• Review: The Amazing Spider-Man (PS3)

    by
    Scott "mountain_duwe " Duwe
    Published on 07-03-2012 01:40 PM
    0 Comments Comments


    The Amazing Spider-Man

    Developer: Beenox
    Publisher: Activision
    Platform: Playstation 3
    Genre: Action-Adventure
    Rating: Teen
    Release Date: June 26, 2012

    Just 10 years after Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man released and changed the landscape of the superhero movie forever, the franchise has been rebooted with a new cast and new director. Having seen the movie at a midnight screening last night, I can happily say that I thought it was incredible.

    The last video game movie tie-in for Spider-Man was the disastrous Spider-Man 3. A bad movie deserves an equally bad tie-in game, I suppose. Such games have a trivial and disappointing history, but The Amazing Spider-Man bucks the trend with a very fun and successful entry.

    Presentation
    Taking place just weeks after the events of the movie, The Amazing Spider-Man’s plot revolves around Oscorp and its shady dealings. Due to the placement of the game's events, it's a good idea to see the movie first if you want to avoid spoilers, as there's mention of the fate of a movie character within the game itself. Following the formula of the film, the game features cross-species hybrids much like the Lizard. Other abominations make an appearance such as Rhino, Iguana, Scorpion and more.

    Alistaire Smythe, a genius of robotics, has become the face of hope for Oscorp in the wake of the movie’s events, and his robots and nanobots become something of a problem for the wallcrawler. When something goes horribly wrong at Oscorp Tower, it’s once again up to Spidey to save the day.

    Graphics
    This is probably the best-looking Spider-Man game to date. The open world of Manhattan looks great at any time of day, something of a cross between ‘realism’ and comic book style. Spider-Man’s suit looks awesome and reacts to the damage he takes, ripping and tearing the longer he goes without returning to his apartment for fresh duds. Spidey glides through the skies of the city with precision and grace and looks cool-as-hell doing it. While Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans didn’t lend their voice talents to the game, their likenesses as Gwen Stacey and Dr. Curt Connors respectively are pretty spot on.

    Performance issues are few and far between. I experienced no screen-tearing or framerate lag on the PS3 version, and in the entirely open world of Manhattan, this is incredibly impressive. Some of the game’s indoor environments(sewers, warehouses, Oscorp Tower) get repetitive after a while, but nothing in the game looks outright bad. The fact that you don't necessarily need a surface for web to stick to to web-swing may bother some(specifically, Central Park comes to mind) may bother some, but I didn't find it to be an issue.

    Sound/Music
    Sadly, there is no Andrew Garfield in the game either, but the voice actors who take the place of the film stars do a fairly exceptional job. Spider-Man sounds like Spider-Man and he doesn’t try too hard to sound like Garfield, which in my opinion is a good thing. His quips and “WOOHOOOOOO” screams as he swings through the city are fitting of the wallcrawler and helps you to forget the absence of the franchise’s stars. He repeats himself a lot, however.

    Nolan North does fantastic work as Alistaire Smythe, showing off his range as an actor and not just “the guy who sounds like Nathan Drake.” The soundtrack is decent with nothing standing out as either very good or very bad, as most of the time you’re accompanied with a majestic-sounding score as you fly through the skies.

    Gameplay
    The most important thing about this game is that it makes you feel like you’re Spider-Man. That’s the key to any superhero game, movie tie-in or not. It’s what makes Rocksteady’s Batman games so special and it’s what makes The Amazing Spider-Man successful. Web-swinging through the open world of Manhattan is what Spider-Man is all about, and this game hits the nail on the head.

    Using R2 to auto-swing or R1 to use the game’s Web Rush mechanic, navigating the city is simultaneously extremely fun and a breeze to pull off. Combining the two is the coolest way to go. Holding down R1 will activate Spider Sense and slow down time to show a bunch of yellow outlines of Spidey to show where you can go. Releasing the button sends Spidey web-zipping, flipping, wall-running and flying to his destination. Quickly tapping R1 has the same effect, but there’s a certain feeling of satisfaction you get when pulling off a bunch of awesome moves in succession. Spidey will run along the top of buses, propel himself off of flag poles and more, making you feel like you’re playing through an extended CG scene from a movie.

    The combat works much in the same way that it does in Batman: Arkham City. One button(square) is designated for striking opponents and another(triangle) is used to dodge incoming attacks when a Spider Sense prompt appears above Spidey’s head. Get enough of a combo going to finish an enemy off with a cool-looking signature move. The circle button is used to shoot web at opponents to either slow them down, immobilize them or just toss them around. The combat isn’t exactly groundbreaking or varied but it can be satisfying. Experience points help unlock and upgrade a few extra moves here and there, but most of what you'll use throughout the game are there at the beginning.

