My wife got the Halo Reach Play Arts Kai Kat figure for Christmas, and while that figure was far from perfection, it was good enough that I was intrigued by the Square-Enix Halo figures line. So much so, in fact, that I decided to drop ~$60 to order one of the upcoming Halo 4 Play Arts Kai figures. I almost ordered the Master Chief, but something compelled me to pass on the Chief and order the blue Halo 4 Play Arts Kai Spartan Warrior figure instead. I’m glad I did–he’s probably the best-looking Halo Spartan action figure I’ve ever seen…

The Right:

We’ll begin where all great action figure do–in their packaging. When you’re paying $60+ for an action figure, I think it’s okay to expect some bells and whistles, and Square-Enix delivers with the Halo 4 Play Arts Kai packaging. Unlike the Halo Reach Play Arts Kai figures, the Square-Enix Halo 4 figures come in book-style packaging with a velcro flap that can be opened up to show off the window-boxed figure within.

The inside of the flap has some comprehensive background text about the Spartan Warrior and the weapons he comes with, and even the plastic of the window-bubble has a fancy gradient effect on it. It’s a small touch, but it really makes this Halo 4 Spartan Warrior Play Arts Kai figure feel like a high-end collectible and not just a toy.

As for the Square-Enix Play Arts Spartan Warrior figure itself, well–as nice as the packaging is, it doesn’t do the figure justice at all. Once you get the Halo 4 Spartan Warrior out of his packaging, you discover that he has easily the best paint deco ever on a Halo action figure. Rather than opting for a flat paint like McFarlane Toys and MEGA Brands do, this spartan is decorated almost entirely with shiny metallic blue and silver paints.

I love the McFarlane Halo Spartan action figures (I certainly own enough of them)–but the flat paint on those figures never gives me the sense that they’re representations of soldiers wearing metal armor. This Halo 4 Play Arts Kai Spartan Warrior absolutely does, and the effect is breathtaking. You get what you pay for, and the Halo 4 Spartan Warrior Play Arts Kai figure really makes the McFarlane Spartan Warrior look like the $11 low-end toy that it is.

Not only do I love the actual paint Square-Enix chose for this Halo 4 Spartan Warrior, but I am mesmerized by the level of detail that they put into its paint applications, which are positively unmatched. There are masterfully-painted details all over this blue Spartan Warrior figure, making him look more like a well-designed statue than an action figure. Even the Spartan Warrior’s fingertips have blue paint on them! It’s really quite stunning, and I can genuinely say I’ve never seen a better-painted Halo figure–ever.

Of course, all that beautiful paint would go to waste if the figure underneath wasn’t very good. Luckily, the Halo 4 Play Arts Kai Spartan Warrior is an excellent action figure in its own right. Unlike the Halo Reach Play Arts Kai figures like Kat, this Spartan Warrior figures doesn’t feel cheap or breakable in the slightest.

All of the joints click into place tightly, and no matter how much I move the figure around or drop the Spartan Warrior in the snow and get him wet (really–I kept dropping him in the snow) , the joints still work tight as can be. Given how frail the McFarlane Halo figures feel (and often are), it’s sort of a weird experience having a Halo 4 Spartan Warrior that I can move around freely without worrying about any of the joints loosening or shattering.

The sculpt itself is gorgeous and far beyond anything in the McFarlane Halo series. Again–I love my McFarlane Spartans, but there’s simply much more space to work in this scale, and thus a higher potential for sculpting fine details. The level of intricacies and textures in the sculpt of the armor is just awesome, and allows this Spartan Warrior sculpt to blow the McFarlane one out of the water (albeit at 600% the price).

The Square-Enix Spartan Warrior figure includes a pair of alternate hands (with a tighter grip for holding weapons) and two guns: a Magnum and a Battle Rifle. I’ll gripe plenty about the guns later on, but they are very nicely decorated and work perfectly with the hands provided–the trigger fingers even fit properly over the triggers. And it’s always nice to get more than the one gun we’ve all become accustomed getting with each McFarlane Halo 4 action figure, even if the gun selection isn’t the most riveting.

In addition, the box includes what looks like a very reliable and expensive figure stand for your Square-Enix Play Arts Kai figures. It’s made of plastic, but uses real metal screws in it, so it’s pretty hardcore. I didn’t even bother to assemble it, as I had literally zero problems getting my blue Spartan Warrior figure to stand stably in a variety of poses. The figure stand is a cool bonus and I’m sure I’ll use it if my Halo 4 Master Chief Play Arts Kai figure has balance issues, but as it is I just didn’t need it.

The Wrong:

There’s one problem that irritates the hell out of me with this Play Arts Kai Halo 4 figure, and it’s the same old problem I had with the Halo Reach Kat figure–the guns that come with the Spartan Warrior both have obvious, non-removable pegs molded into them! Considering this is a high-end collector’s figure meant to be displayed, this is totally unforgivable and I cannot fathom why Square-Enix think this is acceptable. At first I was hoping that the pegs had been made removable for the Halo 4 Play Arts Kai line, but alas, even the art on the front of the box confirms that the pegs are permanently attached. Absolutely ridiculous.

But wait! I’m not done complaining about the weapons yet. Could Square-Enix have possibly chosen any more bland and uninspired weapon choices than the Battle Rifle and Magnum for this Halo 4 Play Arts Kai Spartan Warrior? The upcoming Sarah Palmer gets a Railgun and the red Spartan Soldier gets a Suppressor, but the blue Spartan Warrior gets a bunch of old guns? Very lame.

“Where Can I Buy It?!”
I paid $64.99 + shipping to get my blue Spartan Warrior immediately as soon as it hit domestic shores (and I don’t regret it). But now the Halo 4 Play Arts Kai Spartan Warrior is available for under $60 shipped online, a far better deal.
Overall: I’m going to give this Square-Enix Halo 4 Play Arts Kai Spartan Warrior figure what I consider to be extremely pretty high praise: I don’t feel like I was ripped off at all paying ~$65 for this Halo 4 action figure. The aesthetic of this figure with the metallic paint is absolutely unparalleled, and it’s unquestionably the best-looking Spartan figure in my entire collection. Quality-control is far better than the old Halo Reach Play Arts Kai figures, and even the packaging looks high-end. I would have appreciated some more interesting weapons being included–and the permanent pegs sticking off the guns really piss me off–but otherwise this Halo 4 Spartan Warrior Play Arts Kai figure is a total winner and well-worth every penny I paid for him (and there were a lot of them). Highly recommended.

GRADE: A-