Set Review: 44015 Evo Walker & 44018 Furno Jet Machine Combiner
Monday, December 2nd, 2013 at 7:17pm by Andrew, BZPower News Manager
Today we take a look at the combiner of sets 44015 Evo Walker and 44018 Furno Jet Machine in another set review. We don't normally review combiners, but LEGO has asked us to, and they were really nice about it, so we acquiesced. Are these two sets even better when they're together? Read and watch on to find out!
If you would like to build this or any of the other combo models yourself, you can grab the instructions right here. You can also check out our 44015 Evo Walker review and 44018 Furno Jet Machine review to see our thoughts on the individual sets.
Building
Half the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it?
Since the instructions are either a PDF on your computer or tablet or a printout, there's definitely something a bit different from the normal set build. The layout is not quite the same, and there's no fancy background art, which is great from a printing perspective (less ink).
Instructions aside, the build is not your standard biped build with two cockpits slapped on. The torso piece is used, but at an angle, and there's parts connecting all over the place in ways I haven't seen in any Hero Factory set before. It doesn't take that long, but it does mix things up a little, and I'm pleased to see that.
Set Design
Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here.
This model definitely suffers a bit from the same problem most combiners do - too many different colors from the multiple sets it's made up of. It's not too bad here as the red, yellow, and orange are all warmer colors that go together, but it could definitely be better. The two different canopy colors is probably the most jarring of all though, and there's no easy way that could be fixed.
Aside from the colors, the set doesn't look too bad at first. The arms, however, are way too long and just seem disproportionate and unwieldy. Ignoring the weapons, they're also asymmetric, with the right arm having four points of articulation and the left having five. It's just kind of odd. Combined with the short legs, it almost has a kind of ape look going on, which nearly works. Personally though, I would have liked it better had some of the arm parts and the other extra pieces from the two sets been used to make the legs longer to give it better proportions.
Considering the pieces the designers had to work with, I think they did pretty well and I like the concept, if not every aspect of the execution.
Playability
The other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with?
This model has all the playability of the two sets the make it up, combined. There's lots of poseability, plus you have four invaders and the launcher. For a kid, the possibilities are endless. I'm imagining a scenario where Furno and Evo must take apart their vehicles and combine them into one in order to take on the hordes of invaders coming up from below the surface. I mean, or something like that, if you were a kid.
Final Thoughts
Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it?
Pros
What's to like?
- Lots of playability
- Makes good use of the parts available
Cons
What's not to like?
- Color scheme needs some help
- Proportions are off
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If you happen to have both the Furno Jet Machine and the Evo Walker, it can't hurt to put this together before you sort out the parts into your bins. You might get some building ideas and maybe even have a little fun. I'd definitely recommend picking up the jet machine, so it's up to you if you want to grab the walker too and give this model a shot.
Thanks everyone for reading and watching - hope you enjoyed it! As always, feedback and questions are welcome and appreciated in the Talkback. We should have even more reviews soon, so keep checking back, right here on BZPower!
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