The latest in the Marvel line of DLC from Zen Studios for Pinball FX2 is in the same flavor as that of the recently released film of the same name. Age of Ultron is slightly different than the typical Pinball FX2 fare as it starts out by giving you a few different choices that the majority of the other tables do not.
In Age of Ultron you can select what difficulty level you want to play. This selection will determine not only the time you have to complete missions, but also the points for scoring devices such as ramps and bumpers as well as the overall angle of the table. That last part is important as the leaderboards are not separated by difficulty of the table and altering the angle of other tables disables leaderboards.
Most of the missions are what you usually find in pinball and consist of hitting the ramps that are lit or knocking down the popup targets. Zen goes a little bit deeper than that with Age of Ultron, though, and the fan service is appreciated. If you hit enough spinners and bumpers you will unlock a two ball multi-ball mission with the balls representing Iron Man and Hulk. The mission briefing as shown on the simulated dot-matrix display says “Science Bros”.
Controls are tight and responsive, which is one of the mainstays of Pinball FX2, and allow you to get as much of the pinball cabinet feel as possible from sitting on a couch and using a controller. This is more important on tables such as Ultron because of the way it must be played.
You will probably want to go into the in-table pause menu and check out the table manual, there are many activities that aren’t exactly clear when you start out, but spending the few minutes it will take to read will get you scoring higher than if you just dive in. This is not a table that takes kindly to just flinging the ball anywhere in hopes of achieving a big score. You will want to be deliberate with shot placement as accuracy is extremely important in getting to the eight-figure scores. This could lead some players to stop playing as the missions are highly structured.
Age of Ultron has the same graphics that we’ve all come to expect from Pinball FX2. The characters from the Avengers line-up are easily identifiable and move around the field as you initiate and complete tasks. Moments in missions such as Black Widow fending off Ultron make the playfield come alive in ways that continue to impress.
The sounds are natural enough that you won’t wonder what is happening while playing, though Thor sounds a bit odd, and they generally add to the overall pinball experience.
Age of Ultron is a strategic table and, all told, you might be able to find a better Marvel Avengers pinball experience in Zen’s catalog if you really look, but not by much. This is a great table that requires skill and planning to bring in the highscores. Anyone who enjoys Pinball FX2’s style and presentation would do well to add it to their collection.
