A glance is all it took to convince me that I need to own every BioShock toy that NECA puts out, despite the fact that I'm still working my way through the original game, and haven't even considered the sequel that this particular toy is based on. Is the totally unfamiliar (to me, anyway) Subject Delta a big disappointment, or was that convincing glance rewarded with a fantastic figure? Would you kindly keep reading, and find your answer to that very question. 

Name: Subject Delta
Line: Player Select: BioShock 2
Manufacturer: NECA
Released: First Quarter 2010
Price: $13.99-$19.99
Scale: Figure is 7.50 in. tall
Accessories: Removable canisters, removable ropes, and an alternate hand.
Sponsor Listings: Amazon-$14.99

 

I buy a lot of figures from a lot of different companies, but I'm always stunned at the amount of sculpted detail NECA can work into a figure this size. Subject Delta is an attractive toy that captures the details of the source material without a single misstep. There are so many varied textures, miniscule cuts and grooves, and perfectly natural cloth folds and material details, that there isn't a single spot on the figure that doesn't look completely realistic. And an even bigger achievement is that he fits into the distinct style of BioShock so well too! It all started at the game design end of course, but none of that amazing design was lost in the transition to plastic, which is a pretty monumental accomplishment. No corners were cut and it seems extra steps and tooling were created to get things "just right". It would be easy to go on for paragraphs about specific little intricate elements that are just astounding looking, but it's easier to just say: "it's beautiful" and be done with it. The proportions are right, the costume is right, and the attention to detail is right, while nothing is wrong. This is as good as it gets right now at this scale folks, and I'm loving it.   

Sculpt Score: 10 / 10

 

If there is any single criticism for the paint job on Subject Delta, it's that it is occasionally muddled. There are certain areas where colors bleed together, lines are a little blurred, and the palette just seems washed out. When looking at individual aspects of the figure, I'll admit the muddling can be an eyesore. That said, when taking in the figure as a whole, I think that negative turns into a positive. Subject Delta looks aged, and worn, much like you might expect an underwater diving suit assembled in a decrepit run down environment to look. If anything, the muddled and undefined paint captures the tone and atmosphere of the BioShock games much more appropriately than would a clean-cut and crisp paint job. In general, I like the way the colors have been applied here, and applied they have been! There is a lot of paint, as every little costume element gets its own color, its own wash, and its own consistency. This helps to bring out all the textures, but can also leave some of the finer applications like belt buckles and gauges in a sloppy state. I particularly love all the metal bits of his costume thanks to their unique dark-metallic glimmer, and the cloth is similarly distinct because it has a matte finish, defining materials in a very realistic way. 

Paint Score: 9 / 10

 

I didn't initially expect this figure to have many useful joints, and while he's no gymnast, the points that have been worked in go a long way towards making him a poseable and enjoyable companion. You can get a surprising amount of play from his legs thanks to the wonderful ball ankles and workable swivel/hinges at the knees and hips. When that's combined with the ball waist, action poses become a real possibility. The arms aren't quite so swell, as the elbows are sculpt-limited and have pretty poor ranges of motion, though the shoulders and wrists move freely.

His head is totally stuck in place, and though a good neck joint is vital to almost any figure, this guy might be the one exception. He's wearing a diving helmet that's bolted to his chest, I don't think there's a lot of built-in neck range in that kind of setup, so the figure lacking it is definitely not a concern. The joints all feel great, not too stiff and definitely not too loose. It is a little too easy to pop out his right arm at the elbow (designed for the alternate hand) when setting up a pose, but it's no problem to just stick the arm back in, and once a pose is all set, it's not going to fall out. This particular articulation model probably wouldn't usually yield such a high score from me, but considering how difficult it was to make any articulation feasible with this character and his thick limbs and chubby proportions, they managed to get a lot of joints in there, and also hid them magnificently well!

Articulation Score: 9 / 10

 

This is a big toy, with an extremely nifty steampunk design, and he's going to grab a lot of eyes in stores; it's hard to deny the potential for fun. Being tied into one of the most popular franchises in modern gaming doesn't hurt either, because this is a protagonist with a lot of fans who are going to adore him for that reason alone! The great thing though, is that you don't even need to know that the BioShock video games exist to enjoy this figure. His design and appeal are universal to any collector, because he's fun to play with and easy to pose, plus he's going to stand out as a work of art on any shelf or in any toy box. And I haven't even mentioned his giant drill arm, which is lots of fun to mess around with as well, especially since you can make it spin! The only thing missing is a Little Sister to accompany him, or potentially some energy effect attachments to simulate the various plasmids and supernatural abilities the character can pick up in the game. 

Fun Score: 9 / 10

 

When you look at Subject Delta, you don't see 10 other nearly identical action figures on your shelf, as is the case with many other competitive lines today. Repainting and part reuse is as prevalent as ever, so when a totally new sculpt like this shows up, it gets my (and my wallet's) attention. It's obvious that a lot of time and money was spent making this figure look as outstanding as he does, and I'm willing to pay more for that than a figure who's exactly like the past 6 releases. He's also big in a volume sense, has a lot of physical heft in your hands, and feels as durable as Big Daddies in the game (which is to say: extremely tough). The accessories and ample paint are just icing on the cake, because for roughly $15, this is a very good deal. Once again, the inclusion of a Little Sister or some plasmid effects would earn Subject Delta a perfect score here. 

Value Score: 9 / 10

 92 / 100 - This is a Wonderful Toy

Subject Delta was certainly not a disappointment, and in fact turned out to be a fantastic figure at a reasonable price. If you're the least bit curious about this line or NECA figures in general, this might be the perfect starting point, because there's a good chance this toy will find a place in any collector's heart. You might finally enter a state of rapture after all.   

This could be the figure given away in this month's Review Commentator Contest. Join the discussion by leaving a comment on this review for a chance to win!

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