Spider-Man Review (dublinboy03)
This game is a neat little Action game/platformer cross, with some stealth thrown in for good measure. None of these are particularly challenging, but that's because you have a lot of power to play with, and once you've obtained all of the various moves this power play is great fun. It is a little repetitive at first though.
In a nutshell, you use a light/heavy attack sytstem, plus a grab attack, to string together a variety of unlockable moves. Some of these are a joy to use and you really does feel... Spiderman-ey. For one thing, each Spiderman has a variety of quips, some unique to each level... and some not. Fortunatly, the games comic-book writing means that they generally don't get that old.
Probably the main feature of the cogame is an arial combat/traversal system that hasn't been replicated anywhere else, to my knowledge. You have a single button to web swing, and as long as you hold it, Spidey will hold a line. If you tap it whillst a yellow arrow is pointing at some form of target onscreen, then you zip towards it, but this can be cancelled part way either by a jump or another zip. Finally, in any area with web-swinging, you can hold the jump button for a third... or fourth... or really as many extra jumps as needed. This is the games 'platforming' aspect. In the levels given, you have complete freedom of movement - and I mean complete. These three simple moves make traversal a joyus breeze, and eventually you can use the grab button in the air to zip to enemies to either transition into a ground combo, a knockback inducing punch, a bounce back into the air or a grab that is very satisfying to use. It's basically it's own combat system. In a nutshell, fighting is split into the more powerful and varied ground combat and the safer but weaker and shallower arial combat, with plenty of transitional moves.
So, what about the main event: the four Spiders. Welp, each plays at a base level identically - they have the same moves, though they always have different animations, and some have different effects (i.e. the charge attack). Classic is bog standard, but has more platforming and puzzle-focused levels (even if his last level's brain teasers are more of a 'strategic combat' sort of affair). Ultimate has a rage boost mechanic. Future/2099 can slow time (by 'accelearted vision'). Noir, on the other hand, has stealth. Subsequently, each goes about their buisness with differnt scenarios. Classic needs you to engage your brain to some degree, and is usually in less-inhabited areas. Ultimate fights way more enemies than the others (also with my two favourite levels), taking place in the workplaces from the depths of hades. 2099 requires more web swinging amongst the high-rise towers of his level settings. Noir (my overall favourite) goes all over the city, and has a focus on stealth. I would not mind a whole game about this guy - stealth with the abilities of the Spider man is addicting.
The story and soundtrack are both... pretty OK. The soundtrack especially is nothing to write home about, and the story is pretty comic-booky. Which means it's A-OK, since this is a comic-book game.
Overall, is this game going to change your life? Unlikely. Is it awful? Far from it. Is it a fun little romp that achieves what it sets out to do - be a comic book game? Absolutely. Pick it up if you just want an easy, fun time.