Re: Square Enix Play Arts Kai Dissidia Final Fantasy Figures

Man, I still can't get sold on these over the older Play Arts figures. My Cloud from back then has the range of double knees without those terribly ugly double joints and the ball ankles were really sturdy and allowed for deep, flat-footed stances.

The look cool enough, but I still miss the old figures that didn't have those huge, blatant double knees that look like robot parts. Better engineering back then, i think.

Square Enix Play Arts Kai Dissidia Final Fantasy Figures

Three new sword-wielding warriors now part of fan-favorite line...

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There's no doubt many video game fans have taken a liking to Square Enix's expanding line of Play Arts Kai figures. With the average Play Arts Kai figure standing 9" tall, featuring over 25 points of articulation, featuring some of the most character-accurate sculpting in the business, and including a variety of accessories, each and every figure in the line is a masterpiece.

While recent figures have included characters from Devil May Cry 4, Halo: Reach, Assassin's Creed II, and even Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, fans of Square Enix's own games can thankfully find three new figures based on the company's own Dissidia Final Fantasy game: Squall Leonheart, Cloud Strife, and Judge Master Gabranth.

PACKAGING:

Like previously released Play Arts Kai figures, each comes packaged in a collector-friendly window box which features a gray/silver color deco and white paintbrush strokes throughout. Images of the figure posed grace the back as do single images of the other two figures in the line. While maybe not as durable as some packages, the clear plastic, form-fitting bubble securely houses each figure and accessories inside, ensuring they're protected during transit to your home and shelf.

SCULPTING & PAINT:

It's impossible to not be impressed by the sheer accuracy the sculptors accomplish on this line of figures. Likewise, the paint applications impress thanks to their tight lines which feature no drips, misses or inaccuracies. While scale no doubt plays a factor (as the larger figures allow for additional detail), the minute features - be it a facial expression, a lock of hair, a buckle, a piece of plate armor, or simply a wrinkle in the character's costume - help convey each character's look accurately from the game to their 3D figure form.

Squall features his distinguished look from Dissidia, a slight modification of his look from his original appearance in FFVIII. A black, fur-lined leather jacket over a white tank top and black leather pants and buckled shoes are all present, as is the character's lion necklace, black thigh straps, and black leather gloves. Squall's hair likewise captures the character's "pretty boy" ("bishōnen") look.

Cloud likewise captures the classic anime "pretty boy" look, though his Dissidia costume is quite a bit different than his look in the fan-favorite CGI anime Final Fantasy: Advent Children. Accurate to his FFVII costume, the character wears a blue tank top and pants with brown leather belt and suspenders harnessing a steal armor pauldron on the left shoulder. Cloud's brown leather gloves match his belt and harness while his blue turn-down boots match his shirt and pants. And who would Cloud be without his spiked yellow hair, accurately sculpted here to ensure all who see this figure know exactly who it is.

Unlike the previous two figures, Judge Master Gabranth (JMG from here on) is completely armored in an intricate, layered suit of armor the likes of which will both impress and intimidate any foe he faces. The ornate, detailed helm cover the warrior's face while a large chest piece and shoulder plates give the character his imposing look. The gunmetal armor is accentuated by gold detail lines, which give the armor depth and detail. Likewise, the black pants and over-the-shoulder cape worn by the warrior help break up the armor and frame his large, armored body.

Overall, each of these figures accurately captures each of the characters from the game, bringing to life three of the most popular and fan-favorite characters from the long history of Final Fantasy.

ARTICULATION & ACCESSORIES:

Thanks to brilliant engineering and joint design, each of the Dissidia Play Arts Kai figures features a variety of articulation, including specially designed, double-twist joint at the elbows, wrists and ankles, double-joint knees, ball-and-socket hips, twist thighs and biceps, ball-jointed chest, twist waist and more. This essentially allows each figure to be posed in a variety of positions be they static and relaxed or battle-ready and action-oriented.

Featuring his massive buster sword, Cloud can be posed in his signature "sword over the shoulder" stance as seen in past statues or in a variety of positions thanks to the generous articulation. Unfortunately, due to the sheer size and thus weight of his buster sword, Cloud is simply unable to be posed with the sword in a single hand. However, allowing Cloud to use both hands provides an opportunity for Cloud to swing his massive blade and take on any and every foe who comes his way.

Squall too can be posed in his classic stance, gunblade down but at the ready. Thanks to a low point of balance and a light weapon, Squall can take on a variety of battle-ready poses as well, be the blade wielded in one hand or two.

JMG is by far the largest figure of the set and, due to his armor, less poseable than his counterparts. His should articulation in particular is limited in range of movement thanks to the large shoulder armor. That said, he is still able to be posed in a variety of both static and battle-ready positions. Likewise, thanks to his detailed weapon - which can be split into two separate swords or combined into one large, double-bladed staff - JMG makes for a warrior unlike any other.

No matter which of these figures you pick up, each will impress with a unique, game-accurate weapon specific to the character and a wide variety of articulation allowing collectors and fans plenty of opportunity for posing fun.

COST & OVERALL IMPRESSION:

Priced at approx. $49.99 each, these figures are aimed more at the mid-level video game fan and collector. However, considering the size, amount of articulation, detail in both sculpting and paint application, and accuracy of each of these figures is a bargain.

It's great to see Square Enix again bring to life action figures based on their own games -- especially considering how many other video game characters they've released, created and announced recently. As I previously mentioned, the sheer number of Play Arts Kai figures joining the ranks of the line is stunning. New additions include the recently released Ezio from Assassin's Creed 2 and multiple figures from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Newly announced figures, like Batman from Arkham Asylum, Kratos from God of War III, Nathan Drake from Uncharted, three figures from Deux Ex: Human Revolution, and two figures from Vanquish all make this a line well worth watching...especially if you're a fan of video games. In fact, the line is expanding so quickly it's becoming one of the largest, most encompassing series around. Hopefully that means more Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts Play Arts Kai figures are on their way soon!

Be on the look out for our upcoming review of the new Metal Gears Solid: Peace Walker Play Arts Kai figures - including Solid Snake (Battle Dress) and Kaz Miller figures!

- review and photos by Jess C. Horsley
- samples provided by Square Enix

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