Race and fight as Autobots and Decepticons this October in Transformers: Galactic Trials

It’s a simple idea: two warring alien robot factions, disguised as trucks and coupes, racing each other to achieve some kind of galactic supremacy. Alright, it’s not a simple idea at all. But it is a good one. Transformers: Galactic Trials makes full use of the franchise’s vehicle-contorting absurdity in a racing game with combat elements, solo or in multiplayer. 

You can watch the trailer here for some bombastic bot duels. It’s the work of developer Outright Games, the studio also working on a licensed Matchbox racer, so there’s some considerable expertise here at translating toys from the world of Wotsit-flecked playground arguments to immersive digital experiences. 

It’s fair to say that like the aforementioned Matchbox: Driving Adventures, Transformers: Galactic Trials is aimed at a younger audience. But let’s not pretend those of us old enough to worry about our joints haven’t lost a few hours to Fruit Ninja or tumbled down a YouTube rabbit hole of theme songs from the decades-old cartoons of our youth. It’s good to connect with our younger selves. That’s what we told the man on the train next to us who asked if we wouldn’t mind turning down the volume on the California Raisins theme, at least. 

Both solo and multiplayer modes are mentioned, along with a crossbreed of traditional arcade racing in disguised vehicle mode and third-person combat in bot mode. 

Games rarely attempt this, with the honorary exception of the GTA series, and the not-so-honorary Driver 3. It’ll be worth sampling how Outright Games marries these two elements together. 

Transformer: Galactic Trials arrives 11 October on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox and PC.