I got this set a very long time ago, and I won't lie, I never reviewed it because I am awfully lazy, but since my Hanley haul a few months ago, I got a few new toys that are certainly worthy of review, so I am getting off my arse and getting these reviews done, starting with number 1, the UNSC Vulture from Mega Bloks, which set me back £99.99, included 1031 pieces, including 3 mini figures and one UNSC Vulture, and took me 5 hours to build.
straight away this set looks stunning, Mega Bloks did a very good job of capturing the look of the Vulture from the game, and that very few specialised parts were used is very nice, I like that, but how they got the look is something I have mixed feelings on. First the good, their use of hinge pieces and joints to achieve the shape of the Vulture's body looks very nice, and from the top and sides the panels that cover most of the body hide the innards very well and keep up the shape. Now onto the bad, the innards are ugly, beneath the panels along the sides, the body is full of holes, consisting of the interior of the vehicle, and then huge gaps under the outer panels, this gives the ship an odd feel, and makes it quite awkward to hold, that and the panels just sit there with nothing holding them down and not a lot of friction to hold them down either, it's another issue I either chock up to quality control or bad design , but this thing is definitely far more aesthetically impressive as it is structurally. the interior however is more impressive, with a cockpit with a seat and room for 1 mini figure, and a space inside the body with seating for 4, that's accessible either by a hatch on the top or by a ramp on the back, both of which are very well hidden to maintain the look, and adding some playability to go along with the forward guns and rocket pods, which can all be rotated and tilted up and down, as well as non functional missile hatches along the top hatch into the interior. my biggest issue with the ship is the awkward feel of the thing thanks to the hollow innards, which are really noticeable from the bottom, but I really like the look of the model, and if to fix the issue I have would mean compromising the marvelous look, then I'm fine with it, without a doubt though, this thing is more intended for display than it is for play.
this set also comes with 3 mini figures. The UNSC pilot looks very at home in the cockpit of the Vulture, and on his own looks pretty cool, even if he stands out from his 2 fellows; Spartan Locke and a generic Spartan, the Spartan is just another troop in the army for me, I don't hate the armour design but I'm not the hugest fan of it, and the colour just doesn't do it for me. mine also has a bit of an issue, his hand won't rotate, I know it sounds very petty, but it won't, and this limits his displayability greatly, I know though that this is most likely an issue with mine and not an issue with the toy. now would be a good time to mention the set comes with a DMR, a pistol and a redesigned rocket launcher. holding the pistol is Spartan Locke, definitely the coolest figure in the set, I really like the design of his armour, the helmet in particular, with his blue visor painted very well, and the subtler details are really nice, like how his crotch plate matches with his jumpsuit, along with the absence of shoulder plates giving him a very sleek look, he and the other 2 figures also use the interchangeable armour system. Overall this set is one I really like, the Locke figure looks really cool, as does the pilot, but I'm not terribly fond of the Spartan, but the star, at least from an aesthetic standpoint, is the Vulture itself, which looks incredible, but it's bugged by the awkward feel and the lack of sturdiness in the panels giving it that great shape. it's better on a shelf than it is as a toy, if, like me, you want to put it on a shelf, I'd very highly recommend this set, but really only if you intend that, if you want this thing as a toy, it might not be the best choice of set.
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