After the events of its predecessor, Fall of Cybertron takes place in a universe in which the Autobots and the Decepticons are still engaged in combat with one another. Following their victory over Trypticon, the Autobots have successfully slowed down the attacks of Megatron and the Decepticons under his command, but they are now faced with a new challenge.
Since the Autobots, headed by Optimus Prime, cannot stop Cybertron from dying, they have no choice but to abandon their home planet and search for a new world to call home to survive. They have been working covertly on constructing a large vessel called “The Ark,” and they are currently getting it ready for launch. Optimus Prime is unaware that the Decepticons are aware of their plans and are planning their escape as well. Furthermore, the Decepticons intend to try to derail their efforts at every opportunity they have as both groups strive to survive.
The gameplay is a third-person shooter, similar to that of War for Cybertron. The player can use their Transformer to traverse around the level and use their ability to change into vehicles to move through the stage when they feel it is appropriate. Throughout the game, the player can utilize Energon that they have obtained by picking it up from defeated foes to make purchases of weapons and upgrades at kiosks managed by Teletran 1. The health system has been updated to include something resembling Halo’s regenerating shields, and each Transformer that the player controls has unique skills that may be used to assist them through the levels. For example, Jazz can turn invisible, which the player can use to their advantage to move forward.
Fall of Cybertron contains a single campaign with chapters that recount the story via either the Autobots or the Decepticons and, sometimes, intersect their encounters. This is in contrast to War for Cybertron, in which the player can choose which side to play. The user can take control of a wide variety of characters, including Optimus Prime, Megatron, Starscream, and even Grimlock, to mention just a few. There is also a multiplayer component, which includes the usual Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch game types and Conquest and Capture the Flag, all of which feature class-based characters that the player can personalize by gaining experience points. There is also a “Horde mode” in the Escalation game, where up to four players take on waves of monsters that progressively become more challenging.
