Despite a previous post, I did end up getting “Iron Man” for the 360 – cost wasn’t an issue, I used a gift card (so it was free). My initial assumption from the demo was true: once I learned how to fly via a tutorial level, I did get the hang of it. In fact, it’s one of the better aspects of the game. There’s still the issue of tracking a target, especially when it’s behind you, but that seems to happen in most flying simulators. Another thing this game has in common with other flight sims is the graphics – good from afar, but far from good. At the midway point of the game, I feel it’s safe to say that my other prediction about the game is true in that it’s an average game and if I were to score it, I’d give it a 7.

Here’s what the game does well: it makes you feel like you are The Golden Avenger. From the suit’s customization to tearing into your enemies with the full might of Iron Man, you’ll feel the true power of this superhero. The grappling moves are especially fun and are varied depending on which hapless foe you decide to eradicate. When facing an insignificant foot soldier, Iron Man will swoop in, pick him up and spike him into the ground. A tank is destroyed by tearing off the turret and hurling it away. Helicopters make an abrupt landing after you fly in and rip the tail rotor from the fuselage. Some of the enemy’s weapons can be manhandled and turned against them, like shooting down enemy aircraft when you control the weapons on a SAM missile battery or obliterating their ground forces with their own howitzer. Although difficult, especially with a lot of them in the air, Iron Man has the ability to catch a missile and redirect it back to any target you choose, including the opponent who fired it. I also like the Hero Objectives. True to any superhero, you’re tasked with extra objectives which define who you are. Take out the missile silos before they have a chance to launch and destroy nearby cities or take down the enemy flying fortress over the ocean before it makes it over a major metropolitan city. I’d be interested to see if the developers did a cutscene showing the aircraft crashing into the city or if the mission just ends.

Speaking of cutscenes, let’s talk about what the game does poorly. If I was a cutscene animator credited on this game, I would remove it from my resume. The lip-syncing is horrible and the facial animations are a joke. At one point, Tony Stark winks at Pepper Potts and I thought he had a mild stroke the timing was so bad. Having the actual actors voice their movie role is wasted because these scenes are so poorly constructed. Mentioned early, when up close the graphics are pretty lazily designed, especially given that Iron Man has the ability to attack from a distance in the air and melee up close and personal. The individual soldiers look like old 2D sprites from years gone by. A mile away and in the air, they’re fine, but up close it’s bad. I had some difficulty with the camera on some missions, namely the Flying Fortress level. As a whole, I loved the level, but a lot of times it became disorienting to fly around the large flying structure.

I’ve heard that the difficulty ramps up quickly, and maybe I am just now reaching that point, but overall the game is enjoyable. Being Iron Man is a blast (literally) and there’s decent replayability between the game modes and unlockable suits of armor. If you’re an achievement point whore, like myself, this game offers a good amount of points if you completed certain objectives and missions. I’m pretty sure that I’ll get all of them except for the two which unlock by playing the game at the higher difficulties. Life’s too short for that kind of frustration.

If you enjoyed the movie and are looking for more Iron Man, this game is definitely worth a playthrough.