Review #430: Spider-man - Shattered Dimensions(Playstation 3)

 And now there're four of them.

 Beenox is our new developer for the next batch of Spider-man games, and their first effort, Shattered Dimensions, is very different from what we have seen before in the realm of 3-D. This is not a free-roaming, sandbox-style game, but rather a linear beat'em up game in which you get to play as four different Spider-men: Spider-man 2099, Amazing Spider-man, Spider-man Noir and Ultimate Spider-man.

  There's this Tablet-thingie of great power that shatters after Mysterio and Amazing Spider-man get in a fight. The pieces of this Tablet travel across four different universes and Madame Web recruits the help of the Spider-man of each to collect the pieces. The world hangs in peril, as each of the 13 stages features a boss that has come to possess a fragment of the tablet, granting them awesome powers. While the story is alright as an excuse to bash badguys, they really went all in on the presentation. Each Spider-man and his universe have an entirely different aesthetic, each Spider-man is voiced by someone who voiced the character in the past and they even designed new versions of villains, like Hobgoblin 2099 or Noir Hamerhead, just for this game. The game is pretty lengthy too, with each stage lasting between 30 to 50 minutes and it also features the return of alternate costumes! Each Spider-man gets 3 alternate outfits, unlockable in-game and not by paying for DLC, for a total of 12 different costumes. Pretty neat!

 Core gameplay mechanics are the same for every character, a weak and strong attacks that can be linked together, web to make Spider-man dash-in and attack an enemy, jumping, dodging, swinging and crawling on walls. Your goal on every stage is to make it to the end, by defeating hundreds of enemies, but each stage also has a lot of 'challenges' to fulfill. Some you'll clear automatically as you go through the stage, while you'll need to go out of your way to clear others. And you should try to complete as many as you can, since you can't buy certain upgrades until you've amassed a certain amount of cleared challenges. I really liked this system, as it encouraged me to clear challenges and rewarded me for my trouble. Said upgrades range from new moves, a few which are character exclusive(For instance, every characters' charge attack is unique, Noir Spider-man can't disarm enemies, etc) to health bar extensions or costumes.

 That's as far as core elements go, because the different Spider-men not only have different aesthetics, but also different mechanics. Spider-man Noir is based around stealth, and even gets take-downs to compliment his stages. Spider-man 2099 featured, surprisingly, the most puzzles, but also has the ability to slow down his surroundings in order to avoid incoming attacks or attack enemies before they know what hit them. Ultimate Spider-man's levels were a bit more action-based, and he has Rage, which temporarily strengthens him, giving him stronger, wider attacks and more defense. Amazing Spider-man was, unlike his title, the most mundane, with nothing noteworthy to talk about!

 The combat is very nice, crunchy and satisfying. They even shoe-horned in some first person fist-fights with a few bosses that feel very out-of-place... but oh so fun to engage it, since the audiovisual feedback makes it feel so good to repeatedly punch the boss using both analog sticks to perform different types of punches and hooks with each arm. However, it doesn't matter how many new moves you unlock, the combat system is rather shallow, with not a lot of window for the player to create combos, which means that the game gets old a little bit before it ends.

 There were a few control issues and design choices too. Arbitrarily, Spider-man won't be allowed to swing on his web, which is hilarious because, when allowed to, he will stick his webs on thin air. This also extends to clinging on walls, since the Web-heads can't stick to every wall, even if they look the same. Trying to climb out of a perch, hook or cable can sometimes prove troublesome as well since Spider-man has a hard time jumping down stuff, because he sorta gets magnetized onto the ground he is standing on. Luckily, this will mostly be an issue only in Spider-man Noir's levels, when trying to silently take down some baddies.

 Seeing how Beenox was new to the franchise, had they tried to match what Treyarch did would've probably ended in a disaster, since Web of Shadows was the product of years polishing the formula, so going for this new approach was, probably, the best idea. And it worked, Shattered Dimensions is a very interesting game that does many things right even if it got a few wrong.
 7.0 out of 10

Now Playing: Spider-man - Shattered Dimensions(DS)

 Griptonite does it again!

