I picked up this set in my local Tesco store a few months ago, for an incredible £3.75. Obviously, at 70% odd, I nabbed one for myself, and although I never got much use out of it personally, I enjoyed building it and I can definitely appreciate the merits it has to offer.

Building experience

For such a small set, it was a very nice build. It came as two numbered bags, so a parent and child, or two siblings for example, could build it together. Also, very few specialised pieces are used, so you do get to build up the shape of the police boat yourself instead of having one large prefabricated boat hull. Overall, the build was simple, with no advanced or particularly interesting techniques, but was nonetheless enjoyable and more suitable for the target demographic.

Completed model

The raft, with its red colour, looks great for the targeted age range. I especially like the dome pieces to represent buoyant cylinders, keeping the raft afloat. It has ample room for the crook minifigure included, plus his crate of stolen diamonds.

The police boat is more sleek and modern, with a nice glass windshield and angled front. The police stickers, whilst unnecessary, add a nice touch to the model, but the colour scheme and blue lights should be enough information for most people to figure out its purpose. This boat has a proper seat and steering wheel, so that the police officer can drive, and the engine is on a hinge, which could be played around with by younger kids.

There is also a crate of diamonds, and a skunk, to add extra possible stories for play. Overall, both models are simple, but fulfil their purpose.

Minifigures

There are 2 minifigures included here, a cop and a robber. The police officer in his yellow vest is common but looks great, with his dark glasses and useful handcuffs to show that he means business. The escaped prisoner, judging by his striped underclothes, looks better in my opinion, with a useful double sided face to show both anger and shock. He also has brown hair, which could be reused in a civilian setting, and comes with a crowbar, which is a useful accessory for play. Both minifigures look great, and having a good and bad guy really adds play value to this small set.

The 3 Ps

• Price - £12.99 rrp, which seems a little steep to me, but is a decent price per piece. Also, you can easily find it cheaper from third party sellers, such as grocery stores, if you wait a little or get lucky like me
• Playability - already talked about it earlier, but is great for such a small set
• Parts - some useful minifigure parts, plus a skunk, as well as a wooden crate and glass windshield, but fairly standard otherwise

Overall

For what seems like a fairly standard set, there's very little here to actually criticise. Obviously, it is aimed at a younger audience, so anyone with a sizeable collection already might want to steer clear of this one, but as a birthday present for a new member of the community, it seems like a great pick up. Hopefully that tells you all you need to know, so that's me over and out :)