Here is Arcee in her vehicle mode. It looks like how it should, what with the canopy being open, the design attempting to look futuristic, and the front being undoubtedly G1 Arcee. That being said, I swear the hips of the robot mode were used for the rear portion of the vehicle mode, but that is not the case. As a result, it looks more like soap on wheels than anything. Some paint apps are applied onto the figure to look closer to the G1 design, but there's otherwise not much else to say about it in terms of looks (though the Autobot insignia could be a little brighter).
That being said, it feels cheap in-hand. Most Transformers in recent years that I own tend to feel a little cheap than what they were 5-10 years ago, but at least they didn't feel overly jarring since I have bought toys at a good pace or so. This figure contrasts itself from the other WFC figures for how thin the plastic feels. One side looked relatively smooth in terms of panel-lining while it looks rough on this pic's side. Also, rolling it didn't feel quite right; it overall has the quality of a low-grade model kit rather than a standard Deluxe.
The interior is kept as always, though it looks quite small and no toy you own could be compatible with this version of Arcee. At least the detail is nice and is something Hasbro didn't have to do.
Here she is next to the original T30 version of Arcee, though mine is the Takara Legends version. I have to say that I prefer the vehicle mode of the Takara figure right off the bat. I much prefer how the front looks as well as the color breaking up thanks to the hips. I know they're usually out of place to many, but it allows the toy to have a transformation that's better integrated between the shell and the robot limbs. I also like the pink fin compared to the random slightly opaque one on the Earthrise toy.
The canopy is also different in terms of size. Funny how I mentioned that the Earthrise version's felt small, and it's even apparent in this case when compared to the T30 version!
The thing that gets me is how the engineering of the transformation works. Yes, it's not that different, but T30 Arcee at least had more going on. Here's the underside for both of them. I'll admit that it's weird to see them like this, but compare the placement of the shoulders on the T30 version and then the Earthrise one. Then compare the legs, chest, and the amount of space that's filled up for each of them. Earthcee feels quite empty at the front without much functionality going on with the toy, whereas the T30 Arcee feels quite filled in with most of her parts removing any unsightly gaps.
Transformation feels underwhelming for 2020 standards. We can make plenty of Transformers with different proportions change shape in plenty of ways, even if there might be a few aesthetic compromises that pop up. This isn't the way to transform a toy with modern engineering. It feels cheap and the robot mode barely contributes whatsoever beyond straightening the limbs out. That's all it does and it's quite infuriating if you ask me. And while the robot mode looks decent from the front, it looks pretty bad from the side and the back thanks to the unsightly gap for the left side of the toy and the HUGE backpack left behind!
Head sculpt looks like how she should, yet I feel that it's missing a few key details to differentiate the helmet from the face. A faint pink would be one way to have it stand out, and some red lips would add even more to her paint details if you ask me. Articulation is on-par with every WFC figure released so far: Head on a ball joint, shoulders that move front and back as well as in and out, bicep swivels, elbows that bend more than 90 degrees, and hands that curl in and out. The waist rotates, hips move front and back, in and out,, thighs swivel, then they swivel again above the double-jointed knees, and the feet not only hinge but also pivot!
She only comes with one accessory, which is this measly gun cast in the same clear plastic as her fin and windshield. Despite having a rectangular peg, she can hold it with her 5mm hands.
Now you can remove most of the backpack to have it be a surfboard of sorts for her robot mode while also giving her a streamlined look. Honestly, that isn't so much of a bad thing, but it feels like something a much earlier G1 Arcee would have done whereas I would expect a new Arcee to be better engineered in terms of kibble placement.
Arcee looks much nicer without the backpack, though I still wish there was a method of either reducing the need to remove the backpack or adding SOME form of robot mode integration like with the T30 version.
Here's something funny about the toy: Hasbro forgot to paint her butt! While a lot of fans like to throw a fit over a niche company altering a design for a statue or figure of a female character with curvier proportions, I wonder why many aren't freaking out that the bikini bottom's missing paint for the actual bottom! Either Arcee's wearing a bikini with two colors on each side or she's wearing an ass-less panty (which sounds impossible). I'm sure Springer won't mind as one of my friends said, though it is weird how the hips are pink but not white.
In terms of reuses, Arcee received a repaint that trades her pink for a sea-green or teal deco. This is Lifeline, a Paradron Medic that reused Arcee's design in the cartoon. She comes in an Amazon-exclusive 2-pack with Ratchet, who is a repaint of Ironhide's Earthrise form (with the appropriate Ratchet details). Given how fans may want to just get Ratchet instead, let's just say there is a bit of a dilemma for anyone that doesn't want a teal Arcee.
And in terms of a figure that is retooled slightly, here is Elita-1. She has some differences to make her a little more unique from Arcee, but it's funny how she's just a hot pink Arcee with some new tooling for the chest and head. Yeah, if this doesn't get hard to find, I'd buy her. I'd like to pretend this was her initial form so that the POTP one can be her upgrade.
Now it's time to compare Arcee to her previous self. Let's go over what upsets me with the new figure. The T30 figure might have been kind of imperfect in terms of the design choices used for the backpack, but at least the design tried SOMETHING to make it feel more intricate in terms of having the backpack use better hinges, robot integration, and didn't require partsforming to achieve a more streamlined look. What I really hate are the shoulder pylons on the new figure, as they are quite hollow despite part of the vehicle mode attempting to fill in some of the gap. And is it me, or is the ER figure not as waifu-proportioned as the T30 figure? Them hips and chest look pretty thicc compared to the T30. On a side note, their articulation s mostly the same, but there are no ankle pivots or wrist hinges for the hands. And finally, I prefer the face of the T30 figure more than the ER figure.
T30 Arcee also had more weapons to display her with, from two guns to a pair of swords reminiscent of her Animated counterpart. While they don't go all the way into the hands with the version I own, it's pretty good bang for your buck compared to the peashooter of the Earthrise version.
And finally, here she is with Siege Ultra Magnus and Springer. While some find the aesthetics clash between the two, I say fuck it because I don't feel too interested in paying for a Springer that's G1 accurate by 1 percent more when this one's already good enough. Arcee looks good along with her 86 movie crew cohorts, but certainly feels cheap by comparison. And that's my problem with this figure: it has plenty of good ideas that make me wonder how much of an improvement it would be compared to the T30 version, but it manages to be worse than I expected. Sadly, not much else can be said about the positives with this toy, thanks to the lazy engineering and the weak plastic used. Unless you're a completionist or love the character, I don't think you really need this version and should stick with the T30 or Legends version of the mold.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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