Transformers: Shadows Rising
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| Developer | Sega of China | ||||||
| Publisher | Sega | ||||||
| Platform | Sega RingEdge 2 | ||||||
| Release date | 2018 | ||||||
Transformers: Shadows Rising is an arcade rail shooter based on the live action films and the follow-up to Transformers: Human Alliance. Developed by Sega and released beginning in 2018, the game can be played with one or two players, and is available in a theater cabinet featuring a 55" HD screen.
Gameplay
Gameplay is largely identical to that of Human Alliance, with up to two players using mounted gun turrets to fire at opponents on screen across four stages. The Pacific Ocean, Wales and East China stages can be played in any order before moving on to the final stage, The Moon. New to the game's control interface is the addition of a "Hyperenergy Tech" lever. This can be used to either create a shockwave that damages multiple enemies at once, or to generate a force field to protect the players from enemy attacks. Players can also push this lever in a specified direction at predetermined points to complete quicktime sequences and avoid potential damage. The game also includes an achievement system.
Synopsis
Pacific Ocean
Wales
East China
The Moon
Characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
Quotes
"We never never surrender!"
- — Optimus Prime is apparently quick to give up.
"The light rises and shadows are gone. There's a thin line between being a hero, and being a memory. I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots."
- — Optimus Prime assembles an ending monologue from fortune cookie quotes.
Notes
Continuity notes
- Much of the cast of Human Alliance returns for Shadows Rising, this time accompanied by (most of) the Dinobots.
- The Decepticon warships and fighters from Dark of the Moon also reappear in the game.
- The M1 Abrams Decepticons from Dark of the Moon appear as enemy units.
- KSI, which was introduced in Age of Extinction, appears as during the East China stage.
Transformers references
- While never identified as such (the intro tag just labeling him as "Unidentified Unit"), the Optimus clone in the final stage is meant to be a version of Age of Extinction Nemesis Prime, down to the blue flame details.
- The assortment of enemy units are now joined by Seekers. And as is time-worn tradition, the Seekers are (obviously) recolors of Starscream.
- Optimus's quote about being a hero or being a memory was said by his G1 counterpart back in "More than Meets the Eye, Part 3".
- The control room of the Decepticon warship Jake, Vanessa, and the Autobots board resembles that of Lockdown's Knight Ship.
- Just like in the previous game, various action scenes emulate those in the movies:
- Sideswipe bisecting one of his clones is similar to how he bisected Sideways in Revenge of the Fallen.
- The Sideswipe clones are most likely influenced by another evil doppelganger of Sideswipe, who appeared in the storybook "Deadly Paradise".
Real-life references
Errors
- You don't need to be an English major to know "We never never surrender" is both a double-negative and a pretty poor thing to shout when you're trying to encourage your troops.
- Megatron is somehow back to using his Revenge of the Fallen body. And despite utilizing KSI technology to amass himself an army of Decepticons, he still hadn't attempted to fix his head wound from the same film.
