This odd combination Marvel Ultimate Alliance and the Spider-Man film series is interesting and family friendly.
User Rating: 7.5 | Spider-Man: Friend or Foe PS2
Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is definately the most light hearted Spider-Man game that I've played. Meaning there really isn't any suggestive humor (maybe except for that one Mary Jane reference) in the game and the mood overall just feels very kiddie. It appears to take place in the same universe as the film series (based on the likeness of many of the villians and official movie licensing) yet with no mention as to how or when Spidey met several other villians and heroes never introduced in any Marvel movie for that matter. The game plays very similar to Marvel Ultimate Alliance as you can choose a partner for Spider-Man to go through a mission with and upgrade throughout the game. You gain new allies by rescuing or defeating them in missions...with the exception of New Goblin who is a secret character who can be unlocked. When partnered in the field, Spider-Man and his partner of choice can pull off double team moves which usually has the ability to damage all the enemies on screen. For all those thinking about going the "Spider-Man and Venom" route, I have bad news...Venom is one of (if not) the last ally you unlock. So the majority of game, you're going to be Venomless. I'm thinking Activision did this on purpose as most fans instictively would have chose to play through the game as Spider-Man and Venom since they have partnered up in so many past games...which would have taken away from the originality of Friend or Foe. Not saying its right, but that I understand. The game also has a very fun spin on its multiplayer. Not only can a second player join you on your missions but also, there is a battle arena where characters from the game can fight each other. Each level in the game has a challenge area and every time a challenge area is completed, a new character is unlock to use in the battle arena. This definately adds to the game's replay value.
The story finds Spider-Man fighting (yet again) another invasion of symbiotes but this time they are being replicated by unknown means. To make matters worst, whoever is responsible for this is also controlling the minds of many of the world's known superheores and supervillians. This is what draws the supervillians to Spider-Man and Shield's cause...seeking revenge on whoever was controlling them and stealing their resources to further their cause. The plot is pretty straight forward and doesn't really have a lot depth to it.
My Breakdown
What's Good:
- A new approach to a Spider-Man game
- Very fun playing as other heroes and especially villians
- Double team moves can be fun
- The battle arena adds to the game's replay value
- Family friendly fun
What's Not-So-Good:
- May be too light hearted for some
- How many times do we have to fight symbiotes?
- The use the film's license leaves MAJOR plot holes as to how certian villians are able to appear in the game and where other character not featured in any Marvel movies come from.
What's Bad:
- Felt more like "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance lite" than a legitimate Spider-Man game
- The plot lacks depth
- The identity of the main antagonist isn't really that amazing. A change in this could have added to the overall depth of the game's plot
In all, Friend or Foe is a very unquie Spider-Man game with its set of flaws but is fully capable of being enjoyed by "web-heads" of all ages.
