Transformers: FOC Optimus Prime Is Something That Exists

Optimus Prime is a character that needs no introduction. So, moving on.

The famous VGA trailer for Fall of Cybertron

While the Transformers brand has its ups & downs, the down circa 2012 was quite a bad one. This was a time where the Bay movies went from a juggernaut to something more mundane, Hasbro was doing the “Aligned” thing, and toy budgets got smaller. Having being previously flushed with money, the toy designers struggled to work within these new confines, and this effect was felt everywhere. It was perhaps most keenly felt with the tie-in toys for the Fall of Cybertron (FOC) video game. FOC has a reasonable claim to being in the top two Transformers games ever, building on the success of the preceding War for Cybertron (WFC). No, not that one, trademark retention is a thing. The tragedy here was that while WFC only got four moulds, not a full line, they were much better received than the much bigger FOC line. Maybe a bit finicky, but clearly benefiting from more plastic, and more time in the oven. The FOC toys were much simpler, often smaller, and of an overtly lesser quality. I say this not to “put the boot in”, I'm actually talking about an old favourite today, but more as a self-evident truth. Sometimes things just don't turn out well. The complex game designs were not well-suited to the new reality, so the fan response was mixed at best. 

A subject for much of the criticism was this toy, which suffered for having a direct FOC analogue in the same size class. There hasn't been a shortage of Optimus toys since about 2001, plus an expectation of him being a physically large character, so a deluxe iteration always has an air of redundancy about it. This one however was also a small deluxe, even by the standards of its day. The WFC version didn't have that problem, and was a more involved toy by most metrics, so right outta the gate, this toy had baggage. The size issue is most evident in its vehicle mode, which, IIRC, was designed to resemble a fist with wheels on it. It's a fairly squat and low to the ground vehicle, evoking the traditional cab, but the silhouette is rather different. Meanwhile, the alien greebling does make it interesting, with the front wheels sticking out further that the back two, although the back end does suffer for gaps and the exposed feet. The overall effect is to make it look smaller than it actually is, not that it's especially big to begin with. On the up side, the gun does feature an angled peg to plug into either of the feet, with two more 5mm ports near the back wheels, and two ports in the smokestacks. So, it's functional, but not setting the world alight.

The transformation and the actual robot is where we start to see the actual positives. Going into to robot does draw on the classical Optimus transformation, but this ends as a boon to the articulation. Prime poses nicely, with lots of unhindered swivels, with the only actual weakness being the shoulder area. He's very agile in the lower body though, and curls a good bicep. This toy has a no-bullshit transformation, a dramatic head reveal, and immediately lends itself to battle poses, which makes it a good deskbot toy. It's hand candy. Of note are the assorted 5mm ports, which by pure coincidence make the toy compatible with the Siege weaponizer play pattern. Seriously, he's got two ports per limb and one on his back. Far more than are actually needed, mind you, and there's a reason for that. 

 

While relatively brief, the FOC line went heavy on the retools, and can be considered a dry run for what Combiner Wars would do. Almost every deluxe got a new head + repaint, with similar ratios in the other size classes, and even a reshell with Sideswipe/Jazz. What made these retools more palatable was the presence of new accessories, usually a bigger gun. When Optimus inevitably became Ultra Magnus, that toy had something that Optimus probably needed in the first place: his sword from the final level of the game. A sword that could combine with his otherwise unremarkable firearm. If only that had been there from the get go, its just so fun. And you could have it stow on his back too. Or bolt it onto the side of the vehicle form. TBH, I kinda regret parting with that Magnus remould now.

The 2012 Fall Of Cybertron Ultra Magnus Toy

The 2010 Cybertronian Optimus Prime Toy, A.K.A WFC Prime

 

My point? Well, just that FOC Optimus Prime is something that exists. He's an above average toy from a fairly disappointing line, suffering in comparison to his immediate predecessor, and a superior retool. That having been said, sometimes restrictions can be a creative asset, and it's definitely true for tiny boi prime, here.