While I am usually quite jaded when it comes to game ideas taken from the latest movie/TV show/book/toilet paper commercial, I must say that game makers seem to have finally gotten it right. The past 12 months have proven that given enough time, resources and creative game designers licensed games don’t have to be the pariah that they once were. From Lord of the Rings to The Chronicles of Riddick and finally Spider-Man 2 we have been given a few choice titles in which to stretch out the movie going experience. While other publications have chosen to compare this game to others that have come before, I believe that the execution of Spider-Man 2 makes it quite unique.
You begin by overlooking the entire city of New York but are only able to explore a tiny bit. Luckily, about five minutes into the game that all changes and you are able to swing anywhere you please, with just a few sections blocked off for story purposes. Those who played the Spider-Man games in the original PlayStation will remember that the game was broken into static indoor levels, and the one on the current consoles did little to take advantage of the unique powers of Spidey. Hell, even the Mega-Drive II Spider-Man did a better job of portraying the character. To say that this has been changed is an understatement, this game makes you believe you can jump from the top of the Empire State building and live.
One of the greatest things about Spider-Man 2 is the complete control you have over your character. In earlier games moving around was a chore due to the fact that you would stick to any wall you happened to brush up against. Now you tell Spidey when to cling with the press of a button, which cuts down on frustration immensely. I spent the first two hours of the game just swinging around the city, which for me, was worth the £40. Controlling the Webhead as he leaps, crawls and dives hundreds of feet, only to swing to safety at the last second is the best part of the game. To do all of this you need to gain height by jumping with a quick hold and release of a button; the longer you hold down the button, the higher you jump. Next you need to fix your web line to a structure, no more magically attached webs, and you’re off, swinging like only a spider can. Press the jump button to release the web; again holding the jump longer lets you execute longer jumps. This is only the basics of swinging, you gain more abilities; like faster swinging times, and even a Tony Hawk like trick set. Some of these uses are purely cosmetic, but damned if they don’t look cool.
You really wouldn’t be Spider-Man without his patented “Spidey Sense” which is basically an elaborate counter attack system, which allows you to hit tougher enemies. Of course Post-Matrix no game is legally allowed to go without some derivative of bullet time, and it is quite useless here. Used only for boss battles, this is one thing that could have easily been left out of the game. Curiously one thing a spider can’t do, apparently, is swim. Drop into the ocean and you are treated to a cut scene of Spidey crawling out of the water, telling you to stay on dry land.
The game itself is broken into chapters, with each giving you a checklist of things to accomplish to progress the story. Scripted story events do take place to further the story but for the most part you are left alone to do what you want. The checklist usually requires you to gain a certain amount of “hero points” which you earn by talking to citizens with green question marks over their head. You are then given a mission that you must complete, like stopping an armored car robbery. Sadly, there are only seven types of missions, and they get old quick. After your seventeenth time of saving a falling man you start to imagine how nice his insides would look on the pavement. You are Spider-Man, however and failing to complete a mission will result in a loss of points, so watching the fat bastard plummet to his well-deserved death is not an option.
Once you complete a checklist you are usually made to watch a horrible in game cut scene with truly laughable voice acting. In the actual game the simplistic graphics are forgivable because you are allowed to swing across an entire city with no load times, but in the cut scenes people talk without moving theirs lips. Thankfully you can skip any of the cut scenes and get back to the game.
You are greatly rewarded for exploring everywhere, as there are about 500 hidden tokens for you to collect, broken into categories. Collect all in a certain category and you are sure to get something nice. You also gain awards for completing missions, which are required to complete anyways, so it’s kind of like winning a trophy when you come in last place. Congratulations, you are still breathing.
There is a lot to love about Spider-Man 2, with only a few minor annoyances to bring the experience down. If it sounds like I was over critical about the game it is only because it is very hard to describe that feeling you get when a game keeps you up all night. This is one of those games, and if you are even remotely interested in the source material go buy this it now. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to rescue some falling window washers. MD
