Games based on movies often end up as disappointments. The rushed development time and need to remain grounded in a linear narrative leads plenty of titles to come out lacklustre, but Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark looks like it could possibly buck that trend. Developed by Edge of Reality and published by Activision, the latest Transformers game has the potential to be more than the usual movie tie-in title.

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark is set to bridge the stories between the video game series of Transformers: War for Cybertron and Transformers: Fall of Cybertron and the Michael Bay Transformers movie franchise. The story for Rise of the Dark Spark takes place before the Ark is launched in War for Cybertron’s timeline, and at the same time as the events in the movie universe’s Transformers: Age of Extinction story.

This most recent trailer reveals that players will be able to get hold of Grimlock, the fearsome leader of the Dinobots. It shows Grimlock in action, breathing fire and eating the enemies who tried to get in his way. The chance to go on a rampage as a ferocious metal dinosaur certainly looks like it could be a lot of fun.

Grimlock reveal Transformers Dark Spark Trailer

The trailer shows that there will be two Grimlocks available to the player. Earth Grimlock has more of a gritty, dark metal feel, akin to the character designs in the Transformers movie universe, whilst Cybertron Grimlock has more of the colored tinges we expect from the War for Cybertron series of games.

With Grimlock apparently set to take a major role in Age of Extinction, it will be interesting to see just how deep the story goes. Will we see the run-up to Grimlock’s role in the movie in depth? Or will the story of the game follow a different route? Either way, there are bound to be other details to keep us occupied. After all, Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark is apparently going to feature over 40 playable characters.

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark could still go either way. Although the previous Edge of Reality Transformers titles have been well-received and a whole lot of fun, there are still doubts over just how well the title is going to tie together the very different stories and franchises of the War for Cybertron games and the Michael Bay films. Here’s hoping Edge of Reality can keep Rise of the Dark Spark firmly in the company of the War for Cybertron titles.

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Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark is set for release on June 24, and will be available on PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC, with a 3DS version also in the pipeline. The movie Transformers: Age of Extinction will be released on June 27.