It feels like forever since the first piece in Gaming Heads' line of large, expensive Team Fortress 2 statues came out. Probably because it's actually been forever. But now, after over a year, we have a second one available.
And it's just as nice as the first one.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX
1x TF2 Soldier
1x Helmet
2x Weapons
1x Base
1x Authenticity/Membership Card
WHAT I LIKED
- PERFECT FIT. This statue is made of polystone, a smooth, heavy material that can be pretty hit-and-miss on a piece where intricate detail is required. But a TF2 character? There's not much detail required, meaning that in the flesh it looks just like it does in the game.
- QUALITY. The standard edition of this statue is $220, the "exclusive" variant $235. That's a lot of stones for a 13" statue, but Gaming Heads have at least gone to the trouble of making it seem worth it, with touches like the fact he's almost completely hand-painted, and that the piece was cast using Valve's actual game model from Team Fortress 2. So at least you know the dimensions and likeness are all spot-on.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
- LESS BANG FOR YOUR BUCK. The Heavy, with all his bulk and detailed equipment, cost $230. The Soldier is only $10 less, and while my version (the "Exclusive") came with an alternate weapon, it's very similar to the standard one. Considering he's a smaller piece with less impressive gear, it would have been nice to see more than $10 shaved off, especially if you're getting the standard edition that doesn't with the bonus gun.
MY FINAL WORD
There's really not much to dwell on here. This is a picture-perfect, heavy-as-hell polystone recreation of a Team Fortress 2 character. It's pricey, yeah, but given the quality of the piece and how well it brings the character to life, if you're the type to still be reading this far down a toy review and be genuinely interested, it's totally worth it.
The Soldier is limited to 1050 (750 standard, 300 Exclusive) pieces worldwide, and is available from Gaming Heads' website.