It doesn’t fit with any scale of
figure I have, I don’t plan on collecting any further MGS figures,
and it was ridiculously expensive. But I’ve been curious about the
Play Arts Kai figures from Square Enix for a while now and when they
announced a figure of the hot redhead from one of my favorite video
games that I absolutely suck at I decided to give one a try. It was
more curiosity about the line than anything.
First, a bit about me and Metal Gear. I was terrible at the old 8-Bit Nintendo Metal Gear. It frustrated me to no end and I couldn’t ever get anywhere. I wanted to like it and just didn’t. Years later a girlfriend who was a complete lunatic but was very generous with gifts got me Metal Gear Solid and Grand Theft Auto III for either my birthday or Christmas. I didn’t care all that much about video games at the time, but somebody had told her that these were amazing. That person was right. I spent hours playing both, but it seemed like I never really got anywhere in MGS compared to my fairly decent and regular progression in GTA III. I did eventually finish MGS with the help of a strategy guide and copious notes from a friend. I don’t think I would have ever beaten Psycho Mantis on my own. But I loved the overall story and complexity of the game and the memories of playing it have stayed with me to this day.
I bought all of the McFarlane MGS
figures when they came out. I’ve still got them packed up somewhere
and the Snake and Meryl fish tank set is actually out in my office.
That one is a great set. Obviously this figure doesn’t fit in with
those, but there was just something about it that prompted me to
preorder it from BigBad when it was offered.
First Glance: It may be
hideously expensive, but this piece does come off like a fancy-pants
action figure. From the eye-catching box to the look of the enclosed
figure itself, I felt like I was getting something special once it
arrived. This plastic lady is certainly presented like a high-quality
item.
Articulation: This is
going to be tough. I literally have to sit here and count off each
joint because there are so many.
Head – ball joint
Shoulders – ball joint
Biceps – swivel
Elbows – double pivot
Wrists – ball joint
Upper Abdomen – ball joint
Waist – ball joint
Hips – ball joint
Thighs – swivel
Knees – double pivot
Ankles – swivel/pivot
Toes - swivel
This figure is articulated very
thoroughly and for the most part the joints all work like they are
supposed to. Each one has a very deep range of motion, yet still
blends into the figure fairly well. That’s not to say the joints
aren’t obvious, but they all look pretty good. The only ones that
stand out are the shoulders, and even those work with the tank top.
The elbow pads are on tiny hinges,
presumably so they can move with the elbows. The problem is that the
clip joining the pad to the elbow is just a bit too open, so they pop
off rather than moving. It isn’t a big deal, as I’m okay with how
the pads look even when the elbow is bent, but they don’t quite
work like I think they were supposed to.
The ankles swivel at the top as much as
the boot sculpted around them allows. The depth of the pivot isn’t
great and the point where the two halves of the boot meet has
actually come apart a bit on my figure’s left boot. I think they
could have accomplished a more mobile foot with a different joint.
Otherwise, the figure is excellently
articulated and a lot of fun to pose and move around. I had to keep
her on the desk for a while just to keep rearranging her parts.
Sculpt: The figure is
hollow and made of a sort of soft-ish plastic. It’s not vinyl, but
it’s similar. The level of detail is just amazing. This is another
reason I had to leave it on my desk. This is one of those figures
that you can just sit and stare at for a while, taking in all the
details.
The head is excellent, more reflective
of the concept art for the game than the game itself. The hair is
detailed and very natural-looking. The face has anime proportions and
a sassy smirk. I dig it.
The tank top is actually a separate
piece from the figure, molded of a slightly softer plastic. I can’t
quite wrap my mind around all of the different pieces that make up
this figure. I’d love to see it completely disassembled, but I kind
of doubt anybody is going to spend sixty bucks on this thing and then
ruin it. The whole upper torso is full of detail. I like that Meryl
doesn’t have giant anime boobs and the proportions – of the upper
body, anyway – are fairly realistic. The sleeves, elbow pads, and
gloves on the arms look great. I like the pieces of armor plating on
the elbows and hands a lot. They have so much more depth being
sculpted out from the main portion rather than just being part of it.
The junk in Meryl’s trunk is kind of
mind-blowing. She almost looks like a Kaare Andrews drawing in that
department. The sculpt and detailing are fantastic, with the hip
joints blending into the folds and wrinkles of the trousers. The web
belts are actually separate pieces, so I’ll get to those in Flair.
The tops of the kneepads are the swivel joint for the thigh and the
armor plate on the front conceals the double joint.
The boots look great as far as detail
goes, but the joint they chose for the ankle is kind of weird and
distracting considering how streamlined the rest of the figure is.
I’m also not a huge fan of the swivel joint mid-foot, as once it’s
moved it doesn’t line up and it really doesn’t make much sense
anyway. My shoes do not swivel like that regardless of how I am
standing or squatting. So from the knees down I am not entirely on
board with the choices Play Arts made with this figure.
