Transformers: Battlegrounds, from Coatsink, is probably not the Transformers game people expected. After all, PlatinumGames brought out the Transformers: Devastation beat’em up and High Moon Studios offered the third-person shooter Transformers: War for Cybertron. This is a more thoughtful game that encourages people to think and plan before they move. Essentially, it’s a simple, turn-based strategy game with Autobots facing off against Decepticons, but it has X-COM elements like Overwatch.
During my time with Transformers: Battlegrounds, I was able to go through two missions. The first was the most introductory endeavor possible, as it was the first mission with Teletraan X and Bumblebee happening upon me, the last human, caught in the midst of the fight between the two forces. From there, I basically became the commander, directing Bumblebee around the suburb and telling him which Decepticons to attack.
If you’ve played Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, the Transformers: Battlegrounds UI should look familiar. (In fact, during my session I was told that it was among the titles inspiring the direction of the game.) The action bar shows the basic Blaster Shot all characters have, as well as the equipped abilities you have. (There are over 50 abilities you can unlock and equip to a character’s moveset.) Characters have three action points that can be used to move and attack, and you can attack once per turn.
There’s no hit chance for landing an attack, but you do have hit chances to determine if there will be a buff or debuff. So in the case of Bumblebee and this initial fight, he had a Stinger attack that could have a I-to-III level attack. Stinger I would deal two melee damage and have a chance of anchoring and disarming an opponent, so they couldn’t move and attack, for 1 AP. At level II, the AP increased to two and the damage increased by one. At III, the AP cost increased to three, but it also would shove the opponent back and increase the odds of the foe being disarmed and anchored.
The second map took me to a city and offered a chance to see what a larger party could do. At this point in the game, Bumblebee, Grimlock, and Windblade are facing off against Starscream and his minions in an attempt to defend Central City. This allowed me to really see that, while there aren’t set classes, there is a system where being near cover helps with protection. Positioning people near buildings can provide cover guaranteed cover on one side. (Though, there are certain cover options, like cars, that can explode if hit.) Certain characters, like Grimlock, are definitely there to deal damage. There are also some characters who feel made to provide support. Windblade is around to make things tactical with abilities that can move herself and other units around the field.
In fact, it was Windblade that made me appreciate the range that Transformers: Battlegrounds might have, even though it feels like a game for a younger audience. Her basic skill in my demonstration was Cyclone Strike. At I, it would have a ranged area attack that would include a strong shove for 1AP. Since no damage is included, that could be used to move an ally. At the second level for 2AP, two damage would be dealt. When 3AP would be used, it would trigger a “massive” shove and three damage. As for moving her, her Energon-powered Drop Down attack would use 50 EP from the shared gauge to allow her to move, drop down to attack an enemy for two damage, and anchor in a way that prevents movement. So even if you use up her AP on attacks, you could still have her move in a turn if you have EG saved for Drop Down.
From my time with its two missions, Transformers: Battlegrounds didn’t seem like it’s out to rewrite the rules for tactical games. Rather, it seems like a welcoming step into a world that fans of the series might not be totally familiar with. It takes characters like Bumblebee, Windblade, and Grimlock and uses innate traits to make them strong, diverse units that could be put to good use kicking Decepticon butt. While both of the missions I went through were definitely first steps and somewhat simple, it felt like the kind of title that could help ease newcomers into the genre.
Transformers: Battlegrounds will come to the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on October 23, 2020 in North America and Europe.
