Not bad................. But not good either
Gameplay:
As I said this game is a group action/strategy game, along the same lines as Marvel Ultimate Alliance or Justice League Heroes. It's a much more simplified engine then what you'll get in those games. Only Spider-man is treated as a fleshed out character, with a number of upgradeable and unlockable abilities. The other characters can only have their statistics upgraded. Their stats, at that, are also very simplistic. You've got Strength, Health, Toughness, and that characters specific special attack. There's no equipment system in the game. It's also just Spidey and a single sidekick at a time. Single players can switch between Spidey and his partner on the run, or a second player can jump in and assume control of the free character.
All controls are the same for each character, although their effects can differ considerably. Heavier characters, besides moving slower and doing more damage, have a different set of animations (although it's the same for all heavy character, Venom fights the same as Scorpion, for instance). Larger characters can also grapple larger enemies with more ease and to greater effect. Each character has a special attack that can be done on the ground or in the air simply by holding the attack button. There is also a basic, but effective grab system to the game. You start by pressing the grab button, but you can also press one of three different buttons to perform different throw, giving you four different possibilities per character. Also, larger enemies will get dizzy after they take so much damage, and if grappled the character will do an automatic finishing move. Heavier characters have basically all the same grapples.
The environment is somewhat interactive. You can throw objects at enemies, enemies at objects, enemies at enemies, or enemies off cliffs. Some objects are also volatile, exploding on impact. Boss fights tend to follow a specific patter that, once discovered, can be used to beat them. The boss fights are easily the highlight of the game, often offering a good amount of environment interaction while also challenging the player to a unique experience. The rest of the enemies can be separated into four categories; small, medium, large, and huge. As the game progresses, the enemies change in appearance, attacks, patterns, and strengths. Towards the end they get pretty tough in large groups, but not overly frustrating.
It's all pretty basic, except for one feature that (so far) only this game incorporates, true double team attacks. These aren't just two characters performing a special attack at the same time against one target, it's a new move that they perform together to wipe out all the enemies at once. It's cinematic, and original for each character with Spidey. This is what double team moves should be like.
Graphic:
No secret here, I'm sure you've seen them in pictures. The graphics of the game leave a lot to be desired. The character models are very simple, the areas are bland, even attacks look underwhelming. There are two things to note, characters featured from the movies appear as they did in the movies (the Green Goblin wears the fight suit, Spidey's Black Suit is all black) while others are based on their original comic book appearances. Also the artwork of the game has a very obvious cartoony angle. Every character is ever so slightly chibi-ised, with certain features enhanced beyond realistic proportions to give it a very lighthearted look. It's great for kids, but it may be difficult for serious Spidey fans to swallow.
Sound:
Well, it's there. It isn't awe-inspiring, but how often is music from Comic Book Superhero games? Every character is well voiced, with personalities that match well. The script is entirely lighthearted and even comedic at times (especially the mission control computer at SHIELD). Again all the movie characters try to sound like their movie counterparts but easily the most successful at this is the Green Goblin, who sounds like a dead ringer for Willem Dafoe, the actor who played Normal Osborn in the first Spider-man film. Also, the characters often have rather interesting banter with Spider-Man when they function as partners throughout the levels. It's good to see their personalities taken into account to this degree, unlike other Superteam games where the characters remain mute except for cut scenes.
Extras:
The fatal weakness of this game. While there is a lot of unlockable artwork to look at (the single most useless extra ever) and a few unlockable levels for the Versus mode, there's nothing too compelling. There is one character you get only upon completion of the game (two if you count Spidey's black suit), and no extra costumes (again, unless you count the black suit). The game's very short (I beat it in a day), and there's no alternate endings/divergent storylines. There is a Versus mode where you and a second player can go at it using any of the playable characters from the game. It's a nice distraction, if you have someone to play with.
All in all, the game is good. It won't change your life, and it doesn't set any bars. If you're looking for web-swinging through NYC, ripping off lots of comboes and taking in some beautiful graphics, you're looking for the wrong game. If you just want to be able to play as Venom, Green Goblin, Scorpion, Rhino, or any of the other classic Spidey characters featured in this game, you're set. It's a fun game, especially to play with someone else or for kids.