 After making the best Spider-man game on the DS yet, Griptonite was in charge of the next entry on the DS, and boy, is it shaping up to be something great.

 The first thing I noticed was that we now have a proper Metroidvania map that tracks your position, and it's made in the Metroid style of also telling you if there's an upgrade yet for you to find. Combat feels as satisfying as ever, but it's also a bit faster and with even more options, you can disarm enemies with your web, which feels as cool as it looks.

 I'm glad to say that I've nothing bad to say about the game yet!

Review #429: Spider-man - Web of Shadows(Nintendo DS)

They had to get it right sometime.

 Spider-man hadn't had any luck on the Nintendo DS until Web of Shadows came along. This is not your average Spider-man game, this is a Metroidvania, and it makes so much sense to place Spider-man in this genre since it fits his power-set nicely and allows to make the most out of a 2-D exploration game.

 The game follows a slightly tweaked version of the plot from the console game, basically, a Symbiote outbreak has infected New York, Spidey included, however, thanks to his previous exposure with Venom he can switch at will between Red suit and Black suit. They also included the Morality system, twice in the game you're allowed to pick between helping Nightcrawler or Green Goblin, which will determine which ending you get.

 Exploration is the name of the game in Web of Shadows DS. You're thrusted in a 2-D version of New York comprised of four different areas. At first your path will be clearly defined, but defeating bosses earns you new abilities that will allow you to access previously unavailable areas. Backtracking is something you'll do often, but it pays to do it on your own accord, since various Life ups, Attack ups and Defense ups are hidden in the game, and you'll need those upgrades since the game can get pretty tough. I'm not ashamed to admit that I died quite a few times. Defeating enemies earns you experience points which can then be spent to acquire new moves for either suit. Red Suit Spider-man focuses on speed and web attacks, while Black suit focuses on power and bouncing enemies around. There's a rudimentary combo system in place that punishes you for repeating the same moves, so you'll be swapping costumes as you juggle your enemies in order to amass the most amount of points possible.

 If there's something I don't quite agree with is how resilient enemies are. In my opinion, combat in Metroidvanias should be a quick affair, but I guess they wanted to show off their combo system. And don't get me wrong, the combat is really good in the game, but since it involves backtracking, endlessly respawning damage sponges can get a bit tiresome when you simply want to retread old ground with your newfound skills. And near the end of the game they force you to backtrack once more through all four areas in order to destroy four portals. Not cool, but the game lasts only 4 hours, so they had to pad a bit of fat in there.

 Touch-screen use has been kept to a minimum, thank god. When you die, if you've lives to spare, you'll engage in a mini-game which will determine how much health you get back upon reviving. Did I enjoy it? No, I did not. Was it annoying? No, it was not. Also, I think the mini-map could've used with more detail, like tracking your exact position, but it's serviceable for what it is.

 Finally, finally we get a good Spider-man game on the Nintendo DS. The game is still a bit lacking in a few areas, but its strengths stand tall above all else. So far, it's the only DS Spider-man game worth owning.
7.0 out of 10

Now Playing: Spider-man - Shattered Dimensions(PS3)

 Say hello to Beenox.

 After delivering what was pretty much the best Spider-man game up to that moment, Treyarch was relieved from Spider-man duties by Beenox, the developer who'd helm every subsequent Spider-man game.

 Shattered Dimensions is kind of a blank state for Spider-man games, while many mechanics from Web of Shadows are back, the swinging has been reduced to a more confined environment, so a lot of the fun it derived is gone... 

 ...but that's alright, because this is a different kind of game. Gotta love how many voice actors for Spider-man came back for this iteration, although I would've done things differently. Miguel O'hara should've been voiced by Neil Patrick Harris, Amazing Spider-man by Spider-man TAS' VA, Spider-man Noir by the Spider-man's 80s show VA and... Ultimate Spider-man I agree with. But that's just nitpicking.

