Iron Man's heading to our nearest theatres next May, and though it's a long way from now, there's already talk and the development of the game to go along with the film. Most games based off of movies are mediocre at best, but like others, this group seeks to make Iron Man's game stand out just as much as their movie.

Next May, Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow will star in Iron Man, a film based off of the popular Marvel comic book superhero. And what would it a big budget Hollywood action film be without an accompanying videogame?

Behind closed doors, Sega and developer Secret Level (shouldn't these guys be working on the next-gen Golden Axe?) demoed an extremely early version of the game running on an Xbox 360. Hit the jump for my full impressions of the short demo that was cut even shorter when the unit it was being played on locked up.

I wonder if Microsoft also extended the warranty for dev kits ...

A third-person action title, the early demo took place in a relatively barren, snowy mountain area. The enemies Iron Man encountered were disgustingly generic -- tanks, anti-air guns, etc. However, the small variety of enemies served to show off Iron Man's strengths and abilities, both on the ground and in the air.

At his disposal, Iron Man has weapons like hand repulsors and his chest beam, both of which are traditional parts of the comic's lore. While the chest beam is more powerful than the repulsor rays, it will also drains more of Iron Man's energy, indicated by a small meter on the left-hand side of the screen. Also available are guided missiles, one of the game's various upgrades that can be acquired as the Iron Man suit evolves.

One cool example of Iron Man's abilities involved grabbing a guide missile mid-flight and tossing it back at an enemy. Other examples include ripping off a tank's gun turret or grabbing a hold of a jet in the air, only to throw it down to the ground at your attackers. The gameplay is action-oriented, with the goal being to keep the battlefield chaotic at all times. In Iron Man, things go boom, enemies die. Simple enough.

While the game's story will follow closely to that of the film, Secret Level will also be elaborating on the narrative to create a deeper, longer experience. It's extremely early, so they were mum on who or what you'd encounter. With 40 years of Iron Man history to draw from, it's safe to say you'll see a number of familiar faces, both friend and foe. Unlockable classic suits (in addition to the evolving outfi from the film) have also been confirmed for you comic purists.

Storm via destructoid.com »