Spiderman 3 - The Game

[Romier S]

Gamespot have a preview up for the upcoming Spiderman 3 videogame. Treyarch is once again at the helm here. The article goes over some of the gameplay enhancements. It also features a full trailer and some screenshots. I've posted the link below along with some screens:

 

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/spiderman3/news.html?sid=6166026&om_act=convert&om_clk=newlyadded

 

In keeping with its more ominous look and origins, the black suit will offer more aggressive ways to deal with crime. Though you'll essentially be able to perform the same set of moves you can perform in your red duds, they're considerably more powered up. As a result, a basic red-suit move like lassoing and spinning around an enemy with your web is pumped up and now grabs several enemies and causes more damage. One key difference is the suit's rage meter, which replaces the red outfit's super meter. The black suit's rage meter will fill as you're hit and perform combos, or when you manually pump the controller's shoulder buttons. Once your meter is full, you'll be supercharged and do massive amounts of damage.

 

The spider reflex also works slightly differently when you're in the black suit, as you'll move faster while enemies move at a normal pace, letting you do even more damage. Spidey's spider sense is implemented in a new way in Spider-Man 3. Rather than working in tandem with the spider-reflex mechanic, you'll use the ability to track enemies. By using a shoulder button, you'll shift your view and see enemies as bright-red forms against a grey-hued world. Spider-Man 3 will also feature interactive sequences a la God of War dubbed "cineractives," which will prompt you for controller motions. The interactive cinemas keep you in the game while moving the story along and seem to be a good fit from what we've seen.

 

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Both the screenshots and the trailer SCREAM early and unpolished at this point. I'm awfully cynical about the games outlook considering Spiderman 2 was disappointing IMO (once you were done oogling the webslinging the game fell apart). They have about three months time before the game releases to polish things up.

[foogledricks]

Is this only for the PS3 considering the owner of the property? Also, I'm concerned this being tied so closely to the movie. It means decisions about the content are limited and restricted which serves no purpose other than to tie it to the movie rather than make a good game. Ultimate Spiderman was supposed to be a pretty good game. Perhaps this game will be OK and there will be another Ultimate game coming next year?

[dogbert]

Is this only for the PS3 considering the owner of the property?

 

No, because it's currently licenced to Activision in a longterm deal for the gaming rights. It'll be on every platform under the sun (bar the NGage).

[Romier S]

Also, I'm concerned this being tied so closely to the movie. It means decisions about the content are limited and restricted which serves no purpose other than to tie it to the movie rather than make a good game.

Which I wouldn't be terribly worried about since the report in question confirms the addition of multiple villains outside of those in the film (Scorpion being one of them). The structure will be similiar to the films, but Treyarch has never spent much time trying to duplicate the film experience. More than anything they look to build on that basic structure.

[marsrunner]

I'm awfully cynical about the games outlook considering Spiderman 2 was a disappointing IMO (once you were done oogling the webslinging the game fell apart).

Wow, don't usually disagree with you on games, but if Spider-Man 3 is half the game Spider-Man 2 was we'll definitely have a winner on our hands. Spider-Man 2 was a very fun game full of stuff to do, and like Grand Theft Auto you could stop doing the missions any time you wanted and blow off steam. Heck, I must have climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and swan-dived off the top a hundred times. Definitely a fun game and I'm glad to hear that Treyarch is developing.

[Romier S]

Spider-Man 2 was a very fun game full of stuff to do, and like Grand Theft Auto you could stop doing the missions any time you wanted and blow off steam. Heck, I must have climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and swan-dived off the top a hundred times. Definitely a fun game and I'm glad to hear that Treyarch is developing.

I don't find it to be a terrible game. However, all of the "fun stuff" you mentioned including all of the menial tasks to do around the city bored me to tears. The core gameplay to drive the interest wasn't there. The main missions were pretty decent but then you had to work up so many points to get to them that I just didn't want to even bother continuing through stopping this dull crime or going through that dull fight.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure plenty of folks out there enjoyed it and that's perfectly fine. I can only speak for my experience with the game. I felt that The Incredible Hulk Ultimate Destruction took a very similiar style of gameplay and did a far better job of making it a more consistent, varied and enjoyable experience. To each thier own in that regard;). I do hope Spiderman 3 can succeed where its predecessor failed for me.

[Paul]

I felt that The Incredible Hulk Ultimate Destruction took a very similiar style of gameplay and did a far better job of making it a more consistent, varied and enjoyable experience.

