The long-awaited sequel to one of the top-grossing Marvel films has finally arrived and, with it, the release of the second Iron Man video game has hit game store shelves around the world.
The game sequel is almost as highly anticipated as the movie itself, given that the first title received top reviews from all major game review sources. Along with the added hype for the Iron Man 2 movie release, this sequel has plenty to live up to on its own. The game is available on multiple gaming consoles including the Xbox 360, PS3 and Nintendo Wii, as well as the PSP and Nintendo DS handheld systems. Graphics will appear more defined and realistic on some platforms than others but, overall, the game performs well on whichever console gamers choose.
One of the key features of this game is the ability to play as either Iron Man or War Machine, giving players the opportunity to explore two completely different storylines and game plays. The difference in combat style of the two characters is that Tony Stark as Iron Man has greater agility and speed, while War Machine is equipped for strength and heavyweight fighting. Players can also customize their suits in the armory, adding a much-desired personalization feature to the game that players were yearning for after going through the first title. The storyline in the game is quite possibly one of the best aspects of the title, as it plays parallel to the movie, giving players a chance to dive further into the story of Iron Man 2 without feeling like they are simply repeating the film script. Although some have claimed that the plot is a bit predictable, this should be expected of movie-based games.
Where the first Iron Man game fell short, this sequel picks up nicely. Right from the start, players are thrown into action with characters and combat and they are able to explore indoor and outdoor maps. Another improvement is the range of fighting styles each character has available. Not only are gamers able to aerially mow down enemies with rockets and lasers, as one would expect from a high-tech suit of armor, they can also engage in hand-to-hand combat on the ground, which packs quite the iron-clad punch. In general, the fighting style is easy to learn but has enough variety to keep players from the boredom of button mashing.
The graphics are one aspect, though, where the game falls short of its own potential. Released for the Xbox 360 and PS3, the graphic capability of the consoles could have handled much more than the designers chose to give the game. The bright colored, high-definition suit mutes the somewhat indistinct backgrounds and secondary characters, causing more of a cell-shaded screen look rather than a realistic interface. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. The idea that the graphics are too cartoonish and not as realistic as they could be is almost a moot point, since the basis of the game is a comic book.
Although there is some improvement in the fight maneuvering and flying commands, including more variety in flight-based flighting, the controls are not improved enough from the first title to bring this game up to par in most critics’ eyes. When characters die from laggy shooting or from getting stuck on the map, it can get extremely, even violently, frustrating.
One of the more interesting features of this game is its release for the iPhone and the iPad. Moving away from the console gaming arena, Apple offers players a chance to take this game virtually anywhere. The downside of the Iron Man 2 app is that the controls are even worse on these devices than they are with a hand-held controller. There is no stability in movement or viewpoint when you are using a touch screen or motion sensor to maneuver around complex maps.
As movie-based games go, Iron Man 2 is certainly not the worst thing to ever hit the shelves. The character customization and parallel storyline more than make up for the lack of control improvement, and although the graphics are a little less-than-stellar, the game as a whole lives up to its standard as a movie-based sequel. No big task there, but it at least has plenty of fun and fury to make it a worthwhile game to pick up.