The Amazing Spider-Man Review
Game Emblems
The Good
The Bad
The Amazing Spider-Man is a fun and funny romp through a big, colorful city.
That same button, when used on a guard, a robot, or some other meanie, has you rushing in to initiate combat. The influence of Batman: Arkham City is keenly felt when you bash on baddies, though Spidey's game isn't as fluid as Batman's. Nevertheless, the basics are similar: you tap attack buttons to pound on your foes, and when the right visual prompt appears, you press the dodge button to somersault out of the way. And like Bats, Spidey is particularly vulnerable to bullets, though you have a one-button escape move that allows you to quickly flee danger. You can even web-grab objects like vending machines and dumpsters and smash them on the ground, stunning nearby foes and allowing you to easily blanket them with webbing.
The similarities to that other superhero game are obvious in sections that encourage stealth. You can hover above an enemy or slink from behind and perform a sneak attack. Dropping from a beam, tapping a guard's shoulder, and then wrapping him up and sticking him to the ceiling is a hoot. The AI is mechanical, and not too keen--it's usually simple to zip out of danger and resume your predation.
The guards aren't imbeciles, though, and shine their flashlights about when they are aware of your presence, potentially giving you away if a beam lands on you. Another great touch: you aren't limited to roosting in predetermined areas. Though you can't necessarily stick to every surface, you can usually flit to the wall right over your target's head and wrap him up from there. It's a nice, flexible system.
These gameplay basics are fine, but the interior missions are much less compelling than events that occur in the open city. A lengthy section toward the end of the game is even more limiting than many of the missions that come before, losing most of the fun in favor of providing narrative tension. But even before this, avoiding alarm lasers and acid puddles isn't as enjoyable as most aboveground missions, and there are few opportunities to swing with abandon. While the combat is entertaining enough to watch, it is entirely too easy most of the time. There's a simple upgrade system in place in which you spend experience points on new moves and other improvements. But there's no real sense that you are getting more powerful. Battles are easy from beginning to end, and never feel radically different or require more finesse just because you level up your skills.
That's even true of most of the boss fights, which rarely require more than a single attempt. Fighting half-man, half-beast abominations isn't that compelling due to the ease of combat. Robot battles in the streets of Manhattan, on the other hand, make up for their lack of challenge with an incredible sense of speed and the illusion of public danger. Imagine any given scene in a superhero movie in which the superstar faces a menacing rival in the midst of a bustling metropolis. The Amazing Spider-Man deftly re-creates that brand of visual rush when you race after marauding machines and glide about gigantic automatons. The skill required often comes down to hitting the right button when prompted, but when the excellent movement mechanics collide with the urgency of a boss battle, the game is explosive.
Such moments are the exception rather than the rule in The Amazing Spider-Man. The game spends too much time in drab drains and boring science facilities, where its best assets are sidelined in favor of easy combat scenarios. But when developer Beenox gives Spidey room to soar, you get caught up in the pure elation of swinging through a spirited city, where helicopters hover overhead and well-wishers call out to you in the streets. And that elation is the best reason to don the suit once more and remind yourself that with great power comes good fun.
By
Kevin VanOrd, Senior Editor
Kevin VanOrd is a lifelong RPG lover and violin player. When he isn't busy building PCs and composing symphonies, he watches American Dad reruns with his fat cat, Ollie.
24 comments
I think I might get this one. I always enjoyed the open world spidey games, except for Spiderman 3. That game well, was not very enjoyable.
Movie rate it amazing, Game rate it amazing, its just amazing, love it since web of shadows, spider-man makes up for a really great game, also talking about the stunning movie, all i ask is tht actionvision keep up the good and awesome work they developed, īcause itīs truly something you can just forget
2 Like @Bgamer221 I'm sure that you had a point in the middle of all that incomprehensible gibberish.
Very high review for a movie spin off IP. Most get 4's and lower. Might be worth looking into
I like Batman, but Spiderman takes the cake, is more fun in my opinion. Batman 8 Spiderman 9.
6 Like Well Spiderman's outfit/graphics are the best i've scene. His head tracks the camera and the view is up close behind him, your along for the ride... Spiderman sticks to walls good but he has such great agility that you'll rarely stay put for long, but even if you do just perch and contemplate or just take a break Spiderman feels like Spiderman even standing still... It's really cool after swinging through the sky to set down in one place, knowing you can take to the skies at any moment and be soaring through the air... Spiderman really feels like a Giant/Human Spider! Contrary to the reviewer when Spiderman is on a ceiling or wall crawling it feels just right the way the camera view gets inverted, you have to get used to "Being Spiderman" It get's natural after a while. If the companies can keep making Superhero games like Spiderman and Batman they have the formula down i think...
Oh and the Web Rush ability really does improve on Spiderman, this goes well with his Spider Sense and seems like a really hard concept to finally realize, it's really good. It's kind of like taking one of Superman's most useless powers like Super Hearing or X-Ray Vision and figuring out how to make them an essential factor of the game.
I give this game an 8.5 because there are a few problems in my opinion. One main problem is that there's absolutely nothing to do after you beat the game. I'd love it to death if you could have random crimes pop up when you finish the game. I love swinging around, but that would get boring extremely fast without a purpose. But the other problem is only in my opinion and has nothing to do with what the game didn't deliver, as it wasn't a purpose of this particular game, and that's the fact that I love being able to choose between being good and evil. But if they continue with this series and happen to add Venom in the next game, and let you choose to put on the black suit, I would buy the game in an instant. Until then, this game was a really good rent. :D
1 Like Huge gap between the review of GS and the players reviews. Wonder if this game is as good as players say it is. I'll be picking it up either way.
1 Like Not a Spider-Man fan, but I love the look of the web swinging and I love open world games, so I'm in.
That's a fair review. Personally I'd give it an 8 or 8.5 simply because it's just great fun to be Spider-Man again in a good open world setting. Great job Beenox.
The reviews are always fair when is someone else doing the review. But Tom McShea just doesnīt care about the games, and stupidly rates them bad. Donīt trust on that ignorant, people!
Another great review, exactly the review I'd have given if I were blessed with the appropriate skill.
While I whole heartedly agree with the score, I just wanted to point out that Beenox shines best with Spidey indoors than outdoors. Hence why there are even any indoor missions in the first place. If they didnt include any indoor missions, this game would have blown. The city isnt really alive. I feel like im soaring above empty streets instead of a bustling city.
1 Like Am surprised. The game is out today and you've already come up with a REVIEW. Big up to GAMESPOT editor, Kev. you've made my day. I've come to love Spiderman games since I first played the game from the first movie. :-D
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The Amazing Spider-Man
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- Publisher(s): Activision
- Developer(s): Beenox
- Genre: Action
- Release:
- PEGI: 16+
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