Exo-Force is one of Lego's newest product lines, the first to embrace the long-standing mecha theme from fan modelers in a commercial kit. (The one-off Titan XP notwithstanding.) Serving as a sort of bridge between the Bionicle and more-traditional sets, Exo-Force is heavy on anime-inspired robots piloted by spiky-haired minifigs. While the Exo-Force mecha seem a little on the flimsy side, we are certainly looking forward to getting our hands on the joint pieces for use in our own creations. Initial reports suggest that most of the bricks have decals, not silk-screened images, which is either good or bad depending on your desire to use clean blocks.

While it's unknown if Lego intends to continue the line, we applaud their decision to provide alternate building instructions online at the official Exo-Force website. While toys that allow you to build a new model by combining two or more smaller sets are an age-old marketing gimmick, we appreciate the fact that Lego is providing alternate builds for free online, rather than just showing a picture in the instructions. (Although some folks see the picture-only alternate designs as a challenge.)

We have a couple of Exo-Squad sets on order from Lego Shop-at-Home and expect to provide our impressions shortly.