Transformers: EarthSpark - Expedition
 |
| |||||||||||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| Developer | Tessera Games | ||||||
| Publisher | Outright Games Bandai Namco Entertainment (Europe) | ||||||
| Writer | Simon Furman | ||||||
| Platform | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC | ||||||
| Release date | October 13, 2023 | ||||||
Transformers: EarthSpark - Expedition is a video game by Tessera Studios, released on October 13, 2023. It is the first game based on the EarthSpark franchise.
Synopsis
Some time after helping save all the Transformers on Earth, Bumblebee is ambushed by Arachnamechs, leading him and the Maltos to conclude Mandroid has somehow returned. After Alex gives Bumblebee some refresher training at the farm, Optimus Prime calls them to confirm that the Arachnamechs have been tracked to a decommissioned G.H.O.S.T. base. Despite noting Optimus's demeanor as unusual, Bumblebee, Alex, and the Terrans leave to investigate. Upon arrival, the Terrans begin working to restore it so they can use it as a command post during the search for Mandroid, though one area remains curiously blocked off. The bots find an audio message left by Mandroid, confirming his survival. He announces his plan to build a robot army and excavate ancient Cybertronian technology, and challenges the listeners to stop him. Though they presume this to be a trap, Bumblebee agrees to go after Mandroid and takes the GroundBridge to the indicated coordinates.
As he arrives on the old canyon road, Bumblebee spots a massive mining facility and begins dismantling Mandroid's operations by shutting down his massive Arachnadrills. While exploring, he runs afoul of Skullcruncher, once again under the control of Mandroid, though the Decepticon is all to happy to try and pound Bumblebee into the pavement anyway. Bumblebee soundly defeats Skullcruncher, who warns that Mandroid has much worse plans for the little yellow Autobot than simple mind-control. Bumblebee eventually breaches Mandroid's lair, where Mandroid taunts him over one of the screens, confirming his latest plan to make the Transformer species extinct is already in motion. As Bumblebee explores, Optimus confirms that he will be unable to send additional support, as they are already struggling to contain the Arachnamech threat nationwide. Bumblebee eventually reaches the lair's sewers, where he is attacked by Skullcruncher again. Bumblebee narrowly emerges victorious and has Skullcruncher sent via GroundBridge to one of their base's holding cells. He eventually locates the Cybertronian tech Mandroid was seeking, a strange glowing cube. Bumblebee can't shake the bad feeling he has, but agrees to bring it back anyway. Upon his return, Optimus confirms the cube to be part of an Energon Activator, a prototype Decepticon weapon capable of generating a nuclear electromagnetic pulse to wipe out machine-based life, which the Autobots had split into parts and separated to prevent its use. Knowing two parts are unaccounted for, Optimus orders Bumblebee to Mandroid's next dig site.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Terrans | Henchbots |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
Quotes
"My self-esteem took a knock there."
"Judging by those dents, that wasn't all."
"And there was me thinking I couldn't feel any worse."
- —Bumblebee fails one of Thrash's challenges
Gameplay
Transformers: EarthSpark - Expedition is a 3D action-adventure game. Players control Bumblebee, who can freely transform between vehicle and robot modes while exploring three different biomes: a Canyon Road, a Jungle Citadel, and a Glacial Mountain. By completing objectives across the map, such as eliminating targets and taking down enemy camps, Bumblebee will retake control of the area from Mandroid; once a certain level of control is taken, players will be able to access Mandroid's facility and challenge the area's boss. The Terrans can also be found around the map and will provide timed side quests for Bumblebee, such as a race or an enemy gauntlet. Players will be given a gold, silver, or bronze rank at the end of each challenge based on their completion time, and will receive more rewards the better they perform. Various collectibles such as trading cards and Cybertronian Glyphs can also be found scattered around each map.
While exploring, players will be able to return to the command post to modify and upgrade Bumblebee. By defeating enemies and finding caches, players will collect scrap metal, which can be spent used to unlock attack combos, special attacks and abilities for Bumblebee on a skill tree, as well as consumable items like health kits. Acquiring certain skills will allow Bumblebee to reach previously inaccessible areas, encouraging players to backtrack and revisit previous biomes. Bumblebee can also be customized with different horns and energy trails in vehicle mode, which can be unlocked through gameplay.
