Play Arts Kai Raiden Review - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

As if we haven't had enough of Play Arts Kai Raiden figures last year... Anyway, the human Jack arrived hot on the trail of Liquid Snake and of course, as expected, me and my fellow MGS fans snapped up one for our respective collections as soon as he's out, giving little or no heed at all whether he's a good figure or not. Because of that, this review's pretty much useless already IMO. But then i feel i owe the local PAK community this review of Jack...whether they and YOU like it or not.

The Play Arts Kai Raiden from MGS2: SOL is the 2nd character in this particular MGS storyline and he's got massive shoes to fill in the form of Solidus Snake, one of the best PAK's ever produced.  To be quite frank, i feel i've had enough of Raiden last year so this particular figure wasn't exactly a favorite of mine. I'm not expecting much anyway since i don't think he can match the intensity of the MGRR Raiden figure. In reality, only very few PAKs actually can...

Play Arts Kai Liquid Snake Review - Metal Gear Solid

One of the most anticipated figure on my hitlist for 2013 barely made it in 2013. Yeah, that's the bad-@$$ Evil half of the Twin Snakes, product of Les Enfants Terribles, the dominant clone with inferiority complex and daddy issues: Liquid "goddamn" Snake! And oh, he really hated his twin brother, believing he's got all of Big Boss' recessive traits. Well, I'll be reviewing this figure a bit late...AGAIN, and i'm gonna blame it on the Holiday Season...AGAIN.

If you are an MGS fan and you are reading this i don't think i still need to convince you to get him, i am 99% sure you got him already. If you have Solid Snake you simply need to have his brother and even if you are collecting MGS on a budget Liquid Snake is still an important piece together with Solid, Solidus and of course, one of the many incarnations of Big Boss.

Play Arts Kai Liquid Snake and Raiden from Sons of Liberty Prototypes

Master Touya of Final Fantasy Merchandise made my day with these pictures. D@#n i'm so freakin' excited: prototypes of the upcoming Play Arts Kai Liquid Snake and Play Arts Kai Raiden!

Here's Jack first, you'll see his accessories and the Superior clone after the jump:

Photo courtesy of Touya of FFM

Play Arts Kai Solidus - Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Review

You know, you don't always get the chance to grab a Play Arts Kai figure of a President, the 43rd President of the USA in this particular case albeit a fictional one. Therefore, i am honored to introduce to you,  Mr.George Sears or better known as Solidus Snake. Former US President, in fact, the youngest one at 28 years old but largely due to the influence of The Patriots, a prominent figurehead on Mt. Snakemore in Shadow Moses,  instigator of both the Shadow Moses and Big Shell incidents, Raiden's (Jack's) mentor, creator of "Dead Cell" and the "Perfect Clone" of Big Boss. Now beat that, other US Presidents...

And therefore should be addressed as Sir... 

Touya of FFM speculates the meaning of those 2 blind areas...2 upcoming PAKs?

Play Arts Kai Solidus Snake is also the most elaborately packaged and most expensive Play Arts Kai 'human' figure released by SQEX so far. His box is actually bigger than the DMC3 figures though it's much more simpler (i.e. no flaps, back story narration, etc). Didn't think i'd get one but since Greattoys Online is currently keeping their prices highly-competitive here he is and boy, oh boy, he's a very. very impressive figure indeed.

Play Arts Kai Meryl Silverburgh - Metal Gear Solid Review

"Good things come to those who wait" indeed, i have misgivings about the latest SQEX release: Play Arts Kai Meryl Silverburgh from the Metal Gear Solid series so i did not include her in the priority list, (with DMC3 at her heels and Solidus) but then an "unexpected SALE" came up and i decided to give her a shot. 

Play Arts Kai Raiden painted prototype @ SDCC 2012

This seems to be an afternoon full of surprises, word just got to me of the painted Play Arts Kai Raiden @ SDCC 2012. Aside from Play Arts Kai Meryl and Play Arts Kai Solidus this is another figure which i cannot afford to miss.

Finally! Play Arts Kai Raiden. Photo courtesy of Touya of FinalFantasyMerchandise.com

More pics after the jump.