"Cyberverse" Warrior Class Optimus Prime (Mega Axe) Toy Review

01/11/22

General Information:
Release Date: August 2020
Price Point: $15.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, BigBadToySTore, Entertainment Earth, Target, Walmart etc.)
Accessories: None

Official images and text in italics below are from Amazon.com

  • 5.4-INCH OPTIMUS PRIME FIGURE: Warrior Class Optimus Prime figure is 5.4-inches tall.
  • REPEATABLE ATTACK MOVE: Convert Optimus Prime to activate his signature Matrix Mega Shot move. Fun attack move can be repeated through easy reactivation steps.
  • 2-IN-1 CONVERTING TOY: Easy Transformers conversion for kids 6 years old and up! Convert Optimus Prime toy from truck to robot mode in 10 steps. Makes a great gift for kids!
  • TRANSFORMERS BUMBLEBEE CYBERVERSE ADVENTURES CHARACTER: Red and blue Optimus Prime toy robot inspired by the heroic Autobot leader from the Transformers Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures cartoon, as seen on Cartoon Network and YouTube.
  • INSPIRED BY CARTOON NETWORK SHOW: In the G1-inspired Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures series, giant Transformers robots from the planet Cybertron engage in epic battles, activating signature abilities known as Action Attacks! Kids can imagine unleashing this special power with this Action Attackers figure!

The war between heroic Autobots and evil Decepticons continues on the Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures animated series! Discover the unique powers and skills of each Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures character, and see how those powers will be used to defend Cybertron… or threaten it.

Easily convert and attack with Transformers Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures Action Attackers toys! Simply convert Optimus Prime figure from truck to robot mode in 10 steps. The last step of conversion activates the figure’s Matrix Mega Shot move! Once converted, move can be repeated through easy reactivation steps.

Kids can collect other Action Attackers figures, each sold separately, to discover the signature attack moves of favorite characters from the Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures series -- one of the best ways to introduce young kids and new fans to the exciting world of Transformers!

Transformers and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro. Hasbro and all related terms are trademarks of Hasbro.

Cyberverse was a very Bumblebee-heavy show in its first season, and Autobot leader Optimus Prime would not play much of a role until the second season. Even as the series ended, Prime basically just made a cameo here and there with other Autobots getting the focus. That said, Hasbro is not going to turn down the chance to add an Optimus Prime into the toy line and the last Warrior Class figure released in 2020 was "Cybertronian Mode" Optimus Prime.

Packaging:
Optimus Prime was packaged in a bubble glued to a backing card, something that would become less dominant in the line by 2021. The packaging features the "Bumblebee Cyberverse Adventures" logo with the vertical Transformers logo in black against a yellow background on the right. The figure is packaged in robot mode sitting inside a plastic tray inside the bubble. The insert describes his action feature as "Mega Axe Attack" and a special icon designates this as a "Cybertronian Mode" figure.

This Optimus Prime would be re-released in 2021 using the Dinobots Unite packaging, but the toy remained unchanged.

Robot Mode:
Despite what the official product description above says (as pasted from Amazon) this figure is about 4.5 inches tall, not 5.4, measuring about the same height as a Deluxe Class figure from Generations. Indeed, at first glance you could not be blamed for mistaking this as a Deluxe Class figure but it is not. Optimus has a really nice sculpt featuring iconic features including the antennae on his head, a broad chest/shoulder area with windows on his chest and lower legs with wheels attached to the sides and line details running down the middle. Perhaps in an effort to differentiate this figure from other Optimus Prime Warrior Class figures, the face sculpt does not feature Optimus Prime's famous mouth plate. Instead, the mouthplate is not "activated" and he has a mouth there instead. Now, being an Old Skool fan I'm always a little bit "Eh" on Optimus Prime figures having mouths, but I get the artistic intent here and given we have plenty of Cyberverse Optimus Primes with the "mouth plate" I'm okay with this one figure having the mouth.

Optimus Prime is made up mostly of red, blue and dark silver plastic with some bits in black. Light blue paint is used on parts like the chest windows while silver is found on the face. Yellow is used to paint the headlights as well as details on the knee armor. Gunmetal grey is used on the fists and the middle of the lower legs. The axe attached to the right arm is painted silver and orange. I have to say that for a Warrior Class figure I am surprised at how nice and detailed this deco is.

There are seven points of articulation on this figure. Now, by today's standards that sounds like it's terrible but it works for this figure, but it actually works out very well. This is partly thanks to ball joints used on the left shoulder and hips, allowing for a good range of movement. Even better, the joints are all nice and tight. The right arm only has one point of articulation, moving up and down. This is due to the "Mega Axe" feature, which is actually really fun! On the right arm, the axe is attached to the side. Swing that forward, then move the blue piece behind the head up and down and the arm will swing up and down in a chopping motion. It's a fun feature and one of the few times where the Warrior Class' play feature delivers in a way that does not bring down the quality of the figure overall. For those who want to arm up their Optimus, his fists do have 5mm ports, allowing him to hold weapons from other figures.

Transformation to Vehicle Mode:

  1. Swing the axe up if you have it deployed.
  2. Straighten out the arms and legs.
  3. Swing the waist/hip/leg section back.
  4. Swing the silver front bumper piece forward.
  5. Swing the lower legs over the thighs, sliding the slots into the tabs on the back.
  6. Swing each arm back.
  7. Swing the panels the arms are attached to down.
  8. Swing the robot head back.

Vehicle Mode:
Optimus Prime's truck mode looks like a more sleek and slightly "scifi" version of his traditional truck mode. There are more raised panels and angles on this design than say, the Deluxe Class version. The windows are also not as tall and his headlights are set vertically on top of one another instead of side by side. He also lacks smokestacks, but instead has what almost looks like a spoiler in the back (really the mechanism to activate his "chopping" motion in robot mode). Overall I really dig the sculpt of this truck. It reminds me of how Marvel altered G1 Optimus Prime's truck mode in "The Flames of Boltax!" back in the day.

All the robot mode colors carry over to this form with no surprises. The front section is mostly red and silver while the back is blue. The light blue, yellow and gunmetal grey colors all fill in details in the front and rear section. The only disappointment is that the sculpted windows on the sides are not painted. Now, I get it, with the shoulder panel pushing against that part, paint could chip off over time, but I think the vehicle looks a bit bland from the sides.

Final Thoughts:
For a Warrior Class figure, this Optimus Prime manages to deliver in both aesthetics and play value. After some certain very disappointing Warrior Class figures this figure is a delight. This is not for more discriminating collectors who want Generations quality at a minimum. For that, grab the Deluxe Class instead. This figure will make a fun gift for younger fans or a neat Deskbot to fiddle with. Recommended!

Pros:

  • Nice sculpt in both modes.
  • Surprisingly good deco in robot mode.
  • Fun action feature.

Cons:

  • Limited articulation.
  • Could have used more deco in vehicle mode.

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