    Indoor missions require stealth, and crawling on the ceilings above guards will allow you to perform stealth takedowns, hanging down from the ceiling on a string of web to roll the enemy into a web cocoon and tie them up without alerting others. There’s a decent amount of variety in the enemies, as well, from a wide array of highly-trained security guards, random street thugs, infected/enraged citizens, robots and more.

    The single most disappointing thing about the game is the repetitiveness of the side missions, an issue that has plagued open world games since their inception. There’s a good amount of different types of missions, but they all function in the same fashion. Car chases involve you webbing the getaway vehicle’s windshield and tying them up in a giant web, police stand-offs require you to Web Rush to battle armed foes, photography missions need you to(duh) take pictures, et cetera.

    Repetitiveness is also an issue when it comes to boss fights. Most of them require you to Web Rush them, attack a few times, dodge when they begin to attack you, use the Web Retreat(L1) function to flee from harm’s way, and rinse and repeat until given button prompts. The boss fights consist of battling cross-species like Rhino and Scorpion, and giant robots sent out by Smythe. While they’re not terrible, they’re just simply not that great. To be honest, though, I’m nitpicking. As a whole, the game plays very well.

    Lasting Appeal
    The length of this game is what you make of it. I played it on the hardest difficulty and beat the main storyline in 12 hours, but with quite a few side missions left to go. Those missions plus over 500 comic book pages scattered throughout the city keep me coming back for more. The more comic book pages you collect, the more actual Spider-Man comics you’re able to digitally access through the game’s main menu. There's also a bunch of alternate costumes scattered around NYC, being added to the game weekly. Replay value is moderate, leaning towards moderately low. If you're a Spider-Fan, this is definitely worth full retail price.

    Conclusion
    Unlike the movie, The Amazing Spider-Man game isn’t amazing, but it is still pretty great. In the long line of movie tie-in games, I think that this one will go down as one of the best. That might not sound like I’m saying much, but even as a standalone superhero game, it would be very successful. Spider-Fans should be pleased with this installment, and I hope to see more entries like this from Beenox in the future.

    Score:
    8.5/10

  • Review Scale

    Score 10- Flawless Victory: A score not handed out to every game. Games earning this rare score sit at the very pinnacle of excellence. These games act as the examples for which all others should be measured with. They are instant classics from the beginning. These games not only deliver what was expected of it, but also exceed the player’s expectations. The game’s features are innovative and original. No game is without its absolute flaws, but the finished product you bring home surpasses the anticipation the game has formed. A day one buy is a must. The game you hold in your hands with this score is a video game jackpot.

    Score 9 - 9.5- Outstanding: Games earning scores such as these absolutely must be played. Games that achieve this high ranking do so because they define the genres that they are in. Flaws are few and barely noticeable. Features seen in the game have been renovated to provide something new and fresh. The story, gameplay, graphics, and lasting appeal are all fantastic and is reason enough to bring the game home and to enjoy with family and friends. Every penny you spend on the game is so worth it.

    Score 8 - 8.5- Great: Any flaw the game may possess is overshadowed by its fun factor. These games would be great for gamers to play. These great games appeal to gamers more and more outside its normal player base because of what it brings to the table.

    Score 7 - 7.5- Good: Flaws do exist in these games, but the positive features of the game can counterbalance the flaws. Additionally, players who are predisposed to liking a game of a particular series or genre with this score should enjoy the game. These are in no way bad games, and much fun can be had with them. An overall good game is worth taking a look at, whether you are willing to buy the game or rent it first. That or you can also wait for the game to reach a good price.

    Score 6 - 6.5- Decent: Games falling into this category may suffer from numerous flaws (for example, graphics or gameplay), but are still worth playing. Granted, the player should be aware that a game with these scores may not guarantee them full satisfaction.

    Score 5 - 5.5- Average: An average game is one in which a game’s features are neither good nor completely terrible. Instead, the finished product is manageable. Little has been done to hold the player’s interest. If anything, rent this game before you consider buying it so that you can at least get a feel for the game’s overall experience.

    Score 4 - 4.5- Poor: Games falling into this category may only keep gamers entertained for a short while. While the game may seem enjoyable for moments at a time, it can quickly grow old and may never be revisited again. The game’s overall function is lacking in quality and may not hold the player’s attention for long. The game leaves little or nothing else to return back to.

    Score 3 - 3.5- Bad: If any positive qualities about a game in this category exist, it is not enough to redeem the game for its shortcomings. Sure you may find yourself playing it, but for how long? You will wind up not giving the game a second glance.

    Score 2 - 2.5- Horrible: Games such as these may not be totally unplayable, they nearly are. Additionally, they may lack, or greatly suffer in, the fundamental functionality of the software as a whole. The game simply does not come close to meeting industry standards at the time of its release.

    Score 1 - 1.5- Appalling: Gamers should avoid this game at all costs. The game was clearly not ready to make its way to store shelves in its status. Save your money and find something else. See it in the bargain bin? No! Stay away! Keep moving and look for something else.

SEO by vBSEO