Here at PlayStation LifeStyle, we’ve covered a ton of premium statues from a variety of games. Some statues sit on the wallet-friendly side of the spectrum, while other high-end depictions of characters and scenes from games can run upwards of $1000. From God of War, to Mortal Kombat, to Marvel’s Spider-Man, there are even a couple of $80,000 Monster Hunter World statues. While I doubt we’re going to be able to review those solid gold and platinum figures anytime soon (or ever), we did manage to get our hands on something a little more affordable, relatively speaking: the Overwatch Mercy Premium Statue.
The Overwatch premium statue line currently consists of 10 characters from the popular hero shooter, so there’s a pretty good chance one of your favorites made the cut. All but two retail for $189.99, with the significantly larger D.Va statue at $469.99 and the towering Doomfist coming in at $319.99. The Mercy statue (like all statues in the line) is made from polyresin, a material commonly used to make statues thanks to its ability to be molded into intricate details and to accept various surface paints and coatings. The ends of her wings are some kind of translucent plastic, which look absolutely dazzling in the sunlight. Mercy earned a spot in one of my window sills, and as the setting sun streams in through that window, she looks incredibly heroic thanks to this little detail.
Overwatch Mercy Premium Statue Review – Presence and Motion
Statues should depict a character or moment in stunning accuracy and Mercy does not disappoint in this regard. At almost 14″ tall, the statue is big enough to have a real presence wherever it’s put, but also doesn’t completely dominate the space. Most all of the Overwatch line of statues are “big” in some way, recreating moments of action and movement frozen in time. Tracer is right in the middle of zipping around. Reaper readies his shotguns for his ultimate. Hanzo takes aim with his bow. Mei seems to almost defy gravity, leaning on Snowball (I love how this one looks). At first I was a little bit disappointed that Mercy just seemed to be… standing there. But after getting her and seeing this statue on a shelf, I realize the pose fits the gentle and healing nature of her character while still giving the statue a presence and movement.
Mercy looks amazing in the sunlight with her translucent wings.Mercy’s wings extend wide, owning her space. Her hand gently reaches forward. The front and back flaps of her robe flow subtly, implying movement without being overly distracting pieces of costume. She holds her staff firmly behind her, ready to heal or empower at a moment’s notice. Even the tiny details like her foot lifting slightly off the base help to imply motion where there is none. Getting faces right on action figures and statues is often where recognizability breaks down, but Mercy’s face is beautifully recreated. It’s these little details that set premium expensive statues like this apart from the action figures you can get elsewhere. Mercy’s form is accurate to her in-game representation without any of the uncanny valley weirdness that a lot of cheaper figures and statues have.
Some of the paint work is a little bit sloppy, though it’s in areas where it doesn’t really matter. While her face looks immaculate, eyes and lips both brilliantly painted on by the hands of what I can only assume to be a surgeon, the inner section of her staff has some paint overspill. A couple of the lines on her sleeves and armor don’t quite match up, and if I’m seeking them out, I can find paint splotches where there should be straight lines. The problems are extremely minor, and it took me actively looking for flaws to find them, but if you’re looking for utter perfection from this statue, you’ll probably be disappointed. These details are hand-painted, however, so mileage may vary from statue to statue. Personally, I think these minute imperfections don’t distract from the overall piece and give the statue a bit of charm, particularly when it looks great as a whole.
There are small imperfections from the molding process that weren’t sanded down, most noticeable on the wings.The imperfections that I do notice most are molding artifacts on her wings (the parts holding the translucent pieces). The injection-molded seams show via small burrs, bumps, and seams, though they are between the folds in the wings, difficult to notice if you aren’t looking for them. It also puts them in places that are difficult or impossible to sand down, which is why they show up on the finished product. Still, other details on the statue are incredibly impressive, from the way her robe ends fade from one color to another to the tiny shiny metallic finishes on certain elements of her costume. Even her eyes seem to have a sparkle when they hit the right light. All the details that matter are handled with care and attention.
Overwatch Mercy Premium Statue – Some Assembly Required
Some assembly is required when you first open the box. I was impressed with how well everything was packed, though given the premium price of the statue, I’d expect it to be well-protected against any potential shipping damage. The statue comes in three pieces: the main statue, the base, and Mercy’s staff/hand (which I presume is for packaging and shipping, to avoid potentially breaking that part off).
Mercy slots into the base with two points of contact: A wider tab made of the polyresin (part of her mold) and an integrated metal post, both on one foot.The base is heavy and sturdy, something you aren’t likely to easily accidentally move or knock off a shelf. Mercy fits into the base via two posts on one of her feet, one is a thicker post and the other is a thinner one to stabilize and give it another point of contact. This portion of the assembly is a snug fit so the statue doesn’t wobble at all. I would have liked to see a third point of contact in her other foot, but that’s more for my own peace of mind than an absolute necessity. Her hand and staff fit into her arm via a discreet socket that isn’t visible once it’s slotted in. It’s held in place via a magnet, but the fit isn’t as tight as the foot, so there’s a very slight wobble with this part. Ideally, you won’t be moving the statue around though, so this is really a non-issue.
For additional images and information about the statue (including the separate arm piece), check the image gallery below:
We’ve reviewed Overwatch figures before (the Ultimates line), and though high-quality, those are action-figures designed to be touched, played with, and moved. This statue is a collectible for the most hardcore of fans, designed to show off your favorite characters from a game you love. The Mercy statue is a work of art, conveying a presence and motion frozen in time, depicting the character in real life right on your desk or shelf. As far as premium statues go, this one falls on the more affordable side, but at $190, this isn’t exactly an impulse purchase either. If your favorite character is one of the 10 depicted, however, these statues warrant consideration. Minor imperfections aren’t enough to detract from the overall majesty and quality of the statue, and for Overwatch fans, there aren’t many better ways to display your love of the franchise.
Overwatch Mercy Premium Statue was provided by Blizzard for review. For more information, read our Review Policy.