Game Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (PS3)
Story:
The main premise of the story is loosely based on the second film put is focused on a war between gangs and Spider-Man looking for Uncle Ben’s killer. There are a slew of Spider-Man villains that we all know with various stories that go on throughout the game and that makes things a bit more interesting. The stories themselves aren’t anything that are super compelling but they serve their purpose to introduce the bad guys. It was kind of cool to see “movie versions” of Black Cat, Shocker, Kraven and well, Kingpin and Carnage kinda usually have the same look and we’ve already seen what Green Goblin and Electro look like.
Gameplay:
Activision has released a good number of Spider-Man games over the years that feature city wide web-slinging but there was always a thing or two that was a bit off about it. This game however improves on it so much and makes it so fun. Basically you alternate left and right between web-shooters with L2 and R2 while maneuvering Spidey with the left game stick. Alternating the webs and gauging when let go and shoot again almost makes you feel like you’re the one swinging through the city and it makes for some cool acrobatic moments throughout the open New York City landscape. The main thing that I really appreciated was the fact that Spidey actually web swinging from buildings and objects as opposed to just the air itself. That was one concern of mine from the previous games was that you would swing above buildings and end up way in the air without attaching yourself to anything. It just looked weird. The combat in the game is very similar from what you would expect from the Batman: Arkham games in the sense that for the most part it’s one button fighting and another button for countering attacks from other enemies. It’s a simple way of combat and can be entertaining when performing a dual counter but can feel a little repetitive at times. As you fight on you build up points that can be redeemed to upgrade Spidey with new moves or technical aspects. The game also has side missions that you can play in order to stop crime within the city. In doing that you build up your “Heroic Meter” and the more you do that then the less you’ll be seen as a menace. The side missions themselves can make you feel a sense of Deja Vu at times but it’s easily something you can either avoid or look passed because the fun factor of swinging around.
On top of playing the game through you also have around 300 comic book pages that you have to find and collect as well as taking certain photos for J. Jonah Jameson and unlocking new Spider-Man costumes. The different unlockable costumes are something that I look forward to and seeing what new ones they come up with is always a treat.
The look of the game is a big step up from the previous Spidey movie games but this PS3 version still looks a bit rough but I’m sure the Next Gen version look a lot smoother. A few character models of thugs and gangsters look the same and there are some moments that the game glitches and you find yourself stuck in a wall or an enemy sinks into the ground. In the end those inconsistencies still don’t take anything away from the actual game itself and for the most part it’s forgivable.
Bottom Line:
It’s not the best movie based game but it’s definitely fun and it being open world is the best thing for a Spider-Man game. You’ll find yourself roaming around and exploring the city which will kill lots of time. The replay factor is 50/50 but there’s definitely a lot to do that will keep you busy during your initial run through of the game. Honestly, I enjoyed all of the Spider-Man games and this one was no different for me. Pick this up if you’re a Spidey fan or just looking for some good web slinging fun.