 I played about three stages(Tutorial, Amazing and Noir) and it's a pretty fun game. I love the challenge system, but above all, I adore the fact that costumes are back, about time! I used the Iron Spider code since that's pretty much my favorite Spider-man costume, and the Scarlet Spider costumes, since that was my favorite Spider-man character... until Kane took the Scarlet Spider mantle from Ben.

 Anyways, I'm having fun. It's no Web of Shadows, but it's pretty decent.

Review #428: Spider-man - Web of Shadows(Playstation 3)

 Spidey's finest.

 After Treyarch's disappointing stint with Spider-man 3, they teamed up with Shaba to bring us their final Spider-man game, and also, their best.

 Remember how Ultimate Spider-man was about Venom and the symbiotes? And how Spider-man 3 was about Venom and symbiotes? And how Friend or Foe was about Symbiotes? Yes, we have another Symbiote/Venom storyline. It's also the best, after tangling with Venom, Spider-man gets to host the Black Suit again, and sadly, he is not the only one. New York falls under the threat of a spreading Symbiote invasion and Spider-man will have to team-up with other street-level heroes like Wolverine, Luke Cage and Moon Knight in order to suppress it. There're a couple of 'moral choices', which will impact the ending that you get, but for all intents and purposes, they are mostly there to give you different cutscenes, but the end result will be the more or less the same. As far as the story goes, I really liked it, although there were a few out of character moments like Spider-man throwing infected citizens down a sky-scraper, a very un-Spider-man thing to do.

 Web of Shadows is the apex of the free-roaming Spider-man game. They polished the mechanics to a shine: R2 is used to shoot webs towards buildings or surfaces, and depending if you tapped it or held it, the type of web you'll shot, either a swinging web or a zip-line. You can increase your speed by holding the jump button. There're over 2000 Spider-icons peppered throughout the city, and collecting these will enhance Spider-man's stats. It feels very rewarding as a whole, since swinging around New York feels like a dream, and you're encouraged to, since these Spider-icons are very plentiful and offer tangible rewards. I often lost myself in swinging around, it's that good.

 The other piece of these games is the combat, and it's the best it's ever been. The city will receive damage from Spider-man's attacks or even enemies', not only that, hitting enemies feels good and crunchy. Spider-man can switch between the Red and Black costumes at will by tapping L3, and both have their own unique movesets which you can alternate at a button's press. It helps how different each version feels, with Spidey offering weak, but fast and tracking attacks, and Black suit Spider-man being a slower, but stronger fighter that covers a ton of ground with his attacks. It's a thing of beauty. Defeating enemies, finishing missions or doing side-activities will earn you experience points which you can then spend in order to unlock new moves for both suits.

 Luckily, story progress is not gated behind side-activies, however, a few have been integrated into the plot. There're a couple of times in which you are tasked with doing 2-3 side activities, or defeating X amount of enemies. It was fairly inoffensive, and at least it was worked into the main plot. It helps that you're given experience points for these, which will then help you upgrade Spider-man. There's a new mechanic in which you can call-in for help from other heroes, while I didn't use it too much, they are fairly competent allies for those pesky 'protect the citizens' missions. QTEs are back, and they are as bad as ever, but at least there weren't as many as there were in Spider-man 3, and messing up only tortures you with having to endure the entire cutscene again, as opposed to healing the boss. So... yeah, they are still annoying but not AS annoying as Spider-man 3's.

 What can I say? Spider-man Web of Shadows is easily one of the best super hero games ever made. While the story can be questionable, everything regarding the gameplays stays true to the character, and everything feels very tight. It's a solid game that even people who know next to nothing about the character can enjoy.
 8.5 out of 10

Now Playing: Spider-man - Web of Shadows(Playstation 3)

 Now we're talkin'!

