Marvel’s Iron Man VR review for Meta Quest 2

?The truth is? I am Iron Man?

When Robert Downey Jr. uttered those words in 2008, the landscape of comics, movies, and superheroes as a whole changed forever. Love them or hate them, the Marvel films have left a mark on pop culture that will last for generations, and that all started with Iron Man. It seems weird today to say that Iron Man was at one point a B, or even C-tier superhero in the grand scheme of things, but the reality before 2008 was just that. Now, Iron Man is one of the most recognizable superheroes on the planet, and just like the film cemented his place in movie history, Iron Man VR cements his place in games history.

Iron Man VR lives up to that final line from the first Iron Man film in every way. When I was playing, I WAS Iron Man. It is hard to convey in words exactly how it feels, but it is something that I believe everyone who is able to should experience. After the concise and effective tutorial and a brief adjustment period, flying around the sky becomes as easy as walking. You control Iron Man in an extremely familiar and intuitive way, which is further highlighted by the Quest 2 controllers. I never had the chance to try Iron Man VR on the PSVR when it originally launched, so I have no way to compare the two, but I can say that the game feels made for these controllers in every way.

Graphically, Iron Man VR sits in a sweet spot. It is stylized in such a way that it is not going for photo-realism, but also not going for a cell-shaded comic style, and falls somewhere in between. This allows it to look gorgeous while not placing an absurd amount of strain on the Quest when playing it untethered.

Speaking of untethered, the freedom of movement offered by the Quest 2 is one of the biggest contributors to the genuine ?Iron Man? feeling the game gives. For anyone who might struggle with motion sickness, there a snap controls available for comfort, but for anyone unbothered by smooth locomotion, spinning and turning on a dime while flying through the air feels incredible with no cords getting in the way or hindering your moves.

The story in Iron Man VR could have been an afterthought, with a strong focus on gameplay (as most VR experiences tend to end up), but developer Camouflaj has crafted a meaningful story that feels like it was pulled straight from the comics. This is a game clearly crafted by people who know and care about the character and world they are building, not just using it as a vehicle for cool flying and shooting. Coming in at roughly 5 hours, Iron Man VR is just the right length to tell a full and enjoyable story without feeling overlong. With VR games, I personally find that 3-6 hour mark to be about perfect.

The combat in Iron Man VR is some of the finest I have experienced yet, with a seamless blend of movement and shooting with your repulsor gloves. You can boost ahead with both hands then stall and shoot with them both, you can use one hand to continue flying and moving while shooting with the other, you can clench your fists and slam into opponents with the force of a Mack Truck. Iron Man VR gives you the tools and the freedom to play how you want within the confines of the story and the technology. Goofing around and testing my abilities by trying increasingly risky stunts and combat styles was one of the highlights of my time with the game, and bonus time trials and combat trials let you rest yourself even further (if you wish).

Iron Man VR is a pinnacle of VR technology and a game that I would show to anyone who was interested in seeing what VR had to offer. It highlights just what makes VR special in a way that few other games have. It ranks up there with Half-Life: Alyx as one of the must-have titles for anyone with a VR headset.

Camouflaj provided us with a Marvel’s Iron Man VR code for review purposes.