Toy Review: Age of Extinction Generations Deluxe Lockdown

[Bidoofdude]

Something's just not right about this toy from what I've seen. Maybe he's too short?

[GoktimusPrime]

He's about as big as any other AoE Deluxe. The legs carry no vehicle kibble, making the toy bulkier above the belt than below. It's typical of the standard of engineering that we've seen in AoE due to the screen models being so counter-intuitive to toy designs by having robot modes with minimal alt mode parts. IMHO Lockdown does a better job than some other toys in its redistribution of vehicle kibble in robot mode. I do like the way that the 'backpack' parts compacts itself to try and minimise its appearance; it achieves this with greater success than say either of the Leader Class Optimus Primes or Voyager Galvatron (although admittedly a Lamborghini Aventador isn't a big blocky vehicle like a Western Star or Freightliner truck, so there's relatively less kibble to compact/redistribute). I can see that HasTak designers have done a rather commendable job with the screen model that they were given to translate into an action figure. I just hope that the screen designs for TF5 will go back to being more translatable as toys.

[Magnus]

It's not just the designs' 'toy-friendliness' or lack thereof, but also the fact that the toys are engineered while the robots are still concepts and the designs (including the transformation schemes) haven't been finalised, so that toys can be on shelves before the movie comes out. RotF leader Megatron and DotM Jetwing Optimus are good examples - they're based on early concept art and bear limited resemblance to the final CGI models seen on-screen.

That's also why the RotF versions of Optimus, Starscream and Bumblebee (specifically Battle Blade, Battle Ops/MPM-2, and Human Alliance) look so good - the designers have had two years to study the final CGI models.

[liegeprime]

took me awhile to finally open mine.... looks froggy to me, but then all bayverse TFs have been fugly as.

simple engineering, effective and easy to transform. first time for me for a bayverse toy not needing the instruction sheet, ha! although yeah as is the trend now, he's a tad short and small ..

Best to get if you really like the character and if cheap... which will be soon Im sure. the resale value of the bayverse toys aren't exactly stellar high. ;p