FOC Optimus Prime, getting there.

So after the sadness that was Jazz, Optimus presents himself for a perusing of the most scrutinising  eye.  Hmm, didn’t know that perusing could be if a scrutinising nature.  Nevertheless, Optimus is marginally better than Jazz, despite his relative simplicity in design and being of a slighter  build than Jazz.  Believe it or not.

 

 

Once again the box is a nice little blister card with tech specs of a classic style.  Bio is bland but acceptable.

 

Just a little bit of info on the side there.  It would seem they have listed series numbers and individual numbers.  I wonder if on subsequent release they will keep the numbers, for example, would Optimus re-release be Series 2, #006?  Or keep his #001?

 

Vehicle mode.

 

 

High Moon studios, the group making Fall of Cybertron described Optimus as being a “Fist on wheels” and he certainly looks like it.  It looks like a natural move towards his square Earth mode from his rather sleeker looking War For Cybertron mode.  It also look reminiscent of his War Within (Comic series) and Titanium toy mode, which was based on War Within.  I like the look of the truck mode.  Bar one small thing.

 

It’s small.  Like really small.  It almost look like a Choro Q version of Optimus. 

 

If you need a reminder of what a Choro Q looks like, G1 Bumblebee was based on a Choro Q Volkswagen Beetle.

 

 

Not exactly G1 Bumblebee, but the only comparison I have available right now…

 

From the top it looks nice on the front half, the back is not so nice, the same from the bottom.  Optimus compacts quite a bit in vehicle mode, so the robot parts are fairly well hidden.

 

 

The gun looks ok, but I would have liked to have seen some covers, as it is meant to sit over the hand so as to seem like a part of his arm.  It coveys that image, but could  have been done much better.  It can also be mounted upside down for vehicle mounting.

 

 

Transformation is simple and blindingly obvious, the only problem I had was with the panel the head is attached to and its linking to the shoulder joints.  It’s during transformation when Optimus really feels ‘cheap.’  Thin plastic?  Simple changing?  A bit too simple in transformation?  All these things struck me as I did it, but there is still something else in there that gnaws away at one’s instincts…

Robot mode.

 

 

Small but surprisingly articulated.  Chunky, yet hollow he has a lot more movement than his WFC predecessor.

 

One thing that I hate and has been happening since the normal Prime line is fake sculpted wheels.  Optimus here has some slapped on his back.  Nice, but they aren’t even painted!  Waste of opportunity.

 

But believe it or not, there is worse fake details on THIS toy.  More on that later.

 

Optimus’ smoke stacks are articulated for truck mode and robot mode and the instructions have the stacks straight down, but I prefer them on an angle, which I think is how the game has them set.

 

 

He can have other weapons mounted on him, I only have Shockwave’s gun (In the form of the X-9 Scrapmaker mode) on him.  Pose ability is pretty good as he has a good selection of joints, mainly hinges, ball joints and some thing cuts for swivels.   His ankles are ball jointed and on a hinge fro transformation.  The light weight of the figure also aids his stances….

 

 

The head is um, fat looking.  This is also part of the problem I have with him, the panel for the head is attached to the part that holds the shoulders in place and so every time you go to move the arms, the head bobbles around a bit.  It’s minor, but the the shoulder joints on mine are stiff, in fact I can even see a stress mark on the outer bicep of his left arm…

 

 

 

Now comes the part of the worst ‘fake’ sculpting parts…  And it’s horrific….  It’s his knees!  His Knees, he has fake knees…

 

 

The actual joint is below the knee!  Oh man it looks weird…..  Such bad form, but I see it’s due to mode changing.

 

So overall, Optimus Prime is an OK figure.  I like it better than Jazz and it’s fairly pose able and good fun.  It’s just a shame that the robot is so fat looking, but that is more a Game design fault than toy fault, the toy fault is mainly the horribly cheap feel Optimus exudes.  It’s almost overwhelming the first time I transformed him.  But once over that, he is fun enough and holds together well.

 

Comparison picture for sizing.