By Ian Dean
It’s only fair going in that I explain my deep, abiding adoration for the first free-roaming Spidey adventure: Spider-Man 2 the Video Game. Released in 2004 by Treyarch as a tie-in to the Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire movie, there was just something about the game that ‘got’ the web-slinger. Sure, the graphics were terrible, the voice work ranged from average to just downright atrocious, and there were only a few repetitive side-quests around the city, but the chapter based quest-line was fun, and I have never played a video game adaptation that just totally ‘got’ what it meant to be the main character. Arkham City comes close, and is definitely the better title overall, but there was something about being Spidey in that game that just felt like being Spidey. I usually put it down to the web-swinging itself, with a brilliant in-game mechanic that actually took your momentum and web-anchor point into account, but whatever the cause, the game was just web-slinging perfection.
Sadly, the streamlining process that all franchises inevitably go through seems to have taken a lot of the fun out of being Spider-Man. Though Beenox took over digital stewardship of the web-slinger a few years back, The Amazing Spider-Man the Video Game marks their first attempt at a free-roaming web-slinger, as well as their first movie tie-in. Set following the events of the summer blockbuster, The Amazing Spider-Man, the game carries on the story. Oscorp couldn’t help but mess about with Doctor Curt Connors’ cross-species genetics formula that created the Lizard. Gwen sneaks Peter into Oscorp, where it turns out new head Alistaire Smythe has begun to shut the programme down (he does prefer robotics, after all). As luck would have it, the few creatures created using Connors’ formula break out, infecting Gwen, Smythe, and the rest of the scientists with what has become a viral form of the formula. Immune to the virus due to his spider-powers, it’s up to Spider-Man to find a cure.
Graphically, the game does a good enough job of replicating New York and the cast, but some fans may shudder when looking at the movie-verse re-imaginings of classic characters. The audio is also pretty average, and none of the film’s cast lend their voice to the game. That’s not so much of a complaint, as the cast we’re given instead is actually pretty good, with established voice actors Steve Blum, Claudia Black, and Nolan North joined by the acting talents of Bruce Campbell and Stan Lee.
So, now that’s out of the way, let’s get to the web-slinging itself. The game attempts to make swinging through the latest digital New York exhilarating. It’s less about ‘authenticity’ and more about excitement. Spidey seems to spend more time hurling himself through New York than actually swinging, with camera effects enhancing the freefalling fun. Though entertaining, things get tricky when trying to swing slowly or close to ground level, with the game doing it’s upmost to speed and raise you up. Eagle-eyed gamers may also notice that Spider-Man’s webs don’t seem to stick to anything whilst swinging. Though only a minor detail, generally hidden by the camera, it is irritating to notice. Web-rushing, it seems, doesn’t require an anchor point either, but it’s still a great new addition to the series. Effectively, you pick a spot and fling yourself at it, using web and other environmental objects to close the gap. It’s a fun game mechanic, and will definitely help inexperienced gamers hit their mark more often. My only real criticism is the lack of variety in Spidey’s moves; no matter how far you go, he seems to do the same webbing animation, whether it’s a few feet or a few hundred feet.
When not swinging through the city, Spidey will be crawling across walls and punching bad-guys, as you’d probably expect. Sadly the crawling mechanic needs a lot of work, with awkward controls and some confusing camera work making things difficult. When you do manage to get on the walls, Spidey can perform ‘stealth takedowns’, in what feels like a simplified concept of the Batman: Arkham series ‘Predator’ mode. Combat is also reminiscent of the Dark Knight, with a simple attack/dodge mechanic. It seems to suit Spider-Man too well to complain, but it’s not perfectly implemented. Once again, the camera causes issues as it sits far too close to the player, often obscuring the people you’re meant to be fighting. The combat itself is simple enough, but lacks the variety to keep things interesting after the first few encounters.
Speaking of variety, New York provides plenty of options for those looking to stray away from the main story. In the name of photojournalism, Spidey can investigate disturbances, infiltrate Oscorp facilities (and find upgrades), or simply take pictures of specific areas in the city. Spider-Man also tackles crime, taking down groups of thugs, muggers, rampant robots, or simply assisting the police in shoot-outs and car chases. The robots are particularly irritating as, unlike the muggers who can be ignored, they actively come after the player, forcing you to stop what you’re doing and deal with them. Finally, players can collect escaped mental patients or sick citizens that appear around the city and transport them to their respective hospitals. These are easily the simplest and least interesting of the side-missions, since all you do is swing back and forth with restrictions to certain abilities while your passenger yells at you for going too fast.
If you prefer collectibles in your sandbox, there’s about 700 comic-book pages scattered across the city, with certain milestones awarding you the debut comic-book of characters within the game to read at your leisure. Though this is pretty cool, the alternative costumes are disappointing, with many on a time release meaning you have to wait until a set date to unlock them. When you actually get them, not all of them are what they claim to be. The Classic Spider-Man suit is actually the Tobey Maguire costume, whilst the Classic Black Suit is, again, Tobey Maguire’s black costume. Though these aren’t bad alternative outfits, they are hardly the classic versions, and a simpler 60’s styled costume would probably be more interesting.
To be fair, the game isn’t bad, and if you aren’t hung up on ‘authentic’ web-slinging like I am, traversing New York can be loads of fun. Despite being a movie tie-in, it’s a fairly decent title that has more than enough entertainment to keep you occupied for the duration of the main story, but is let down a bit by an awkward camera and fairly repetitive side-missions. In short, this game gets :
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