Coloring: As good as the
sculpt is – for the most part – the paint job is what’s really
wowing me with this figure. I don’t know how many apps we have
here, but they would likely cause an apoplectic fit in a Mattel
budget planner.
The head is remarkable. The hair not
only has several different shades, but the differing colors are
applied in a way that suggests life and movement. The paint
compliments the sculpt very well. The facial details are also
excellent, with an amazing attention to the area of the eyes.
Everything is very vibrant, but the designers stopped just shy of
making Meryl look animated. I mean, the sculpt obviously is, but the
paint app is slightly more reserved.
The skin tones of the figure are
similar to how Mattel does the Masters of the Universe Classics, but
more subtle. There are bits of color to represent muscle tone and the
exposed skin all looks very good. It’s an appropriately light tone
for a redhead rather than any kind of tan.
The clothing all has a certain amount
of wear painted on. Not filthy or anything, but just enough washes
and depth to look real as opposed to cartoony. The detailing on the
armor plates is good, and they all match styles. The boots are solid
as well, with just enough detailing to not look bland.
The only negative here are some
blotches on the front of her tank top. They're not okay, but they
don't bother me that much.. All of the various parts are tightly
detailed and accurately placed.
Flair: Meryl’s web
belts are separately molded pieces and look great because of it. They
perfectly conceal the waist and hip joints and are beautiful sculpts.
The webbing is intricate and precise and all the buckles and grommets
look amazing. The pouches on her waist are nice and bulky and so well
done that it took a close look to realize they do not open (which is
fine – I don’t have anything to put in there).
There is a holster and a knife sheath
attached to the right side of the belts. The holster looks awesome
and has a small strap the hold Meryl’s pistol in place. This is one
fo the few real problems with the figure. It is almost impossible to
get that strap snapped into place. It has a little peg on the end
that is meant to push into a hole in the side of the holster, but
it’s soft plastic and basically just won’t go in if the pistol is
in there. The knife sheath has the same problem. These two bits are
beautifully detailed but don’t quite function the way they are
supposed to.
The paint on the belts is great. All of
the little details are fully rendered and honestly this is one of the
highlights of a great figure.
The pistol is some kind of heavy
automatic. I don’t know if it’s based in reality or is some
made-up video game thing, but it is chock full of sculpted detail
that is also painted tightly. It fits perfectly into the figure’s
pistol grip hand and the holster.
The knife is also a very nice sculpt
with each part meticulously painted. It fits into the figure’s
knife-gripping hand as well as the sheath.
Meryl has a set of relaxed hands (or
perhaps “ready for action” hands) and a set of gripping hands.
They all look good and switch out easily at the wrists.
Packaging: Meryl comes in
a fairly fancy-pants window box. The art on the exterior is very nice
and made me feel like I was getting a high-end item. The Japanese are
much better about crediting their toy creators than we are:
The interior tray held the figure
nicely without any of those irritating ties, and held its shape well
even after the figure was removed.
Value: I don’t feel all
that great about spending sixty dollars plus shipping for this
figure. Don’t get me wrong – this is a fantastic, high-end,
collector quality figure. But it just isn’t something that I feel
like I should have spent that much money on. It might be worth it to
you, but I can’t say it was to me. Although when compared to
the forty-five bucks plus shipping I just paid for the Arkham City
Mr. Freeze (review coming soon) Meryl doesn’t seem so bad.
Overall: Odd foot
decisions aside, this is a truly fantastic figure. Meryl is a great
example of Japanese ingenuity and craftsmanship. From the detailed,
dynamic sculpt to the incredible paint job she really does feel like
a high-end collectible. Except, of course, for the fact that she’s
sturdy and you can actually play with her. If you are a fan of the
Metal Gear series and of toys I highly recommend you track
down this or one of the other MGS Play Arts figures. You won’t
be disappointed. You’ll be poorer, but happy.
4
out of 5
As a matter of fact, you can probably
buy mine on eBay. I simply can’t justify hanging onto such an
oddly-scaled figure that was so expensive. I don’t have anywhere to
put her and I’m pretty sure I can get most of my money back selling
online. She goes right back into that box, so with a note that she
was removed “For reviewing and photography purposes only” I think
I can undercut the prices for brand new ones just a bit and make a
sale. We’ll see.
Side Note: I got
all the way to starting a listing and decided I couldn't do it. This
figure is just too cool. I might sell it someday, but I have to hang
onto it for a while.
I had no idea this figure was made, nice Find! I do agree with it seeming a bit pricey. I just picked up a Play Arts Arkham Asylum Harley Quinn for 40, regularly 60. I might try to wait it out and see if I can get this figure around the same price point.
ReplyDeleteForty would be totally reasonable for these. But I will say if they ever do a character I particularly love that isn't available in another format, I'd buy it for MSRP.
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