Optimus Prime (warrior class, EarthSpark)

At this point it feels like I own 9 million Optimus Prime figures. A new Optimus Prime toy used to be a special occasion, however, these days the main characters tend to get the most figures. When a character gets multiple figures in multiple price points, it's fair to think the different classes are a sign of quality. This newest warrior class figure of Optimus from EarthSpark though... It could have been a deluxe in prior toy lines. It could be the same thing going on with Rise of the Beasts toys, in which the mainline figures are giving the Studio Series ones a run for their money. I don't have a deluxe Optimus from EarthSpark yet... but kinda not seeing a reason for one after getting the warrior class toy.

What I'm saying is that this is a really pleasant Optimus Prime toy for a lower price than you'd pay for a deluxe, voyager, or leader class figure. I got him at Walmart for $14.99 and considering the rising cost of everything... am struggling to find a reason to buy another, more expensive toy. I guess more articulation, or gimmicks could be a reason... but this one is decently articulated for my liking... and like I said... could have been a deluxe in a prior line. This is a really satisfying Optimus Prime toy. I kept him near me all day and would fiddle with him on and off constantly. I like this toy. Optimus as an attached energy axe that can flip out. It's a neat weapon that won't get lost. That's neat.

I'm not saying he's perfect, there are a few things I don't like. His face for one... EarthSpark has some ugly faces. Not all of the characters have this problem, but it's impossible to ignore on the ones that do. The problem is that it's too long. The head itself is actually quite nice looking... but that long face is bad. IF it was shorted, closer to a normal Prime face, that'd be pretty great. I actually like Optimus's design in EarthSpark... just that face is a sticking point. The other thing I don't like is hard to describe. He was hard to transform... and I don't mean as in a complex transformation. Optimus transforms just as you'd think by looking at him. Just he didn't really fit together for some reason. I messed with him for a while trying to get everything to go into place... and for some reason something would always not go in exactly. Maybe mine has some quality control issues? Maybe I did something wrong? Maybe somethings just not perfectly executed? I don't know, but good grief I couldn't get around it.

Aside from the personal gripes... this is a pretty good figure that could give the more expensive figures some competition. This is something that I'm seeing going forward ... and that's a good thing. While I should expect a more expensive figure to be a nicer, the less costly one doesn't need to be obviously a lower model. Like I said... this is a satisfying toy and I'm struggling to find a reason to buy a more expensive toy. The cost of everything keeps going up, including Transformers. I don't get these things for free and real life comes before hobbies. This Optimus is a positive sign of things to come. Hopefully others follow suit.