Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

This is probably the most fun I've ever had with a Spider-Man game. This is the first time since Spider-Man 2 that I've really felt like Spider-Man swinging through the city, and the controls are vastly improved from that game. I do miss the Splinter Cell style missions from Spider-Man 1, but the free-roaming environment gives you plenty to do.

The controls are simple, anyone can do it. It's not like Marvel Ultimate Alliance where sometimes you have to perform combos to defeat enemies. You can, and it's fun, but if you don't want to you can defeat just about any villain with simple punches.

The graphics are pretty amazing. The Incredible Hulk game also uses this large sandbox environment. However, after about three blocks it everything disappears in this green haze. No loading time but no scenery. This game fixes that. You can see details all the way across New York. No haze/fog/mist/etc. And up close things look pretty decent too.

But there is a problem with the graphics, they use the same thing for the cut-scenes. Now, Gears of War can get away with that because their engine is so top notch it made it's own notch. Why didn't this game go the same route as MUA? MUA has spectacular cut-scenes. Sure the graphics are good, not spectacular, but what few cut-scenes they did use with the in-game graphics looked just plain awful. But those cut-scenes like the opening or Nightcrawler escaping just looked so theatrical and amazing. This game could seem far more cinematic if they did that.

I don't care for the decision making. It's too obvious. Either, red (good) or black (evil). They should have done like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic where you make a decision and then find out where it put you. This game makes it too easy to be either good or bad. There were times in KOTOR where I thought I was doing good but ending up with dark points because I didn't know how it would end. Any game that allows you to make decision and have multiple endings should do the KOTOR way, not this one. Because there's no surprise.

The story is lacking. True it's a video game, but in this day and age story lines are becoming more and more necessary thanks to Halo, Half-Life 2, KOTOR, and even MUA. Those games had great story lines where you almost couldn't put them down until you found out what happened. In fact you could enjoy those stories outside the video game medium. With the invasion, Venom, and the choices this could have been a huge, grand epic. Instead, if this was a comic book it'd be over in two, three issues like it didn't matter. You don't really feel the emotional impact from any of the characters. If you're going to make a comic book video game you should use a Kingdom Come or House of M sized story. Grip the audience and don't let go until it's over.

Now there are some glaring problems which also make this an annoying experience too.

The voice actors are just a pain to listen to. When I first started playing MUA, I did not like any voice actors except for Fury and Doom. I thought Spider- Man was too whiny, Thor had no command, and Wolverine was too gravely, etc. By the time I finished I loved them all. They just grew on me till I couldn't imagine anyone else doing the voices. This game does not do that. None of the voice actors fight the characters. If they had subtitles, I'd turn off the voices. The only one I like is Wolverine, because he's been doing Wolverine sine MUA. They couldn't do that for Spidey and the others from MUA?

Exploding cars are like the balloons from Spider-Man 2. It seems like every other battle I get in there's an exploding car. Unfortunately I'm always two blocks away fighting some goon. By the time I find out there's an exploding car, turn around, and get anywhere near it it's already over and I'm getting 10 black points for it all. Or what's worse is if the exploding car knocks you away and by the time your character gets up you're getting the black points. It's very frustrating if you're trying to be good.

Climbing buildings is annoying. Incredible Hulk was very simple: get near a building, press one button, and you're on it. It doesn't automatically make you jump up nor leap across the street. You just get on. This game uses one button too but it sends you running around the side for some odd reason. Sometimes I get on a building but I end up running in some odd direction. I don't understand why you have to get on and run too. Why not just get on and then some other button lets you to run?

I've been fighting the camera more than I have thugs. Especially on the sides of buildings. There are times when it glitches so bad that I'm either looking straight up or straight down (no in-between) and neither helps whatsoever. I had heard there were camera problems with Spider-Man 3 but I had hoped they would think about that before making this game.

If you bypass the flaws you'll have a wonderful time. At midnight I certainly am. Comic book-gamers should definitely play this. Casual gamers may be put off but should at least rent it. Those who loved Spider-Man 2 will certainly enjoy this. I'll eagerly await a sequel, but hope they learn from their mistakes.

