In comparison to most reviews, I'm going to start with Optimus Maximus' robot mode first, since so many of my comments on his base mode depend on this mode. So, here we have a pretty darned huge playset for $30 U.S., and one that has a "robot mode" of its own, though the bio makes it clear that it's not actually a thinking robot itself, but more of a drone battle station. The first thing that one notices when getting Optimus Maximus is that you think, WOW, this is a lot of toy for $30, with most Leader class toys released at about the same time coming only up to his shoulders. However, as soon as you pick it up, you realize that this isn't the case-- Optimus Maximus is very, VERY hollow, with his plastic stretched out and seemingly made of a largely lighter (cheaper?) plastic throughout. It's clear that the main goal here was to make this thing as large dimension-wise as it could be, with most other considerations secondary. The robot mode by and large has pretty good proportions for what is essentially a beefed-up version of Optimus, with details like coils, springs, gears, and the like molded all throughout the structure. His head does sit suspended above an empty chest cavity of nothingness, however, which is a bit disconcerting. The commander class Optimus Prime toy is meant to be put into the chest cavity and "don" the Prime helmet/head, with the Maximus face retracting into the helmet when the smaller Prime takes "control" of it-- though admittedly, having that huge helmet with a little bitty Prime head inside it looks absolutely ridiculous. Optimus Maximus' color scheme is very much your traditional Optimus', having roughly equal amounts of light red, dark blue, and milky gray on the toy-- you largely know by now whether you like that color scheme or not. It's worth nothing, however, that perhaps because of the different plastic used on the toy (?), all of the plastic colors look a bit pale and very milky and "impure", almost like there's a thin coat of dust on the toy right out of the package. He has a few paint apps here and there-- such as on his chest, his lower arms, and a few other minor details such as his head-- but largely, this toy could really use some more paint, particularly on all the light red plastic and/or his legs. Optimus Maximus' articulation is very basic-- he can move back-and-forth at the elbows and hips and up-and-down at the head, and that's it. His hip ratcheting joints are also slightly asymmetrical, which means it's hard to get both of his legs to stay at exactly the same angle, which is a bit annoying. What's also quite annoying is that almost any time you move his legs, three bright red LEDs come on for a few seconds in his shoulders and chest and there's a "mechanical parts moving" sound that's emitted. It's FAR too sensitive, and is pretty much THE primary argument to leave the electronics out of this guy. Pressing on the button on the top of his right shoulder has those same three lights come on while some "firepower sounds" are emitted, and pressing the button on his left shoulder makes only the middle light come on, with some more mechanical sounds emitting from the toy. Where this toy really excels is in just how many weapons you can attach to it-- there's tons of 5 mm ports, C-clip areas for compatible weapons, and little holes and pegs for Cyberverse-scaled weapons. You can REALLY pump Optimus Maximus up if you've got the accessories. Optimus Maximus has a gun with a transparent blue barrel in this mode that can be held in either of his hands or in any of the other various similarly-sized ports throughout his body.
    Optimus Maximus' "base mode" is very obviously just his robot mode sitting down, with a few panels on his shoulders, legs, and feet flipped up. As such, there's not a whole lot I can say about this mode that doesn't also apply to his robot mode, though there are a few features that are meant to be solely used in this mode. For one, the handlebars that flip up on both of Optimus' shoulders allow Cyberverse-scale figures to grasp them. The right shoulder features three missiles that fire out via a simple "push on the back end" mechanism, while the left shoulder features a dual-barreled (non-firing) gun that can rotate towards the side or towards the front when you slide the platform on the shoulder to the right or left. You can also mount Optimus Maximus' gun in his chest to give him a big ol' piece of weaponry for this mode, though like many light gimmicks in the 2012 Prime Cyberverse toys, the LED light doesn't light up the transparent plastic in the gun, like, at all-- a shame, as that would've looked pretty cool if it had worked. Because Optimus Maximus' mostly hollow limbs are now level, Cyberverse-scale figures can fit in cavities in either of his lower arms, in either of his feet, or in special "flip out" sections in either of his upper legs, which act as a sort of "garage" for the figures, but not much else. Plus, these extra areas where figures can "sit" don't have any handlebars or pegs that connect the Cyberverse figures firmly to where they're sitting, so you just sort of plop them there, unfortunately. On the sides of his feet, Optimus Maximus has the C-clip ports necessary to connect him to other Prime Cyberverse bases, if you so desire.
    I wish I could recommend a big base set for Cyberverse figures, but unfortunately Optimus Maximus is really only a toy for Optimus completists. His robot mode is just barely passable, having bare-bones articulation particularly for such a large figure, as well as an extremely hollow look and annoying electronics. It looks great in comparison to his absolutely awful "base" mode, though, it being waaay too obviously just his robot mode with the limbs pointing forward. Add in his largely annoying and/or weak gimmicks, cheap-feeling plastic, and very uninspired design and his only really selling points are how many other Cyberverse weapons you can mount on him and his surprisingly intricate mold detailing. Don't let the supposed large size fool you-- this is NOT worth $30 U.S. Best to spend your money on beefing up your Cyberverse ranks with smaller, cheaper TFs.

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Review by Beastbot

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