One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Responding to criticisms of the first game, the developers have improved the flight controls, allowing Iron Man to fly nearer to the ground. Enemy AI has apparently improved, although this is debatable. And melee combat remains a thoughtless affair, the lack of a block button degenerates this element into a button basher. This time around, players can choose between Iron Man and War Machine. Iron Man is sleeker and relies on energy weapons, whereas War Machine favours ballistic weaponry and greater armour. Unlike the original game, Robert Downey Jr. does not voice Iron Man, although Don Cheadle and Samuel L Jackson reprise the roles of War Machine and Nick Fury respectively. New suits are unlocked for completing levels within specific criteria, and while they affect gameplay little, are a nice inclusion for hardcore fans. It's certainly gratifying to be able to wear The Ultimate Iron Man suit and Marks I through VI. Bafflingly the game is single player only, feeling like such a wasted opportunity for co-op play..
Field research is earned throughout the game, which is used to upgrade weapons and armour. The ability to customise loadouts and ammunition types is a nice addition, but unfortunately this is severely underused. Of the 8 missions that are included in Iron Man 2, only half of these actually allow the ability to customise. The other levels use pre-determined loadouts, and because the game is so easy to complete, this entire aspect could be easily ignored. Visuals are horrendous in places, and fundamental game mechanics are broken, such as the lock on ability. Worse still, there are no extra features or unlockable game modes on completion of the campaign, meaning the whole experience lasts approximately 4 hours. Very difficult to recommend, especially to Iron Man fans.