Spider-Man 3

"Not bad...but not good either..."

Just in time for the movie release, Spiderman 3 finally hits the shelves. Due to the next-gen consoles on the market, people were expecting a huge graphical and gameplay leap. What we got was pretty much last-gen visuals with better lighting. Don't get me wrong, this game does have its moments, but the disappointments greatly outweigh the fulfillments in many areas.

The story of Spiderman 3 basically follows the storyline of the movie, but with many side plots, some that are required to progress the main storyline. There are about 10 different storylines that include classic villains like the scorpion, Rhino, the Lizard, and many others. There's no real plotline here, and the plotlines feel detached and as though they are trying to fit loosely into the movie plot.

Graphics- 6/10
This is the biggest disappointment of the game. The graphics in this game are disappointing and poor and don't stack up to the expectations very well. The character models look hideous, the special effects are nothing special to look at, and the framerate dosen't hold up very well on any version. On a more positive note, the lighting is very good and makes the city look great, and gives off a more realistic feel. Overall though, the graphics are all right but nothing special.

Sound- 7/10
The sound is ok but nothing special. Pretty much all the actors from the movie are here except Kirsten Dunst. The acting is very lackluster as none of the actors sound like they're really into it. The only one who does is JK Simmons. His voice acting is very good. As for the soundtrack, it's ok but only has a few songs to it. Furthermore, the sound effects are ok, and overall, the sound is just painfully average.

Gameplay- 6/10
Personally, I'm not even sure what to make of this. The gameplay does have its moments but there just aren't enough of them.

For the good elements, there are plenty of new combos to learn and players no longer need to buy combos as they are gradually unlocked. There's plenty of crime fighting to do, and the huge amount of plotlines can keep players busy for quite a while. There's a huge city to explore and plenty of extras to find. Swinging through New York is just as much fun as it's always been and the swinging mechanics are very good. The end-game reward is also very cool.

On the other half though, the combat is very frustrating. There's an option known as the “dodge” move which involves holding down a button and pressing another button for a counter attack. Almost all the combat relies very heavily on this, making the combat very frustrating. The camera also gets in the way often and there's no way to rotate the camera either.

At best, Spiderman 3 is an OK fighting game with some issues. At worst, it's just another cheap license knockoff that was rushed out the door once again.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 07/09/07