While the reputation of Chinese manufacturers have certainly been at the very least respectable for those genre-collecting in recent years, it only takes something like NECA’s latest video-game tie-in Gears of War Lancer replica to remind that Chinese manufacturing is very much still capable of being just as they were in the bad old days.

If you haven’t checked out our massive review just below yet, here is a recap of shoddiness:

• Major defect in the battery compartment dimensions. Inoperable sound/vibration feature widespread
• A lovely rattle of indeterminate origin inside the prop itself
• Inaccurate stamping on shipping carton indicates batteries are included when it’s not the case

To NECA’s credit, they acknowledged the battery issue with swiftness, offering to send out metal conductor plates that remedy the problem (at no charge, of course). Don’t expect any sort of confirmation response after sending them your info. I didn’t, and yet the plate complete with instructions arrived as promised just days later. So go on.