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Intro With Spider-Man: The Movie Game, based on the blockbuster theatrical release, developer Treyarch comes through with another entertaining Spidey-title. While not totally without faults, there proves to be enough web-slinging action to chalk this one up as another successful title in Spider-Man’s repertoire. Gameplay: 7.5/10 Similar to the previous two Spider-Man releases on the PlayStation, and the single release on the Dreamcast, the only real difference here is that Spidey’s story is retold in modern times and the Green Goblin is sporting some armor instead of his classic tights. The standard power-ups make their way into this release as well, there are: web-refilling icons, along with, new ability and new combo icons. The new abilities are web-based that range from a ball of webbing that can be locked onto a target and shot at, to a web shield that surrounds Spider-Man and explodes as he jumps out of it. The combos are of the hand-to-hand sort: with a seemingly endless amount of combos presented as the gamer progresses through the game, there tends to be more combos than needed as I used only two or three, and that was from either forgetting the others in the heat of battle or they not being effective enough to warrant consideration. Discussing the limited use of the wide array of combos speaks more towards the fighting engine itself. If it isn’t the most basic of moves, or involving web, the hand-to-hand fighting always feels a bit off. The superhuman strength really isn’t felt much as the goons tend to take their beatings in stride; despite the fact that a combo could launch a bad guy in the air and send them slamming into a wall, they would have no problems bouncing back up, ready to go at it again. Not content with a few at a time, Spider-Man loves to send the baddies in hordes, and things can go downhill very quickly if just a single one manages to land a punch. This would have to be the game’s biggest gameplay fault: if it didn’t involve webbing or wall crawling, it just wasn’t much fun. It’s fortunate that Treyarch has included a nice, diverse level-set to play through. Even though the ground, fisticuffs fighting wasn’t for me, the outdoor levels with all of its web-slinging and the indoor stealth levels really helped to smooth things out. Even when a level wasn’t stealth-oriented indoor, if there was enough room to maneuver and do a bunch of cool moves and surprise attacks, it was a blast. The diversity being a plus, the length of them were a little disappointing as they never really had the needed length for their environments to be fully exploited by Spider-Man’s abilities -- the levels ranged from a few minutes to around ten to fifteen minutes, with the boss battles around the same range – and the whole game seemed to end too quickly. There is a good amount of extras included to expand the game’s lifespan, but the lack of actual levels was a bit of a letdown. The quick levels might have been done so that gamers would not have gone insane by the inefficient camera. Throughout all stages of the game, the camera is constantly a problem, as it will get stuck, show only the front of Spider-Man, go behind a solid object, and even made the controls reversed randomly. Aerial combat can also get a bit funky with the camera; if an object is locked on too quickly, the camera will attempt to center in on it, but if Spider-Man is moving in the opposite direction, hijinks ensue. Now, while everything above may seem negative, it’s just because the parts that are done well are done so good that it makes the flaws even more troublesome. While the camera problem is genuine, it’s the fighting that really comes off as bad because the various web-based abilities are so cool and varied that they just raised the poor a little too high. Having the ability to snare someone while handing upside down from the ceiling or slowly lowering yourself down and spotting a group of thugs is done exactly as how I would have imagined. When the room and opportunity is given, the web-oriented combat is unbeatable. Zipping from one side of the room to another, then up to the ceiling, only to snare a baddie and jump down from the ceiling and commence a pounding on their head is a gamer’s delight. When the camera isn’t having a fit, the outside combat is also incredible. There really is an amazing sense of scale to Spider-Man, so that when you have him jump off a building, it really seems as if you just took a huge leap of faith and when shooting the first web to sling away has him swing to combat, it’s a feeling I didn’t think could be captured so well. Without a doubt, there is indeed a great deal of fun to be had here. The previously mentioned extras are as varied as they are appreciated. One such mode, Pinhead Bowling, has up to four players – that’s where 1-4 players comes in on the side information chart – web-slinging down a bowling lane to kick over snared hoodlums, who are also in the formation of bowling pins. There also sketches, production stills, and the ability to play as other characters. After completing a mission, points are awarded and these can be used in the secret store to purchase these goodies and some of the more difficult to obtain extras are very, very cool. While it isn’t what I had hoped, in regards to lengthening out the gameplay via stages, it’s still appreciated nonetheless and is a real treat for fans.
Graphics: 8/10 Spidey doesn’t push the GameCube’s limits, but a fair representation of the movie is made. The levels look nice, if a bit overused at times, but show detailed areas where Spider-Man can crawl, swing, and zip to and fro. As said, Spider-Man is truly a sight to behold as his animations are so fluid that he can, at times, have an eerily life-like look. I often found myself sitting on a ceiling and shifting the camera around him just to see how the magnificent lightening played against his model as he hung upside down. Sound:
7.5/10 The background music tends toward the positive side of the spectrum. With some nice sound effects complimenting, and often overpowering, the triumphant background beats to the levels, the aural segment sets up a nice palette for the graphics to work with. While the effects aren’t as good as the music, they do work well together and manage to provide a solid backdrop to the tale of an aspiring superhero. Control:
7/10 Overall: 8/10 [ top ] | |||
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