A real-life Destiny-themed Nerf gun is nothing new, with Bungie having beforehand launched an enormous duplicate of the Gjallarhorn rocket launcher. However the upcoming Ace of Spades Nerf blaster feels decidedly completely different, each by way of its usability and the truth that this specific gun selection resonates extra deeply with the story of Destiny 2.
Bungie not too long ago despatched me the Ace of Spades, which I’ve spent the previous couple of days enjoying round with, a lot to the disdain and horror, respectively, of my two cats. Not having seen any dimensions listed for the blaster previous to it displaying up at my door, I used to be shocked to open the transport field: This factor is huge. It is about 18 inches from the tip of the deal with to the top of the barrel, which can not sound huge for one thing you’d show in your shelf, however as a handgun you are really going to carry and use, it is onerous to not giggle at simply how huge it’s when first seeing it. They do not name them hand cannons in Destiny for nothing, I assume.
That is to not say the dimensions is a nasty thing–quite the other. The size would not really feel far off what it is like to make use of the Ace of Spades in-game, and at the very least for me, that is finally destined to be displayed on a shelf in my workplace, so the bigger dimension ensures it will not be dwarfed by what’s round it. And regardless of being huge, it is not so heavy as to be uncomfortable; it is received an honest heft to it that forestalls it from feeling flimsy, although you will not mistake it for being something however plastic.
Visually, the Ace of Spades appears to be like decidedly nicer than the Gjallarhorn in my estimation. Although you continue to aren’t going to mistake it for any form of actual weapon, it eschews the shiny look of the Gjallarhorn’s plastic that gave it an exceedingly child’s-toy-style look. As a substitute, it is received extra of a matte end, with decals that resemble the usual in-game model, albeit with a change in shade scheme to a white-and-orange design. (An Unique decoration is on the way in which quickly that may can help you match up the in-game gun with the Nerf model’s look.)
It appears to be like very good total, though your expectations ought to be set accordingly: It is a $50 Nerf gun that additionally packs a battery-operated firing mechanism, that means the outside isn’t that of a non-functional collectible costing lots of of {dollars}. A number of the decals, probably due to the textured floor, look barely imperfect, although this solely turns into noticeable when extra carefully analyzing it. The left aspect is adorned with quite a few warnings and different icons that distract from the design, so it is best to maintain the proper aspect seen, although I want the Destiny and Nerf logos there have been relocated to maintain it trying as smooth as potential. Thankfully, the accusation of a fan’s design for the gun getting used with out permission has led to that fan, Tofu Bunny, being compensated and credited for his or her work, in order that transient drama appears to have labored out in the long run, with Tofu Bunny saying they’re “very grateful.”
The batteries are used to fireside the 12 darts–six per drum shell, with a second drum shell permitting you to shortly reload–and that is the opposite space that was a nice shock. Not having used a Nerf gun in about 20 years, and by no means one which relied on batteries, I used to be shocked by the drive with which it fires. Whereas firing the Gjallarhorn was like capturing out a bunch of moist noodles, this packs way more of a punch than I anticipated. To fireplace, you first maintain a set off situated below your center finger, which revs the firing mechanism (and generates an audible whirring noise), earlier than then pulling the principle set off to shoot.
This may very properly be the norm for battery-powered Nerf weapons, however I used to be happy to see the lengthy ranges the darts might journey. I anticipated them to softly make it throughout a room, when in truth they have been shifting shortly and going upwards of 40-50 ft, making for a way more enjoyable expertise than I had imagined. Once I first fired it at a wall in my workplace from about seven ft away, I used to be bowled over by how far the darts bounced off the wall, generally even ending up behind me. It packs such a punch that the darts can bounce off a number of close by surfaces, that means they are often simply misplaced. Relying on how cluttered your room is, you will have to be ready to go dart-hunting, although the orange suggestions make doing so barely simpler.
Naturally, I needed to know if these darts would harm to be hit with, so I enlisted my spouse, who was all too wanting to take me up on the chance. She shot me twice from about 12 ft away, which was all it took to find out that, whereas it is not going to go away a mark, it’s nonetheless disagreeable sufficient to insist the attacker lower it out instantly. On her means out, I could not resist returning the favor. My spouse’s assessment? “That shit stings,” although it is solely a “transient sting.”
I anticipated the Ace of Spades to be successful most of all with my cats, however to this point they have been too alarmed–perhaps by the firing noise–to participate in searching down the fired darts. That is perhaps for the very best, given any chewing on the darts looks as if it might render them unable to easily match into the drum shell, although my alternative for successful video during which my cats fly throughout the room after darts apparently is not going to current itself.
A few different minor quibbles embody the battery compartment (situated on the left of the barrel, and which takes 4 AA batteries that are not included) being considerably tough to open even after eradicating the screw. My lack of lengthy fingernails meant I needed to wedge in a small flathead screwdriver to raise up the duvet, which briefly gave me flashbacks of mistakenly making an attempt to pry aside the final Destiny collectible I received my fingers on. Fortunately, this time issues labored out much better. There are additionally very small plastic dividers between the batteries, and I mistakenly bent one, stopping the batteries from making adequate contact to perform. That led me to firing the gun with out battery energy, which jammed the gun and made it tough to get aside. As soon as I received the batteries correctly seated, this was not a difficulty; you will know you are good to fireside when holding the rev set off produces a noise. Pulling the hammer means that you can pop open the drum holder, however the drum slides proper out if the gun is tilted backwards–good for reloading shortly, however doubtlessly liable to it falling and hitting the bottom. The drums are fortunately sturdy sufficient that it would not really feel as if they’re going to simply break, although.
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As famous above, I do not know that I will be firing the gun all that usually long-term, however that is okay. It appears to be like good on a shelf, and coming off the marketing campaign of The Last Form–the greatest narrative work Bungie has carried out to date–I actually like having this to commemorate Cayde-6, who famously wields the Ace of Spades. The preliminary reveal that Cayde would return to the sport after being killed off years in the past initially set off alarm bells, however his story turned out to be central to each the very character-focused plot of The Last Form and its post-campaign content material. Bungie someway managed to tug off a worthwhile return for Cayde, and whereas his half may now actually be carried out, he’ll perpetually stay a serious determine within the historical past of Destiny.
Like many followers, the unlucky layoffs at Bungie have left me feeling unsure concerning the sequence’ future, even because the studio continues to share extra on what to anticipate. However having this as a solution to keep in mind Cayde’s part–and by affiliation, a lot of my favourite moments during the last decade of Destiny–is a much more significant show piece to me than a extra easy statue of a personality. The truth that I would nonetheless get some cat movies out of it’s only a good bonus.
The Ace of Spades Nerf blasters was initially solely out there to preorder for many who unlocked the brand new Legend title in Destiny 2. It is now out there for all to preorder on the Bungie Store and is anticipated to start transport in October.