Today we delve into the dark world of HP Lovecraft as we review a creepy brick building that ISN'T LEGO, but will be super familair anyone who has played with LEGO. We check out The Call of Cthulhu from MocPixel.
MocPixel is an online shop that sells expert-created brick Mocs (My Own Creations) and supplies them in building bricks that pay more than a passing resemblance to 'the leading brand'. Yes, this is LEGO that isn't actually LEGO.
Delivered in a single, unnumbered plastic bag, the MocPixel sets don't come with instructions but rather the ability to download a pdf leaflet from the internet. That said, the quality of the bricks themselves was excellent, and we didn't encounter any malformed or broken parts. Nice.
The Call of Cthulhu set features 1062 parts and goes togther to form the titular monster from many of Lovecraft's most famous works; Cthulhu himself. Here, perched upon a built-up plinth that seems to have crumbled under the creature's weight, you get a finished model that is around 23 cm in height.
The detail is great overal, with printed pieces used in the (many) eyes, and a good mix of highlight colours. The majority of the base is grey, however, and Cthulhu itself is mostly shades of green. But all the parts matched each other well, and we didn't encounter any off-coloured shades.
Building the base first, you work upwards to assemble the monster, placing it on top with just a couple of stud connections. Be warned - this is not something you can play with. Cthulhu can easily be detached, and as the arms and legs are quite loosely attached, this will come apart relatively easily.
Side on, the build looks just as good, and this set has display value from all around...
...with the exception from the rear where the detail descreses. Note also from this angle - The Butt of The Beast!
Details such as the four claws are impressive in both design and part-use, and the appearence of Cthulhu actually gripping the base is acheived wonderfully. Some angles can be altered, but only very slightly.
One thing that stood out as a negative, however, was the spiney wings. The instructions suggest that the three parts pictured above should be evenly spaced along the main spine - even the publicity photo shows it (see top of page). However there is no way to make them stay in position, and no parts provided to stop them sliding down toward the back. We can only imagine there was an oversight in the deisgn process, but it had us puzzled while building.
That one tiny gripe aside, we've been very impressed, both with MocPixel and this Call of Cthulhu set. The value speaks for itself when compared to LEGO itself, or indeed other off-brand products. Fans of Lovecraft will rejoice in such a well-deisgned model, while brick-building fans will enjoy a solid experience and well-moulded peices. We look forward to featuring something from them again. Check it out!
£57.89
Visit mocpixel.com