Product Line / Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
Scale & Class / Voyager Class Transformers Figure
Manufacturer / Hasbro & Takara Tomy
Release Date / 2023
Appearances / Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, the second entry in what’s argued as the rebooted Transformers live action movie franchise, had unique production circumstances. These include global events everyone’s aware of and led to the film’s delayed theatrical release. The same circumstances also had effects on the toys and merchandise which led to design differences between the Rise of the Beasts “core” or mainline figures, and the collector-oriented Studio Series. And while the former is targeted to mainstream consumers with lower price points, that’s not saying they are inferior offerings. Such is the case for Voyager Class Optimus Primal.
Optimus Primal’s design in Rise of the Beasts is a monotonous combination of dark gray organic and silver technological components, and I’m surprised they went with this design for a character that’s meant to sell toys. But it does work, and this figure of Optimus Prime is a good representation of that design. It’s definitely not as complex as something you’d expect from a Studio Series release but for what it’s accomplishing given its price point, it works. The paint application is all right, but their placement allows for good contrast that such a design needs. It also doesn’t have dynamic articulation, especially for a melee character, but it has the essentials for great poses. And while the transformation isn’t that involved because of the humanoid-to-humanoid conversion, it’s accomplished in a way that provides an excellent play pattern that anyone (me included) can fidget with this figure on a random afternoon. Optimus Primal comes with two scimitars that can store on its back similar to the original and can be held with a single hand to give the illusion of a combined weapon.
