Spider-Man Week - The Early Levels

We here at GameSpot have been blessed with the latest, hearty build of Neversoft's Spider-Man. Needless to say, we're brimming with impressions. What follows is a brief rundown of the game's first few levels. The levels we got to play seem tight and cohesive, with many opportunities for rich gameplay and a decent amount of distinction from each other. Rest assured that Spider-Man's myriad abilities are sufficiently challenged. Without further ado, here are the impressions!

Stage 1 - Get to the Bank!

Upon hearing mumblings of an imminent bank heist, our favorite web-head finds himself atop a tall skyscraper, with a keen view of the Big Apple's fine cityscape. A voiced-over chat with Blackcat ensues, after which Spidey makes clear his intent to hustle to the bank before any badness goes down.

Maneuvering through the rooftops is a good deal of fun. Essentially, you move Spider-Man to a building's ledge and make him walk (or jump, depending on your destination's distance) off, then after you hit R2, he will swing, most dynamically, to the wall or rooftop of an adjacent building. Many of the rooftops are inhabited by an assortment of undesirables who provide great opportunities to test out Spidey's repertoire of punches, kicks, and web-isms, but their engagement isn't necessary for the completion of the stage. Watch for the cool Spider-sense effect that occurs when you land on a foe-inhabited building - Spidey's head will exhibit the classic "alert rays," and a slight screen distortion will accompany a subtle Dual Shock rumble. Very neat stuff.

At any rate, the Spidey compass will continually point you in the direction of the bank, so you've but to follow it to reach your mark. It's possible to avoid enemies altogether by whisking through the rooftops, as they are not likely to notice you until you're swinging well out of their reach. Some buildings will be farther away than others, which calls for a healthy leap before you activate the swing action, so measure the distances accurately.

Midway through the trek, a cutscene will play, illustrating the would-be robbers blasting two cop choppers out of the sky with their own well-armed gunship. Harsh. Upon seeing this, Spidey decides that the robbers mean business and he hurries to the bank posthaste. The ensuing action largely resembles the first half of the stage, though upon reaching the bank, you'll have to dispatch a small installation of armed terrorists. Given Spidey's arsenal, it should be no sweat. The best strategy is to try to isolate the attackers, and given the rooftop's proliferation of narrow areas, it shouldn't be too hard. It must be noted that the camera often makes battling a bit more difficult than it should be, especially when enemies surround you. When this occurs, take advantage of Spider-Man's mobility and leap your way to a more opportune area. After the handful of gunners are downed, Spidey will find a way into the building, which takes you to...