 

Agree completely.

 

The core mechanics in Spiderman is good, they just need more variety in the gameplay, especially with the side missions.

[Angry the Clown]

I...all of the "fun stuff" you mentioned including all of the menial tasks to do around the city bored me to tears. The core gameplay to drive the interest wasn't there. The main missions were pretty decent but then you had to work up so many points to get to them that I just didn't want to even bother continuing through stopping this dull crime or going through that dull fight.

 

I actually consider the Spider-Man 2 game to be one of the worst gaming purchases I've made in recent years, despite getting it cheap, for pretty much all the above reasons.

[foogledricks]

What about Ultimate Spiderman, anyone play that one? Was it better? Same developer, right? Same series? Just a different look. SHouldn't we be jumping off of that as a basis for guessing what this will be like.

[EnemaEms]

I loved Ultimate Spider-Man. My favorite of the Spidey series. I want a sequel to that more than I want Spider-Man 3.

 

-Dean-

[foogledricks]

I loved Ultimate Spider-Man. My favorite of the Spidey series. I want a sequel to that more than I want Spider-Man 3.

 

-Dean-

I bet that's the plan. They'll alternate years. I've sat on the sidelines watching this game over the years hoping it would get awesome. Hopefully that will happen soon.

[dienekes96]

I actually liked SM2 quite a bit...even though I agree with the criticisms. The webslinging was something I'd always wanted to do, and SM2 implemented it very well. I loved (and still love) the races. I agree the crook beatdowns got old, but the boss fights were pretty fun.

 

But I like it just for the basic webslinging mechanics. I'll plan on getting SM3.

[Adam Tyner]

What about Ultimate Spiderman, anyone play that one? Was it better?

In some ways, but you're still saddled with completing scores of repetitive tasks, and to pad out the length of a ridiculously short game, actually finding anything to do can be a chore. I've seen posts on some boards that people were zipping through USM in 4 hours. Took me 6.5, and I'm not exactly legendary for playing through games quickly.

 

If Treyarch were to combine the web slinging mechanics of Spidey 2 with the stripped-down combat of USM, keeping the free-roaming of both games in place but actually bothering to fill the city with a large variety of tasks, I'd be game for Spidey 3. It sounds from Gamespot's preview that the game's moving in that direction.

[Romier S]

The Playstation 3 version of Spiderman 3 will be getting some exclusive content:

 

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/766/766675p1.html

 

Scheduled for a simultaneous release with the regular version of Spider-Man 3 in early May, Spider-Man 3 Collector's Edition will add a number of bonus features not available on other platforms. Webisodes from the Spidey 3 movie, an exclusive interview with producer Avi Arad, and behind the scenes talks with Tobey Maguire, Topher Grace, Thomas Haden Church, James Franco, JK Simmons, and Bruce Campbell are also included. Players will even be able to access special Spider-Man 3 trailers and a couple of other undisclosed goodies.

 

But that's not the best part.

 

No true believers, the best and most interesting addition to the PS3 Collector's Edition is the ability to play as a completely different character, the "New Goblin." Using a unique locomotion system that's entirely controllable with the Sixaxis gamepad, the New Goblin will be able to zip through the city streets and between skyscrapers and other buildings at super-high speeds.

 

Activision wouldn't elaborate much further than that, other than to say that New Goblin will have access to 10 exclusive race challenges and the ability to participate in every "Crime Event" in the city -- allowing him to use his pumpkin bombs against all three city gangs and a multitude of other plot-driven enemies.

 

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[EnemaEms]

That is a huge exclusive. Something like that should work well with the SixAxis.

 

-Dean-

[Angry the Clown]

Eurogamer have a preview:

 

...they've taken onboard a lot of feedback about the second game. That means no more racing to deliver pizzas hot and intact for an employee of the month award, and no more rescuing floating balloons. You're a superhero and you're going to feel like one. When you decide you're up for a bit of city-saving you can progress through one of the ten storylines that have you facing off against lots of villains that both appear in the third film (Sandman) and don't (Scorpion). Alternatively you can go to work on one of the three big gangs in the city, the thuggish and stereotypical Apocalypse Punks, the kung-fu wall-running Dragon Tail or the sinister Goth girls of Arsenic Candy. Street crime is rampant. If you're easily distracted or do your good deeds with a dash of obsessive compulsiveness, you'll have your hands not so much full but overflowing.

