Top 10 Transforming Weapons

Bloodborne is out this week (read our glowing review), and one of the game's coolest features is its deadly arsenal of transforming melee weapons. A scimitar combines with a staff to create a wicked scythe, the Saw Cleaver is essentially a gigantic folding knife, and the list goes on. From Software's inventive Trick Weapons inspired us to look back at the best transforming weapons in video games, from phallic firearms to sci-fi augmentations.

Note: For this list we avoided entries like alternate fire modes, upgrades or attachments, vehicles, and robots. Sorry, Mega Man.

10. Omni-tool - Mass Effect
This orange, glowing device doesn't look like a big threat at first glance. The holographic computer allows the engineers and soldiers of the future to access and modify their armor and weapons with its weightless, virtual interface. But thanks to sci-fi magic, the omni-tool can also turn into an arm-mounted blade. It's like a fancy space wristwatch that's perfect for wiping out groups of cybernetic zombies.

9. Laptop Gun - Perfect Dark
We've all been there. You're in the heat of battle gunning down bad guys with your trusty assault rifle and you suddenly need to check your email or something. Well, Joanna Dark's Laptop Gun from Perfect Dark doesn't let you do that. However, the gun can be quickly turned into a turret. You can toss the Laptop Gun turret onto walls, use it to guard your back while sniping with the Farsight, and more. It may be confusingly named, but that doesn't make it any less useful in a heated gunfight.

8. Morph Gun - Jak 2
Naughty Dog struck a decidedly different tone with this darker, more mature sequel to Jak & Daxter. A big part of the grittier mood is the fact that Jak starts taking out bad guys with powerful guns rather that cartoony, Crash Bandicoot-style twirls. The Morph Gun is Jak's Swiss Army Knife of an energy weapon. This eco-infused gun is a shotgun-like energy concussion, a long-ranged blaster rifle, and laser Gatling gun all in one. You can eventually unlock the power to blast a huge electricity sphere, which zaps deadly volts into nearby enemies.

7. Kirkhammer - Bloodborne
One of the newest doodads on our list is also one of our favorites. Players begin with some awesome Trick Weapons in Bloodborne, like a one-handed axe that can extend into a two-handed halberd at the press of a button, or a stylish cane that morphs into a bad-ass chain whip. The Kirkhammer takes the bloody cake, though. In its lighter form, the Kirkhammer is an agile-yet-deadly sword, dealing awesome damage while still letting hunters wield a gun in their offhand. The true awesomeness kicks in when the hunter jams the sword into a massive back-mounted gravestone, which quickly transforms the two objects into a hefty hammer for big damage. (As a bonus, Kirkhammer almost sounds like Kirk Hammett, the lead guitarist of Metallica)

6. Switch Axe - Monster Hunter
Capcom's Monster Hunter series is chock full of weapon variety, but not all of them transform like the Switch Axe. The Charge Blade is a cool new addition in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate - sword and shield that morphs into a powerful, slow axe - but let's explain why we prefer the Switch Axe. The default setting is a huge axe that deals decently quick damage. All the while, players build up a meter that allows the axe to...switch...into a giant sword to deal even more damage. This powerful transformation even allows hunters to jam the sword into monsters as it glows and deals extra damage.

Up next: Some suggestive weaponry and a truly incredible piece of luggage...

5. Gunblade - Final Fantasy XIII
Square-Enix's legendary RPG series is home to a massive amount of crazy and unlikely weapons, from truck-sized swords to megaphones. Final Fantasy VIII introduced the world to gunblades, which are as simple to understand as they sound. These sizeable blades are essentially what happens when a rifle is more bayonet than gun. Lightning's gunblade in FFXIII is particularly cool, thanks to an intricate folding design that resembles a massive switchblade. This transformable weapon allows Lightning to blast out-of-reach enemies with a powerful shot, then close in for a flurry of sword swipes. FFXIII is lucky to have such a radical weapon - it needs all the help it can get.

4. Johnson - Shadows of the Damned
Cool and stupid are sometimes the same thing, as is frequently the case with video games like Shadows of the Damned. Johnson is a talking, skull-faced companion which also doubles as all of Garcia Hotspur's weapons. Johnson can morph into a staff that Hotspur can use as a melee weapon, a fully functional motorcycle, and a selection of firearms. The Boner is Hotspur's basic pistol, which can grow into the ridiculous Big Boner, a gigantic rifle that Hotspur - ahem - shoots from the hip.

3. Hair - Bayonetta
Witch hair is probably the least conventional weapon on this list. Bayonetta is pro ass-kicker, capable of obliterating deadly angels with punches, kicks, and a nifty quad set of guns. The Umbra Witch ends her most devastating combos by teleporting in a gigantic version of her hand or foot, composed entirely of her weird magic hair. If that's not enough to finish her adversaries, she can channel her locks into gigantic follicular birds, demons, and other abominations to destroy them. Few weapons put the "style" in the stylish action like Bayonetta's wild 'do.

2. Pandora - Devil May Cry
Speaking of stylish action, Dante is accustomed to having a wide array of weapons at his disposal, but this schizophrenic suitcase stands out from the rest. Pandora can supposedly assume 666 different forms, but we only see a handful of these unpredictable and awesome functions. The gonzo luggage turns into a Gatling gun, missile-launcher, giant glaive, and more. If Dante builds up the Pandora's Disaster Gauge high enough, the suitcase will simply open, emit a blinding light, and automatically eradicate nearby enemies - like a more lethal version of the MacGuffin from Pulp Fiction. Not something you just want to leave sitting on the baggage claim belt at the airport.

1. Arm Cannon - Metroid Prime
Samus has had a multi-functional arm cannon since the first Metroid, acquiring shot types like ice beam, missiles, wave beam, and other Chozo treasures. Metroid Prime ratchets things up a notch, showing off the physical transformation of her famed limb-mounted gun in glorious detail. Ice encases her cannon as she charges up a freezing shot. The wave beam glows purple as she unleashes a twisting beam of energy towards enemies. The plasma beam emits a fierce green aura as she prepares to unleash a huge tendril of searing lava. Enabling Samus' x-ray vision even shows her nimble hand working the intricate devices of her arm cannon within her iconic suit. For all the little touches of detail, the legacy of the weapon, and its extreme versatility, the arm cannon wins our pick for the best transforming weapon.

What are some of your favorite incredible transforming weapons?