Achievements
When completing various goals and tasks during the game, the player will be rewarded as part of their console of choice's meta-goal system. Players can earn up to 24 Trophies on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, and 23 Achievements on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The PlayStation versions' trophies come in four types: Bronze, which represent easier tasks and are worth the least experience; Silver, which are awarded for challenges of mid-level difficulty; Gold, which are given for harder tasks and worth more experience; and Platinum, the highest-level trophy unlocked only after earning all of a game's other trophies. On the Xbox versions, each achievement has a Gamerscore value that adds to the player's total Gamerscore across all games played; up to 1000 Gamerscore can be earned in Expedition. These achievements can also be earned in the PC version as part of the Steam interface, but lack the individual values and weights from the console versions.
| Icon | Achievement/Trophy name | Achievement/Trophy description | Gamerscore | PS Trophy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transform and roll out! | Obtain all Trophies | 
| ||
| Canyon secured | Open Mandroid's Lair in the Canyon | 45 
|
| |
| Canyon liberated | Gain full control back in the Canyon | 50
|
| |
| Who needs a plumber? | Defeat Skullcruncher | 45
|
| |
| Citadel secured | Open Mandroid's Lair in the Citadel | 45
|
| |
| Citadel liberated | Gain full control back in the Citadel | 50
|
| |
| Jurassic fight | Defeat Grimlock | 45
|
| |
| Mountain secured | Open Mandroid's Lair in the Mountain | 45
|
| |
| Mountain liberated | Gain full control back in the Mountain | 50
|
| |
| Double trouble | Defeat Novastorm & Skywarp | 45
|
| |
| And don't come back! (again) | Defeat Mandroid and Optimus Prime | 50
|
| |
| Mission accomplished | Save the day | 50
|
| |
| Training started | Purchase a new combo from the G.H.O.S.T. Base | 30
|
| |
| All suited up | Purchase all combos from the G.H.O.S.T. Base | 45
|
| |
| Getting better | Purchase a new skill from the G.H.O.S.T. Base | 30
|
| |
| The best version of yourself | Purchase all skills from the G.H.O.S.T. Base | 45
|
| |
| I know kung fu | Purchase a new special attack from the G.H.O.S.T. Base | 30
|
| |
| Ready for the job | Purchase all special attacks from the G.H.O.S.T. Base | 45
|
| |
| New paint job | Purchase a new trail from the G.H.O.S.T. Base | 35
|
| |
| I want it all | Purchase all trails from the G.H.O.S.T. Base | 45
|
| |
| New hobby started | Collect a card | 45
|
| |
| Avid collector | Collect all cards | 50
|
| |
| Amateur archeologist | Decipher a Cybertronian Glyph | 35
|
| |
| Lara... who? | Decipher all Cybertronian Glyphs | 45
|
|
Notes
Continuity notes
- The game picks up an unspecified amount of time after the events of "The Last Hope, Part 2".
- Robby and Mo's roleplay with the Terrans during the first cutscene gives an abridged recap of the events of the show thusfar, particluarly of "Secret Legacy, Part 1" and "The Last Hope, Part 2".
- Mandroid previously mind-controlled several bots, including Skullcruncher and Grimlock, during various episodes of the show's first season. As acknowledged by Bumblebee, the victims were usually silent during these instances, as opposed to this game where they are both communicative and seemingly aware of their own mind control.
- The interiors of Mandroid's lairs are visually based on the original seen in "Secret Legacy, Part 2".
Transformers references
- Bumblebee suggests that there's "more to Mandroid than, um...meets the optics". Subtle.
- The Mercenary enemy type is based on Swindle.
- Bumblebee refers to Mandroid's drones as "kitbash bots".
- When completing one of her missions, Twitch comments that Bumblebee has "the Touch". Bee furthers the reference by confirming he's "at [his] best, when the going gets rough."
Real-world references
- One of the achievements is named "I know kung fu", quoting The Matrix.
- Another achievement is named "Lara... who?" in reference to Tomb Raider protagonist Lara Croft
Continuity errors
- The visuals during the Maltos' roleplay inadvertently implies Bumblebee to be one of the Terrans.
Trivia
- The existence of an EarthSpark game was first teased at Hasbro Pulse Con 2022, but the game would not be fully revealed until June of the following year.
- None of the show's voice cast reprise their roles for the game, though Bee's voice actor Joe Zieja previously voiced a different Bumblebee in the War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon.
- Dot Malto, Megatron and Arcee are mentioned during the story, but do not otherwise appear.
