Ultimate Spider-Man

"They've fixed what was broken and polished what wasn't!"

I preordered this game on my birthday back in August, and, being somewhat of a Spider-Man fan, I was so excited when I finally got to pick it up today and pop the disc into the tray. I was alarmed at some of what the people were saying immediately after its release, but once I played, I found it to be one of the most fun experiences ever, easily the best comic book game on the present-generation systems.

Gameplay - 10/10
As the tagline implies, they have taken what was broken in the previous Treyarch game (the combat, the lame random missions). The combat is much more acrobatic for Spiderman, and gone is the ability of low-rank cronies to block every single hit Spidey tosses their way. It is much more fluid. The side missions are also better, with more variety, and even some new things, like the appearance of super-villains (Herman Schultz, if you know the comics you know who he is) in some of the random crimes. They have also polished what was already made well. The webslinging is more streamlined, but it has been reworked in such a way that it looks cool and handles well, as you won't be slamming headlong into buildings any more. They could have easily sold an Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate Venom game seperately, as the difference in style between the two characters is immense. Where Spider-Man is the light, agile webslinger we all know and love, Venom is a two-legged tank. His combat and travel methods are completely different.

Story - 10/10
The storyline is easily one of the best parts of the game, it takes place just after the Venom chunk of the comics and continues on to tell sort of a reunion tale between Spidey and Venom, and also explores the Venom character more. Many staple characters from the Spidey universe, as well as folks from other comics and some brand spanking new guys have made it in.

Graphics/Sound 10/10
Remember that old game Comix Zone and how the comic panels were part of the game? Listen now. 'cause this is really slick. Its like cel-shading, but not. It has that definite comic feel to it, but it doesn't look so incredibly cartoony that you want to laugh. The graphics are amazing, the way people move and interact is fluid. The sound is glorious, as well, from the voice acting to the ambience of the city.

Play Time/Replayability
9/10 The game should take a few days to beat, and isn't overtly long, but the unlockables you get (costumes! woohoo!) are worth playing for, also after the main story is beaten, you can switch between Spiderman and Venom at will, which makes for some good rampages. This coupled with the reworked city side quests will make it so that you never don't have something to do. As for a second play through, some of the boss fights are definitely worth revisiting, and the story is good enough that you shouldn't mind watching the expertly animated cutscenes over and over again.

Final Recommendation - If you liked the last game or are a Spider-Man fan, get it, you'll love it if you can learn to live with the changes (which are in my opinion, better). If you are skeptical, rent it first, then decide.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 09/26/05