Iron Man VR Review

Marvel’s Iron Man VR is the first MCU game to make its way into virtual reality. Combining such a massive brand and unique control scheme into a compelling experience was always going to be a challenge, but Camouflaj have done a good job of balancing the controls and making flying and firing feel natural.

The way the game guides you through the mechanics is a bit odd, but once you get past it, you will start to feel like you are indeed the star of the show. You are guided through the suit’s abilities with some holographic flying lessons around Tony Stark’s multimillion dollar estate before you blast off on your first mission. Flying is a juggling act, but with practice, you will become a master of it. Point your palms down to fly up or backward, point them up for forward flight and arch them to unleash a repulsor blast. Eventually you will even learn to fire your weapon-mounted thrusters, boosting yourself into the air and shooting at enemies below.

Combat is equally intuitive and easy to pick up. You fire most of your weapons by pressing the Move buttons on either controller, but which weapon you use will depend on how your hands are positioned. For example, keeping your palms facing down will fire your repulsor rays, while keeping them arching will activate your Unibeam attack. Using your line of sight to make minor adjustments to your flight direction is also a great way to keep track of enemies and adjust your approach.

Throughout the campaign, you will unlock upgrades for your suit, a nice touch to keep things interesting. The upgrade system doesn’t go as deep as a traditional skill tree, but it adds just enough depth to encourage players to play missions over and over in order to achieve better results. The game also has an impressive range of challenges for those interested in testing their skills, giving players plenty to do outside of the main campaign.

Graphically, the game is gorgeous and sits in a sweet spot between photo-realistic visuals and cell-shaded comic style. It is also a very light title and doesn’t place a lot of strain on the PlayStation Quest headset when playing untethered.

The story in Iron Man VR is a good one, with all the hallmarks of a classic MCU adventure. It focuses on a new threat, an enemy named Ghost, who is attacking Stark Industries holdings all over the world in a revenge-fueled vendetta that he barely understands. To stop him, Stark reactivates his old AI assistant Gunsmith.

Iron Man VR is a great demonstration of the potential of virtual reality as a gaming platform. Its unique controls, cinematic sequences and engaging campaign all work together to create a great experience that really does put you in the shoes of Iron Man himself. Unfortunately, the short campaign and a lack of variation in combat will probably leave you wanting more, but the controls alone make it worth checking out for Marvel fans.