Check out our review of Iron Man VR, exclusively available for PlayStation VR.
We’ll tell you everything you need to know before you play, including how it performs, the quality of the controls and if it has an entertaining story.
Transcript
Hey how’s it going guys! Welcome to our review of Iron Man VR, available exclusively on PSVR. We’ll tell you everything you need to know before you play, but before I do, make sure to hit subscribe and the notification bell for reviews, interviews, features and more. You’re not going to want to miss it.
Superheroes and video games have always had a checkered relationship. What would appear to be a match made in Heaven often results in less Batman Arkham City, and more Superman 64. Even the upcoming Avengers game has garnered mixed reviews from its early previews.
I guess that’s the reason why until a couple of weeks before release, I hadn’t really thought much about the brand new Iron Man VR game, and that’s a real shame. The idea of tearing through sky at breakneck speed and zapping baddies with my hand cannons, all from the perspective of famed goatee enthusiast Tony Stark, should be pure fantasy fulfillment.
Coming out exclusively on PSVR, I was interested to find out how it looked and performed on fairly limited hardwear, when VR headsets are concerned. But when all is said and done, is Iron Man VR any good? Watch on to find out…
The first thing you’ll notice is just how good the tracking is. It almost feels one to one with your head and hand movement, and unlike many games on the console you can basically turn your head 360 degrees and it’ll still pick you up. It might be a tiny bit glitchy when you’re facing directly away from the camera, but it’s easily the best tracking I’ve experienced with PSVR, and a great reason to buy extension cables for your headset!
But good tracking is useless without good controls, and fortunately Iron Man VR excels here too. I was surprised to find out the game gives you free movement, rather than limiting you to an elaborate shooting gallery as many VR games resort to doing. Aside from using the triggers to activate your jets and the move button to fire a repulsor blast, it’s almost entirely motion controlled. This makes everything feel really intuitive, and helps you to slip into the role of Iron Man more seamlessly.
With that being said, make good use of the tutorial stage as there is a bit of a learning curve before you can really get your wings. But before long you’ll be showing off and firing with one hand while hovering with the other. And besides, even the MCU Tony Stark took some faceplants before he got the hang of it!
But this isn’t the Tony Stark of the MCU. Developers Camouflaj have created their own take on the fan favourite, much like Insomniac Games did with 2017’s Spider-Man, allowing the story and characters room to breathe. It’s easy to see the influence of Robert Downey Jr, and it’d
be hard not to, he casts a big shadow, but supporting characters like Pepper Potts and AI assistant F.R.I.D.A.Y, feel like fresh takes on their source material.
Without diving into spoilers, it’s the prototypical Iron Man story, in which Tony is his own worst enemy, having to solve problems of his own making. Oh Tony, will you ever learn?
The campaign takes roughly 8 to 10 hours to complete, which is pretty generous for a VR-only title. That’s why it was a relief to find out it’s also one of the most comfortable VR experiences on PSVR. I’m normally the worst when it comes to motion sickness, and often find myself having to take breaks from playing. However aside from a brief moment where I was adjusting to movement of the game, I really didn’t suffer at all. Of course, this is very much going to be down to personal experience, so please let me know if you felt queasy playing in the comments below.
As you can tell, I had a great time playing this game, and the only thing that let it down a bit for me was the limitations of the hardware. I reviewed Iron Man VR on a PS4 Slim, and I just couldn’t shake the feeling it looked a little dated, particularly when compared to the incredible Half Life Alyx. I understand it’s an unfair comparison and the difference between close to a thousand pound’s worth of consumer investment, but I guess I’ve just been spoiled! On a more positive note, it did perform pretty well for me, with only the occasional frame drop to report.
To wrap up, Iron Man VR is one of the best experiences I’ve had on PSVR. It’s a faithful take on a beloved character, and when it all comes together, it’s easy to immerse yourself in the role. Technical limitations aside, there’s really nothing to complain about, and I’m excited to see how they can develop the successes of this title into the next generation of more powerful consoles. Is it a unit shifter for the headset? Probably not, but if you already have one, I definitely recommend picking it up, preferably blasting Black Sabbath’s Iron Man at full volume.
But what did you think of Iron Man VR? Let us know in the comments below and don’t forget to like, share and subscribe for more videos every single week. See you next time!
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