Long before Batman had the run of Arkham City, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man was the first videogame superhero to roam freely in an open-world version of the city he’d sworn to protect (in 2004’s Spider-Man 2). In The Amazing Spider-Man, a semi-sequel to the recent Spidey film reboot, the webhead triumphantly returns to the streets and skyline of Manhattan after a few less successful, more linear adventures from developer Beenox. The result may be shy of “amazing,” but it’s still Beenox’s best Spidey game yet.
In the game’s predictable though well-written story — set shortly after the conclusion of the movie — Spidey discovers that Oscorp is continuing the same cross-species experimentation that created the villainous Lizard and, subsequently, unwittingly unleashes a dangerous virus upon New York City. To stop its spread, and subdue classic foes like Rhino and Scorpion, you must infiltrate Oscorp headquarters, its disparate research facilities, NYC sewers, and more during story missions. Between levels, you can web-swing around a detailed replica of Manhattan to help the infected, stop petty crimes, take research photographs, and engage in various superheroic challenges. Unlike the aforementioned Spider-Man 2, however, your webs stick to thin air as you swing over buildings and parks — a non-realistic game mechanic we found disappointing.
Spidey is sneakier than he’s been in prior adventures, relying more on quietly picking off gun-toting guards from the ceiling than dodging bullets with hyper-fast reflexes. (Like Batman, this incarnation can’t evade a speeding bullet.) He still has his fluidly animated signature moves, but they’re more methodical. For example, the Web Rush ability, which lets you slow time to a spider-crawl and target an enemy or interactive object before web-zipping into them, emphasizes planned attacks over button-mashing. When surrounded or close to death, you can hit the Web Retreat button to quickly zip off to a dark corner to heal and hide. The downside is that Spidey’s limited stealth options get repetitive quickly.
For the most part, TASM merely refines the formula of prior open-world superhero games with better graphics. Carry civilians to safety? Check. Find comic pages hidden around the city and levels to unlock full comic books in the menu? Check. Unlock new costumes by discovering hidden logos? Check. Boss battle against a skyscraper-tall spider-slayer? Okay, maybe this is a job for Spider-Man….
PUBLISHER: Activision • DEVELOPER: Beenox • ESRB: Teen • MULTIPLAYER: None • ACHIEVEMENTS: Easy • COST: $60
+ Swinging around Manhattan is a rush of pure awesome.
+ A mixture of stealth and action puts a new spin on Spidey’s web-slinging.
- Stealth gameplay becomes repetitive; storyline is predictable.
? Except for Black Cat, where are the rest of Spider-Man’s amazing friends?
