aug 25, 2014
    40
    If only there was a button to transform this game into a GOOD game. This is just a broken mix, designed to lure money out of your pockets. [Issue#244]
See all critic reviews »