When Square Enix launched Marvel's Avengers last September,  it was met with a lukewarm reception from fans. Those looking for a great multiplayer live-service experience were met with many bugs and a poor matchmaking system. For Marvel fans, there wasn't enough content to maintain most of its player base. However, for all of its flaws, one of the highlights of the game is how each playable hero feels in terms of combat and traversal.

While they all follow a similar button layout, each hero feels vastly different from one another. For instance, Captain America fight similarly to how he does in the films and his appearance in 2011's Captain America: Super Soldier. Another character whose movements are a nod to an earlier game appearance is the armored avenger, Iron Man.

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In 2008, a video game tie-in was launched alongside Marvel Studios' Iron Man, giving players the chance to play as the iconic character. While the game was far from perfect, it let players fight, fire repulsors and fly just like the film's character did. One of its biggest draws was the entertainment value found in his flight mechanic.

Superhero games of the era like Spider-Man 2 and The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction focused on swinging and jumping long distances while offering nothing in the way of flight. Other games like Ghost Rider devoted levels to the character using his bike as traversal. What made Iron Man unique was that it encouraged players to take to the skies whenever possible.

While flying, players had the choice to allocate their energy to systems like life support, weapons and thrusters. The latter would grant Iron Man a boost in his overall speed while equipped. However, the game also offered evasive maneuvers, like a barrel roll, and promoted both mid-flight combat and the ability to hover while firing weapons by lightly squeezing LT or R2. When Marvel's Avengers gave the player the reigns to control the character, those who played the 2008 game may have noticed some similarities and improvements.

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While the barrel role and strafing looked similar to the older title, mid-air combat was greatly improved. Hovering was given a dedicated button, making firing weapons even easier for players. However, the improvements to Iron Man's flight really shine in the character's upgrades. For example, while using the barrel roll, the player can now launch flares to deter incoming fire. In the 2008 game, missiles were constantly launched at the player, yet there was no way to evade them all to continue the mission.

Marvel's Avengers has made a point with each update to improve everything and create the most immersive Marvel experience yet. However, if there is one thing that hasn't needed much change, it's Iron Man's gameplay. Each character shows that the developers did their research to make sure each hero felt true to their roots, and none exemplify that more than Iron Man. Specifically with his flight, it is easy to see where the creators took what worked in the original 2008 game and utilized it to its full potential to give a fantastic experience while playing as the Armored Avenger.

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