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Packaging: ***1/2
Clamshells.... a blessing and a curse. I love how they protect the figure, but it's a pain in the neck to get open. I apologize for not having in-package shots, as I tore this open before thinking of it.
The back has a small blurb about the Halo games and what figures are in the lineup..... It lists Cortana, but she wasn't anywhere on the shelf. There's also regular spartans (red & blue are released now, didn't see the white one), the Brute chieftain, a Grunt, and a Jackal sniper. It appears that all of the weapons are interchangeable, so you can have MC carry the gravity hammer and a Jackal sniper rifle.
Also lists upcoming vehicles such as the Warthog and the Brute Chopper.
*edit-- I went back and did see a Cortana, but I didn't like the style.
There's a lot of room in it, but it's wasted with MC. The Brute Chieftan.... he fills it out and then some, but the chief and other Spartans (red and blue) are just in the middle with their rifles to one side. more on this in the 'accessories' dept.
Sculpt: ****
This is awesome. Much better than the last incarnation of MC released by Joyride. In the right pose, this can imitate a statue. the articulation is hidden so well that I couldn't even find the hip joint.
Every line in the armor is great. The helmet is perfect...... it's just a beautiful piece.... almost worthy of Sideshow's work. I just can't put it into words beyond what I already have.
Oh, I should mention that this isn't in any real scale.... the Marvel Legends figures are 6', the Star Wars are 3 3/4', and this guy is around 5' standing up.
Paint: ***1/2
Again, practically flawless. The was used on it works to just the right degree so as to replicate the look from the game.
Articulation - ****
the back of the package boasts 18 points.
I counted:
Ball-jointed neck,
ball-joint shoulders, (x2)
cut bicep (x2)
ball-joint elbows (x2)
ball-joint wrists (x2)
ball-joint hip (x2)
Ball-joint knees (x2)
ball-joint ankles (x2)
mid-chest joint.
2x mid-foot bend (similar to the Marvel Legend toes)
yep, 18.
I know that McFarlane isn't known for articulation, so this was a major surprise for me. It actually beats out the SA clone trooper.
Be careful when posing him, cause the wrists are a little tight off the bat. More on that in 'Quality.'
Accessories: **1/2
This is where he ends up a little light. The packages lists the 18 PoA, grenades, and his rifle....well, he has the rifle.
There's a small black piece just below his rifle in the tray. Most would think it's the grenade, but it's not. You'll notice 4 holes on the Chief: one between his shoulder blades, two on his lower back, and one on his right thigh. the larger portion of this piece fits into one of these holes and the small fits into a small hole on the rifle's left side.
I double-checked and each figure on the shelf came with these: one for each included weapon.
I had no idea what it was until the way home and I realized that it was a perfect fit.... then my friend hit a pothole and I dropped it... found it afterwards, though.
I'm not sure if there are some with a grenade, but I didn't see any except the regular Spartans. If someone else find a MC with it, Let me know.
Fun Factor: ****
It's the masterchief....as a toy instead of a statue..... and did I mention it's the Masterchief? How much more fun can it get?
Quality - ***
Now, this figure won't work in the sandbox, despite how cool he is. A younger kid could play with it, but I would be afraid of soemthign breaking. If you handed it to a 10-12 yr old and said 'be careful,' I would trust him.
It might be designed more as a toy than most of the McFarlane figures *coughtwistedchristmascough* but it's still a McFarlane item. They're known for sculpt over playability/durability.
For a collecter that like to 'pose' the figure, it will hold up just fine.... but don't expect it to hold up to a kid playing with it with his G.I. Joes.
Value: ***
$10 for a 5' Masterchief. It's not bad if he was in 6' scale, but at 5', it shoudl've been closer to $7.99.
Overall: ***1/2
While I wouldn't give it to a small kid to play with his GI Joes, it'd be great for a 13+ year old....
Just watch for paint apps and those fragile wrist joints.
Score Recap:
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpt - ****
Paint - ***1/2
Articulation - ****
Accessories - **1/2
Quality - ***
Fun Factor - ****
Value - ***
Overall - ***1/2
Where to buy-
I found mine at (oddly enough) Walmart. Figure that out.
most online stores should have them in-stock. They were just recently released, so they shouldn't be too hard to find. |
