Cybertron isn't just the homeworld of the Transformers... it is a Transformer itself. It was the first Transformer. In War for Cybertron you get to explore the Civil War between the Autobots and the Decepticons as they blast their way across the planet. At GDC we were treated to a long demo of the game, and yes, it looks good.

The characters were given all-new designs, and some of them will in fact be made into toys. The game takes place before Optimus gains his "Prime" designation, and shows his early days of gaining the trust of the Autobots; we get to see just how he learned to be a leader on the battleground. On the flip side of things, the game explores how Megatron met Star Scream. "We also explore why Megatron keeps this guy, who is basically a back-stabber, around," we were told. This game is taking the Transformers lore back to basics, and filling in some serious holes.

Luckily the gameplay seems to back the story up. The action is fast, and the title of the game isn't trying to be clever; this is a war game. The battles are intense, and you're given the ability to transform at will. In one section we see Star Scream fly around a large room, shooting his adversaries, changing from his jet form back into robot form quickly and fluidly. It looks great, and the expected sound effects are there.

The game is co-op, with up to three players joining the fray. You choose from three characters every round, and players can jump in and out at will. The co-op will be online-only—no split-screen. The reason? The levels are large, the game uses Unreal Engine 3, and no one wanted to compromise on the graphical fidelity.

There are many small details that show we're on the Transformers home world. When you grab a turret you actually transform into the machine, creating a weapon that is part gun and part... you. When you pick up a weapon it's incorporated into your color scheme, so guns will look different depending on who is carrying them. The consoles attach directly to the chests of the characters when you open and close doors.

"The scale of the game comes from the world," we were told. Doors are much larger than they need to be. On our world these characters are huge, but on Cybertron they're dwarfed by their surroundings. You'll also explore areas beneath the surface of the planet. "This is a place where no one has been. So you get to explore it alongside the characters." You'll meet beings that may still be robotic, but they seem to have much more of a basis in biological design.

Over the course of the demo, we saw part of a boss fight with Omega Supreme, a character that towers above everyone else. We were assured that it is impossible to make a Transformers game without the incomparable voice of Peter Cullen as Optimus. The team focused on the gameplay first, and then layered in the Transformers.

Some games demo very well, and this may be one of them. Still, it looked and sounded great. The tiny details that make the world of the Transformers so endearing are all there. The transition from robot to vehicle was done well, and the game allows you to use both at any time. Good things happen when games aren't tied into a franchise; look at how well last year's X-Men Origins: Wolverine turned out by moving away from the film.

Transformers: War for Cybertron is coming to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC; we're told to look for some big announcements when it comes to multiplayer before E3.