 I just spent way more time than anyone should scourging buildings for Spider-collectibles... and it was FUN. Now this is what I expected out of a next-gen Spider-man game, it looks downright beautiful. Combat seems fast and simple, I love being able to switch suits on a whim.

 The new swinging is taking me a little to get used to. First of all, there's no real easy way to cling to buildings besides blocking, which is a bit counterintuitive, but worst of all, they inverted camera controls. After game and game and game and game using a certain camera control scheme this is throwing me outta wack. I hope I can get used to it.

 Nevertheless, this one is shaping up to be the best Spider-man game yet. Fantastic swinging and fantastic combat? Too true to be true... or is it?

Review #427: Spider-man - Web of Shadows Amazing Allies Edition(Playstation 2)

 Comes back in black... never to return again...

 This is it. Spider-man's final outing on the PS2. And... it's a glorified handheld game. I mean, it really is, this is a port of the PSP's 2-D sidescrolling action-platform imagining of the Web of Shadows game. But despite its origins, despite how they opted to port the PSP version and not the Wii's version... it's not that bad of a send off.

 For the third time in a row Symbiotes take center stage in the plot. After tussling with Venom one more time, the symbiote infects Spider-man... and the rest of New York. And outbreak of Venom-like symbiotes infects the city and it's up to Spider-man and Nick Fury to stop it. And no, it's not a reimagining of Friend or Foe, don't be alarmed. One thing to keep in mind is that the presentation is very underwhelming, there're no cutscenes, instead you'll be stuck reading textbox after textbox after textbox. The dialogue is very cheesy and over-the-top, the writers certainly weren't taking the story too seriously, so your mileage may vary on the game's delivery. Oh, and the game's ending? There's none. You defeat the boss and a pop-up tells you that you unlocked New Game Plus. Fun.

 'Moral Choices' were a big thing at the time, and they somewhat implemented in the game to varying degrees of success. Throughout every stage you may come upon NPCs, most which will taks you with a quest, and all of them will bombard you with text and multiple choices, depending on your choices you earn Black or Red reputation points. As far as I know, these only affect which 'Summons' you get, but they also affect which skills you can buy. Mind you, earning Red points doesn't gate you out of Black points and skills, and vice-versa, reputation points only accumulate. Quests are very simple 'find this stuff for me', 'take me there' or 'defeat all enemies', and a very few have different outcomes, which was kinda interesting.

 While this is a 2-D side-scroller, things are rarely linear, making the most out of Spidey's abilities, you'll be able to stick on walls and ceilings, as well as swing with your web through the air or pull yourself with it against a surface. Spidey can punch and kick, and by pressing select you can switch between red and black costumes. Each costume has three exclusive unlockable moves, which were rather... bland. They don't combo to well between your punches and kicks, but they are fun to use every now and then. As for the combat itself, it's relatively fun, the web-head is fast and hitting enemies feels good. You'll also be able to find power ups, such as temporary strength enhancement or even summon enemies and allies(It's not Friend or Foe, I swear) to perform an attack and help you out. I felt it was a bit gimmicky and lame, I never really summoned them and they weren't really needed. Bosses will eventually take out about half of your entire health bar(Even when you bought all four HP increments) with a single hit, but they are very easy to figure out.

 I don't know if it's due to the nature of it being a handheld port, but I felt like graphics were a bit ... I wouldn't call them blurry, not necessarily, but not well defined, if that makes any sense. A few stages, particularly the Luke Cage one felt a bit sloppy, like the camera swinging to fast or finding Spidey apparently teleported elsewhere. IT was mostly a rare occurrence though.

 Spider-man: Web of Shadows Amazing Allies Edition(I hate the title) was not the ideal way to end Spidey's run on the PS2, but at least it wasn't a terrible game. I'm sure most people will find the game too underwhelming to give it a chance, but if you're willing, it just might surprise you.
 6.0 out of 10