Expect an arcadey experience going in
Back in mid-2020, Iron Man VR was unleashed into the world via the PSVR. While it made somewhat of a splash in the VR community at the time, I haven’t really heard of it since then: but thankfully, more folks are getting the chance to check it out thanks to a Quest 2 release this week.
In case you missed it before, Iron Man VR is essentially an Iron Man simulator, complete with dual-hand repulsor control, and a unique storyline. You’ll spend a lot of time thrusting around vistas and open canyons blowing up robots, chasing up leads and even walking around a bit as Tony Stark.
All of the same core gameplay is back, and it still works. The idea of simply using two separate VR controllers as Iron Man hands is genius, as you can fly or shoot with either hand. Similar to many other VR games it’s something you’ll need to learn from the ground up, as you attempt to get your bearings, fly as fast as you can, and frantically shoot while remaining accurate (and while something is chasing you).
Playing as Iron Man with an untethered headset is a blast
I found myself learning the control scheme all over again, flying quickly with both hands to get a faster thrust: then hovering, blasting something with both hands, and outmaneuvering another opponent with one hand on flight duties and the other on firepower. The thing that makes the Quest 2 release so cool is the complete lack of a headset tether. Early on the Quest experience asks you to either rotate the analog stick or look around in real life to turn; and on the Quest 2, it’s super easy to stand in the middle of the room and do just that.
In my time with this version I also noticed less glitches this time around, no doubt the result of two-ish years of hindsight and patches.
If you have a VR headset that’s capable of running Iron Man VR, it’s slowly become one of the more “must play” games on the platform. While it likely won’t wow anyone outright, there’s enough arcadey goodness to propel you through its eight-ish hour campaign, with a few little extras in tow. Hopefully this port leads to a follow-up, because there’s a lot of potential here with bigger licensed VR games.