And it's sure not the gameplay. Lets keep this review tidy, I will rate the game on each category:

Voice acting: Spiderman is a whining nerd and horrible to listen to. The other voices were fine Tricie Helfer is charismatic and interesting as Blackcat, and Vulture is spot on correct.

Atmosphere: Terrible, awful, definitely the thing that lets this game down is the terrible atmosphere. Ugh, it's horrible, TRULY HORRIBLE ughhh, usually the atmosphere in Spiderman games is a great one, but for this game it was just not doing it for me, it was depressing and bleak and miserable, in a bad way.

Gameplay: tedious and not enjoyable, Spiderman's fighting is totally messed up and easily the worst spiderman combat ever seen in a video game, why ? Because it's so exaggerated and unrealistic, totally messed up, you can actually stay transfixed in the air by performing Black suit spideys air upper-cut punch attack repeatedly, he will drift across buildings in the air, not falling. The rest of the unrealisticism is too complex and tedious to explain but all you need do is look up the reviews on youtube to see it.

The enemies are not the worst I have seen, but the electro symbiotes are lame, the Robot guys who sound like Gary Chalk when they yell "Awe !!!!" after they get hit are so annoying and the bad enemies really compliments the bad atmosphere of this horrible game.

Story: Bad

Overall, I may not be the most professional of reviewers but I would strongly advise you to avoid this game if you have to choose between this and any other Spidey games. You WILL be disappointed and probably come out of it HATING Spiderman, were as you come out of Shattered Dimensions loving him and liking the whole thing.

This game is just a bad representation of Spiderman and the Spiderman universe, get Shatterd Dimensions, the games of the movies instead. Ultimate Spiderman is better than Spiderman edge of time but I'm not as keen on that one.

when i 1st herd that the new spider-man game was coming out i was exited and nerves because the last game was a little iffy but i am more then happy to say that im very impressed with this game. now having said this im not saying that there are not some flaws and one of them being the voice of the spiderman but later on in the game it may or may not grow on u some others is that it can get repetitive at times so this game is not for gamers that want the next best thing like gears. but if ur a casual gamer like me and a fan of the character like my self then give it a try. The graphics for the characters are in my opinion very well done (i own a 360)the story in my opinion is very very well developed i cant get tired of it and its in 3 parts to but i don't want to say anything. but all in all 9/10.

What can I say? This game was pretty awesome, and different. The plot is very interesting, and it has a much darker tone to it too. It starts off with Spidey in the symbiote invaded New York City, regretting what had happen in the past few days. He tells the story of how it all started, and the choices that you have to make in order to save the city once more from Venom's evil plan to take over it.

The voice talents in this game were okay, but I like the guy who plays as Wolverine in this game. He is what soles the story and the more convincing role too. The voice of Spidey is OK, he just got a little annoying at times, but at least this time he is more funnier at his one-liners. That was great!

And the black suit and red suit choices is pretty cool too. I played through the entire game twice, first time red, second time black. I am playing it for the third time now, and I am getting all of my upgrades, and making random choices that will alter the en ding. I won't spoiler the two endings of the red suit and the black suit storyline, I'll let you see that for yourself, or just search for the videos at Youtube if you want.

This game is dramatic, intense, and fun all the way. You won't believe your eyes until after you play it. It's great for all Spidey fans, or even video gamers who just want to give this one a try. It's totally worth your time, and it'll make you wanting more by the end.

Spider-Man Web of Shadows was the Best Spider-man Game I have Ever played! And I had it on the wii and also the pc. I was so excited and glad I played and beaten the whole game and it was just amazing as well the storyline of the game is really good written. It's about Venom and somehow an invasion spreads all over of New York and it's up to Spider-Man to save the citizens of New York before everything gets even more worse. And you notice that there Fan-Favorite Marvel Heroes in the Game like Luke Cage Wolverine and Moon Knight. And also when finally reached to the End of the game you get to Fight Venom and end this when it got to the part when Brock and parker were trying to grab their hand. I choose the red path Good final choice so Venom sacrifices himself and ends the invasion and all what was going on in New York and then Spidey swings off and the helicarrier explodes and then after a few weeks later things started to go back to normal as always and Mary Jane comes and notice Peter narrating and then they swing off in good old happy ending.