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Geek Preview: Being Iron Man (VR) Is Harder Than It Looks

Let’s be real, whether you’re a fan of superhero movies or not, we’ve all looked at one of the various Iron Man suits in awe and wonder. Who hasn’t thought about trying out the suit, just to know what it would be like? Marvel heard us and with the help of game developer Camouflaj, they came up with the highly anticipated Iron Man VR. 

I recently had the opportunity to test out the upcoming game at Changi Airport’s line-up of activities for the September holidays. The game promises to give you a real taste of what it would be like if you were to don the suit instead and the only way to do that is to nail the flying. 

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Akin to last year’s Marvel’s Spider-Man PS4 launch, the hero’s primary mode of movement is make-it-or-break-it for the game. So how did the Iron Man VR fare? It’s probably the closest you’ll ever get to piloting the suit. 

The developers did a great job with the entire look of the game. At the start of the game, there is a little snippet of the helmet closing over your face and that alone was a great touch. It was definitely reminiscent of multiple movie scenes with Tony Stark throwing out a snarky or serious line before engaging in battle. Even after, the scenery of the cliff on which Tony Stark resides and the suit’s interface is impressive.

As a first-time VR user, it was disorienting not only trying to figure out how to adjust the equipment to your ideal preferences but to manoeuvre around rock formations and hit targets at the same time. Iron Man VR is probably not the best game to start with if you’re a newbie.

Regardless, it was almost exactly how you would imagine it to be. The game calibrates your wingspan and the motion controllers then become extensions of your hands. To fly straight up, tilt the motion controller’s towards the floor and fire your repulsors with a simple push of the button at the back of the motion controller. Turning your head around helps you to steer left and right. The awkwardness, however, comes from accelerating and turning.

The tutorial lacked sufficient information right at the start which results in almost making a 360-degree turn just to change directions. By moving your arms behind you and angling your palms in the same fashion, you’ll accelerate through the air but it seems as though travelling long distances might result in some discomfort. 

Due to the nature of the game, and the extensive amount of flying and weaving around, this game causes dizziness and those with motion sickness should not play this for prolonged periods of time, especially if you’re new to PSVR. It was surprising to find out that the immersive environment of VR creates a feeling of weightlessness while flying, so if you’re afraid of rollercoasters or heights, best to steer clear.

As much as I would love to have a proper go at the Iron Man VR, I think some hours are needed just to get used to being in such an immersive state. After having a grasp on how PlayStation VR works, the Iron Man VR game is set to be one of the best superhero experiences out there.