I'm fairly fond of the designs. It's quite sleek and neat, a cross between Animated and the Movies, as Tyler said. I prefer the Movie designs, but these are a neat aesthetic nevertheless.

 

One of the best asecthics i've seen them make so far.

 

Prime is really the only Transformers show I have watched, so needless to say it's my favorite. I've seen a little bit of the original cartoon, but that's about it. I love all the bot designs and transformation animations but never was too crazy about the human designs, with the exception of Fowler.

 

I really like it. It's expressive, and could go any way in terms of shape and size of robots and environments.

 

I've grown tired of it. None of the designs really stand out as unique. Also the like-movie-but-not-as-detailed-aesthetic really needs to go. I miss when TFs actually believably transformed.

 

I dig it immensely. The only character design that took some warming up to was Optimus really. Other than that I just love the eyes, most of the time it has enabled the animation team to express emotion thru those alone. Even with Soundwave and Insecticons etc! Just brilliant!

 

I like it enough. Kinda mixes all the good parts of Movieverse and Animated together, while not usually being too dependent on past versions of whatever characters. I think Prime Starscream and Soundwave are my favorite versions of them.

There is quite a bit of same-ness, though. Lots of tall, thin, long, pointy designs.

 

Bulkhead,Breakdown,Ratchet,and the Insecticons aren't exactly thin and pointy actually.

 

Worse than the movies and Animated but still ok.

 

But literally every other design follows the same overall look, though. Prime, Arcee, Knockout, Starscream and Smokescreen all feature very samey face builds with pronounced forhead crests. While others like Ratchet, Megatron, Soundwave, the Vehicons and so-on feature, again, long faces with square shaped heads. Not like Bulkhead who's got a completely unique face and overall look) Many characters share similar builds and there's not much in the way of unique stylings, everyone having their fair share of spikes and rounded armour. (except Bulkhead of course) I can see where some may say there's little in the way of overt differences in aesthetics and character between mybe individuals, which all makes for a rather bland looking group of characters.

I mean, Arcee and Starscream look so much alike. Both have long faces, both have thin pointed crests, both have angular side pieces.

 

I generally like it a lot. Characters like Optimus, Ratchet or Soundwave (gotta love Prime Soundwave) are very well done. Megatron and Bumblebee could use some redesign. I liked Animated BB more, and of course Animated Megatron (earth form) was the best Megatron.

Overall it's one of my favorite TF aesthetics. The movie designs were... ok, but I was never crazy about them except for some exceptions (particularly a lot of offscreen toys). I really loved Animated, and contrary to what someone said earlier, i think Prime actually takes good elements from both and combines them very well.

 

I think the reason I, personally, am tired of this style is because it is a blend of movie and Animated, but doesn't accomplish the goal of either. It lacks the uinque and individual designs and aesthetics. It doesn't portray character as well as Animated, it isn't as detailed as the movies, it's not as sleek as Animated and not as visually strikign as the movies. It's a very "safe" art style, taking no risks and making no great leaps or bounds. It's nothing new.

 

Perhaps the same could be said of all relig-- no wait.

Nah, I think it's pretty innovative. Apologies for using Soundwave so much as an example of everything, but him and Starscream weren't exactly playing it -safe-. I remember the outrage when the first designs started to appear (well, I admit the same happened with Animated, and the Movies and.. well pretty much everything not-g1). Sure, Megatron and Prime (and BB of course) play it super safe, but in Prime's case I think that, unlike the other two, he looks much better and heroic than both his movie and Animated incarnations.

I almost forget Knockout, but there's a fantastic design too.

 

How is Megatron's face the same as Soundwave? Soundwave's face is a computer screen for heaven's sake! The Insecticon's face is a lot more animal like,While Arcee and Starscream do have some simileir things going on like you said you're forgetting the fact that he's taller then her,has a jet alt mode,has claws,and freaken high heels while Arcee's a lot more smaller,has obviosuly more of a girly face then he does,has a motorcycle alt mode and unlike Starscream she wears combat boots. And there's also them having different genders to boot. The crest on Optimus Prime is different then Knockout's and Smokescreen due to being longer,most rounded faces like Ratchet differ from the Vehicons due to have an actual face as oppposed to the Vehicons having non human ones and him having more of a medium build as opposed to the muscilar build of Optimus and Megatron.

I do see some simileratys but other then that they still have their own shares of differences that make them stand out from each other and from the past TF shows. Besides isn't your own style just a blend of G1,and IDW? That's no different from how Prime blends the movie and Animated styles together.

 

Yeah, they're as cheaty as the movie designs, but without the complexity to cover up how it makes no sense, like Ratchet's chest doors.

 

Funny isn't that what the Unicron Trilogy,WFC/FOC,and RID styles did too? Not a lot of people have any problems with that if I'm right.

I know what you mean in Optimus,Bumblebee and Megatron's case but that's due to them being designed to be like their movie versions which are popular at the time. However I can't say the same for the rest. Arcee's color and appearence for example looks NOTHING like her past versions and I remember the shock that everyone had the first time she was revealed for being so different looking. The same goes with Soundwave for not looking like his G1 self at all due to his more alien look,Starscream was also bashed for looking too skinney,There's also Cliffjumper not being a red Bumblebee repaint like he normally is, as well as Breakdown not being a paranoid shrimp from G1. Yet in the end a lot of people came to like that a lot including myself because of how different and fresh they look. I in perticualr loved how Arcee actually looks more expressive and more easier to look at then her G1 and Animated self and her color being blue and not pink helps too.

Prime has it's own shares of having things that are different like I mentioned up top and the ones I've mentioned were not playing it safe at all. And if I recall the designs for Arcee,Soundwave,Starscream,Cliffjumper,and Breakdown were just G1 homages all the same despite it's different style. I'm not saying that as abd thing far from it but in case of Prime it actually did designs for them more differently.

 

It's perfectly fine if you don't like Prime's art, but what you are criticizing here is a basic principle of art. If the characters didn't share certain similar aesthetics then there would be no style. It'd be even worse if each character was designed by totally different artists that didn't even TRY to make them look like they're the same species from the same cartoon. I can't even imagine watching a cartoon where one character looks like it's from Armada while another is Animated, The movies and G1. If it wasn't a crossover or alternate dimensional sort of episode it would be a nightmare. For me and many others an art style alone can make or break a cartoon, having a show where Style doesn't even exist is hard to fathom.

Honestly I would say that Prime does an excellent job of having a variety of nicely designed characters. Minus the obvious like Vehicons and Insecticons, and Skyquake/Dreadwing, the characters in Prime are very unique compared to one another. G1 is far, FAR worse in terms of straight recolors that pass as different individuals.

 

Easily one of the greatest TF Aesthetics ever. I've always loved the "every vehicle part shifts and bends to form the robot" feel of the movies, but at the same time, I love the simple fold out flip down feel of G1.

 

I find it a bit hit and miss. Most of the characters I think look great but I can't stand Prime's look. Apart from the Bayverse I'd say it's the worse looking Prime. Megatron isn't much better either.

Starscream and smokescreen on the other hand both look brilliant.

 

I think the only thing I don't like about Transformers Prime is the lack of care given to the eyes, ESPECIALLY Megatron's! His eyes are the the worst offenders in the show. I can tolerate them blinking, as odd as that is, but eyes looking left in right when the person being talked to is standing right in front of them is pretty annoying. I hope this error can be corrected in season three.