Players may pick either faction, as each has their own separate campaign (though the Deception one is chronologically the first one). The game's plot revolves around a substance known as Dark Energon, a more dangerous and destructive version of Energon, which powers the Transformers. While the evil Decepticon leader Megatron seeks this substance for himself, believing it will allow him to return the planet to its "golden age", the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, attempt to stop him, knowing it would instead doom their homeworld.