So this is now your third opportunity to get the Force Link “player”.  This one is a Toys R Us exclusive, and comes with 2 unique figures.  On Force Friday, you could have gotten the Starter Set that contained Kylo Ren, or you could have laid out some coin for the BB-8 2-in-1 Mega Playset.  So does this particular offering warrant a look?

The Force Link wrist player itself seems to be the same as the previous versions.  Doesn’t seem like anything new here.  The velcro fastener is meant for the wrist size of a child, so if you’re an adult and want to use it, you’ll have to come up with a little bit of creativity.  Try attaching it to your fingers, which kind of works.  To activate the sound chips found in TLJ figures and toys, hold the toy close to the player, and it will automatically activate and play one of the lines/sounds.  Tapping the player will usually play one or two more lines, and waving it around will play a few more.  The player works, but there seems to be a little technique to the thing which can sometimes be frustrating.  The sound quality is decent, and depending on the toy, the lines played can come from any of several different movies.

The Executioner Stormtrooper is a repaint of the TLJ First Order Stormtrooper.  It has black markings on the shoulders and helmet, and First Order emblem tampos on each shoulder.  The figure has the “holster” slot on the right thigh, which can accommodate either of the blasters that are included.  The trooper’s grip on either gun is a little loose for my liking, which seems to be the case for this mold in general.  The electro-staff is in two parts.  The main part is the pole itself, with the “unlit” electro axe head.  The second part is the “lit” axe head, with blue electric effect.  It attaches to the side of the unlit axe head to complete the look.  Like the blaster, the trooper’s grip on the staff is loose, and of course, a two-handed grip is impossible with a 5POA figure.

The Praetorian Guard has the same body sculpt as the previous versions (Rey 2 pack and BB-8 mega playset).  The helmet is a new sculpt, and the figure comes with a new weapon.  At first I thought it was two different weapons, but it seems that the “bendy” one is actually an activated whip mode of the straight sword.  So you really have two different display options.  Or, the figure can hold both, if you want.  As far as we know at this point, there are 8 Praetorian Guards that provide security for Snoke.  Some combination of the three helmet and weapon types seem to be spread out over the 8 characters, but maybe we’ll know more when we see the film.

So the figures are fine, for what they are.  It’s frustrating in this case that soldier figures are only 5POA, especially so since both characters should be able to wield their staffs with two-handed grips.  That aside, they’re acceptable.  The real rub here is that as a Toys R Us exclusive, the set retails for more than you’d probably be comfortable paying.  The Kylo Ren Starter Set is the cheapest way to get the Force Link player, but if you’re a completist, or if you want all three versions of the 5POA Praetorian Guard, you might want this set.  As of this writing, there is a Buy One, Get One for 40% Off sale at Toys R Us, so that may be worth your while.  Otherwise, use a coupon or wait for a better sale.

I’ll give this a 5.  The figures are 4’s, maybe 5’s.  The player is a solid 6, as my colleague Chris detailed earlier.  The concern is price.  It’s $10 more than the Kylo set, so you’re paying a couple of extra dollars beyond the $8 for the second figure.  It’s not a bargain set.