NECA's Player Select - DEAD SPACE 2

[JeffSaylor]

Isaac Clarke faces off against the evil Necromorph Slasher...

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On January 25th, space engineer Isaac Clarke returns to fight the mutated Necromorphs in Dead Space 2. Taking place on a densely populated metropolis called the Sprawl, this video game sequel promises more chills, spills and gore than the hit original and I, for one, can not wait. Your mom may not approve, but Dead Space 2 wasn't made for her. This is a game lovingly tailored for hardcore gamers, horror hounds and sci-fi aficionados alike.

To help psyche out fans for this intense thrill ride, NECA has released two new 7-inch scale action figures. Hitting retail NOW at an SRP of $15.99 each, these include our protagonist Isaac Clarke with new and improved armor and weapons, as well as one of the many horrors he battles against, a Necromorph Slasher.

PACKAGING: As they say, if it isn't broken, don't fix it. NECA once again uses their tried-and-true clamshell design; ideal packaging for their 7-inch scale action figures. Black, like the deep space of the game, is the prominent color with the Dead Space 2 logo proudly placed at top. Wraparound character models add a splash of color and do an excellent job of identifying the figure inside.

The back of the pack further adds personality to each figure with an informative bio. Those new to the game (shame on you!) will find all they need to know here. What I found particularly cool were the images located at the bottom of each pack back. Notice how the character perspective is reversed, depending on the figure in hand.

ISSAC CLARKE: If you thought NECA's first Isaac Clarke action figure was amazing, you're in for a pleasant surprise with the new Isaac. First is his awesome new armor. While I love the coppery gothic look of the original, Isaac's new suit screams space superhero. Gone are the drab colors, replaced with a more vibrant palette of yellows, blues and whites. It reminds me alot of a Gundam robot, something I am sure is no coincidence. Part of Dead Space's appeal is the many sci-fi homages made in the game - from Aliens to Event Horizon. Tying the slick color scheme together is the use of copper highlights and random splashes of crimson "blood".

Also exciting and new is the overall look of the armor. Where the former was clunky and asymmetrical, Isaac's new duds are sleek and uniform in design. While I'm still growing accustomed to his new "elf shoes" (they are actually tipped with small thrusters), Isaac's new helmet is an instant knockout.

Even Isaac Clarke's weapons have undergone an upgrade. The figure comes packed with the new Plasma Cutter; similar to the original, but much more detailed in design. A huge improvement NECA made on this Isaac over the older figure is the addition of a swivel joint on the weapon. This allows fans to actually rotate the barrel of the gun horizontally or vertically, just like in the game. Anyone who has played Dead Space knows flipping the Plasma Cutter horizontally provides for better Necromorph limb displacement, so seeing it implemented on the toy is uber exciting. Kudos to NECA.

Lastly we come to Isaac Clarke's articulation and light-up feature. The figure comes loaded with useful joints, from the DCU-like flip-out hips introduced on the original Isaac, to ball-socket shoulders, elbows, hands, knees, and feet. A cut waist and thighs allow for even more extreme poses. My only real disappointment is that Isaac's head is not ball-jointed, something I am sure was resticted due to the wiring of his light-up mask. And light up it does! Like the original Isaac action figure, simply press the armor plate on the top of his back and watch as his "spine" and visor light up a brilliant bluish white. The cool thing is that you don't have to keeping holding down the button to keep him lit; just push it in until it "clicks" and wahlah - instant Isaac lamp! It's a really neat feature.

NECRO SLASHER: As exciting as the new Isaac Clarke is, the Necromorph Slasher is even more so. NECA has been very good about providing collectors with action figures of their favorite video game heroes, but getting toys of the bad guys is a bit of a rarity. Here we have one of the more commonly seen Necros of the game, horribly disfigured humans with long bone-like blades jutting out of their hands.

Horror collectors are going to absolutely LOVE all the gory detail NECA put on this creature, from its jaw-less head sculpt, mutated "hands" thrusting out of its open gut, to its violently exposed spinal column. Seeing all these twisted attributes on an action figure is pretty cool. You really don't get that good (or that long) of a look at these creatures in the game due to the dark shadows and quick impulse to obliterate them into a million bloody pieces.

Speaking of a million pieces... the Necro Slasher ups the gore ante by featuring removable limbs! Each limb - arms and legs - as well as its head, all pop off to replicate the dismembering carnage of Dead Space. It's a simple peg and socket system, but it works quite easily and effectively. I would have liked to have seen the pegs painted red (or bone white) to more closely mimic severed limbs, but I give credit to NECA for sculpting and painting the sockets on the torso. The overall effect is pretty darn cool and allows for countless display options, be it Isaac just beginning to slice and dice or a full-blown dismemberment, ala the last pic in my review. Fun, fun, fun. Best yet is that the Necromorph does not sacrifice any articulation because of this feature, starring ball-joints out the wazoo. Because of the Necro's spindly design, a nondescript black display base is included to help it stand. It's actually a necessity, unless you prefer your Necro crawling towards Isaac in brutal anticipation.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: NECA's new Dead Space 2 action figures are a must-have for any fan of the games. Those not familiar with the franchise owe it to themselves to play the games... and then get these figures. Extremely well-designed and cool looking, NECA's Isaac Clarke and Necromorph Slasher are a fitting tribute to one of the best video games on the market. Two bloody severed thumbs way up.

FOR OVER 100 NEW IMAGES OF ISAAC AND NECRO, CLICK HERE!

Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor

Review Samples Courtesy of NECA

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[mephisto1138]

Definitely gonna have to grab Isaac. I don't know if mentioning the fact that the light up button feature clicks into place and stays lit, but that was possible with the first ones too, if you pushed in and just slightly up, it would stay lit too. I used to leave them lit for parties and such.

[JeffSaylor]

You are quite right that the older Isaacs would stay lit up as you described. The newer one just appears to me to click ON and OFF much easier. And if nothing else, it's just a really cool feature to point out for those that don't own the first figs. So many light up toys out there require you to hold the button in, which irritates the heck out of me.

[ZombieSlayer909]

Great review Jeff! I love the photo shoot you did.

I just picked up Isaac the other day and he is a fantastic looking figure.

I've seen the necromorph and I must say he is one of the best figures NECA has produced recently. Super detailed, totally cool, and extremely versatile. I need to buy like 3 or 4 of them to go torment Isaac. The removable limbs feature will allow hundreds of customizable battle scenes; similar to NECA's Kill Bill line with the Crazy 88's.

Another home run for NECA for sure!

[JeffSaylor]

Thanks man!