Spider-Man: The Movie Game Preview

By Trevor Rivers, GameSpotPosted Apr 10, 2002 3:54 pm PT

We check out the PlayStation 2 version of Spider-Man's movie adventure.

Spider-Man is one of a number of comic book characters who have enjoyed quite a bit of attention when it comes to video games. Not all the names that have sprung from the pages of comics have appeared in the number of quality games Spider-Man has, though. Thanks to the webbed one's solid track record, it should come as no surprise that Treyarch's upcoming Spider-Man game looks as if it will make another strong entry in the lineage of games inspired by the venerable superhero.

Perhaps part of what makes Spider-Man games so engaging and fun to play is the colorful character and his interesting arsenal of augmented abilities. For those who aren't familiar with the story or the character, Spider-Man is the alter ego of one Peter Parker, a photographer and a generally upbeat and upstanding citizen. One day, he's bitten by a radioactive spider and gains many of the abilities of the mutated arachnid. The game follows the history set forth in the comic books, as we presume the movie will do.

The city is incredibly detailed.

The first thing you'll notice about the game when you start it up is that it's very sharp looking and does a great job of taking advantage of the PS2. The actual Spider-Man model is very detailed, and the city is nothing short of astonishing. Instead of the earth fading away into fog below you, as was the case in the PlayStation games published by Activision, you'll see the streets of the city below teeming with activity as automobile traffic flows in all directions. Unfortunately, you're not able to descend to the ground, but there are plenty of tall buildings and skyscrapers that will serve as the outdoor terrain.

Swinging through the skyscrapers will be a very cool experience.

In the levels where you find yourself in pursuit of a foe or objective in the skies above the city, you'll need to pay attention to the altimeter in the lower right corner of your screen. This meter is basically a bar that gives you an idea of how far up or down you can safely go. While ascending too high will only result in you hitting the proverbial glass ceiling, descending too far will result in your death, so the meter is something you'll want to pay attention to. There's plenty of room for you to maneuver between the ceiling and hard deck, though, and the sheer scope and size of New York is reflected very well in these levels. Much like in the PlayStation games by Neversoft and Vicarious Visions, you'll find yourself involved in a fair amount of rooftop jumping as you rid the city of thugs with no fear of heights.

As Spider-Man, you'll be able to swing in any direction using your webbing, which can mysteriously grab onto something up in the sky that nobody can ever see. (Our best guess is incredibly sturdy clouds.) In addition to the basic swinging that we saw in the PlayStation games, you'll also be able to control your ascent or decent by simply holding up or down on the left analog stick as you swing along. Making a quick jump to change directions is an easy endeavor as well, and this maneuver will be accompanied by a slick animation of Spider-Man doing a flip or performing some other acrobatic flourish. It all looks quite natural, and as you get used to the control, you'll quite literally be able to do things that only a spider can.

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jakeboudville
Posted Sep 22, 2006 5:49 am PT

looks impressive
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