 

With this more action-heavy direction, it makes sense that Treyarch has done some thinking as to how to spice up the slightly limp-wristed combat. Rather than aim for a polished and intelligent fighting system (which could potentially flop, after all) with Spider-Man 3 it's going for something more superficial but just as fun. You'll have a huge range of entertaining abilities, a lot of which involve some cool aerial acrobatics using your web.

 

...the quick time events are the biggest addition. To avoid monotony in a game where the whole city's your playground from the moment you pick up your pad, these "movie moments" act as little interactive cutscenes of the same kind we've seen in Shenmue and Resi 4 with the distinction that they're sometimes put right in the middle of the action. A fight against Sandman we saw in a subway tunnel had Spider-Man grinding Sandman's head to dust on passing trains, and later a chase through city streets was punctuated by him doing some trademark slo-mo flips out of the way of thrown cars. Some of these sequences are repeated until you get them right, some have the game carry on after failure and some appear as little context-sensitive moves like God of War's fatalities, but they all feature kinda gorgeous motion captured animation.

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=74130

 

It sounds rather encouraging.

[Romier S]

I've been keeping up with Spiderman 3 over the past month or so and the previews have been quite positive for it. The PC version has been leaked as well which has led to a ton of impressions are out there for the game. Most have been great noting the game has a good deal more variety, the combat feels solid, and the web-slinging is straight out of Spiderman 2. The only negatives have been some terrible performance for the PC version of the game which more than likely won't affect the console versions as well as some a really iffy camera.

 

I think I'll probably end up getting the Playstation 3 Collector's Edition on Friday (though I'm curious to see whether the 360/PS3 versions are identical in terms of performance before making a final decision).

 

For those interested, here's an excellent launch trailer for the game over at Gametrailers:

 

http://www.gametrailers.com/downloadnew.php?id=19028

[foogledricks]

That trailer looks frick'n awesome. Not sure if it got me more excited for the game or the movie. Maybe its time for gamefly. Also, at the end of the trailer, when they show the ad, the box art clearly is for the PS3. And on the right, the Wii is the greatest emphasis. I had to freeze frame it and look it over to confirm that it was coming out for the 360 at all. The PS2 and 360 logos are total afterthoughts. Just an observation.

[Romier S]

Picked up my Playstation 3 Collector's Edition version of the game today. I'll be jumping on to play as soon as I possibly can.:tu

[fighting fish]

HURRY, Romier! I'm waiting to hear some impressions before I bite on this.

[Chris F]

The IGN.com review is up.

 

Their score? 6/10

 

Before you grab your pitchforks, light your torches and head toward my office, Spider-Man fans need to know that I'm one of them. I'm going to the midnight showing of Spider-Man 3. I played Spider-Man 2 like mad and loved it. I'm not some jerkstore reviewer who doesn't get what a Spider-Man game is supposed to be.

 

If you're desperate for a Spider-Man game, this one fills your need for webs, but other than nailing what web-swinging should feel like, this game is a bust. We were promised a Spidey experience that was next-gen and expanded on everything Spider-Man 2 did right, but we were given a buggy game that's just Spider-Man 2: Special Edition. Combat is brainless button-mashing, the bosses are frustrating and cheap, the visuals are far from spectacular, and although the random crimes aren't the same events over and over, they definitely reuse the same ideas.

 

The review for the PS3 SE version scores the same, and mentions the following about the extras:

 

The eight interviews are probably what you'd expect from movie stars trying to talk about games, but Harry Osborne, the New Goblin, is where they hurt you. Once you unlock Harry, it seems like you're in for a treat. The SIXAXIS controls are responsive and move his hoverboard, while the glider's afterburner gives you some serious speed around the city, but when you check out the "missions" screen, it all goes to hell. As New Goblin, you can only participate in races, there are no Harry-specific tasks, and while you could zip around the city fighting the random crimes that pop up with your pumpkin bombs and sword, you'd have to sit through the indignity of trying to inch the glider close to the bad guys and listening to folks call you Spidey.

[Dave C]

HURRY, Romier! I'm waiting to hear some impressions before I bite on this.

 

Yeah, I haven't heard much in terms of reviews. This might be due to the movie tie-in and related content or it was rushed to meet the theatrical release deadline. If it improves on spidey 2, I may bite.

[Chris F]

Eurogamer review is up as well.

 

Their score: 6/10

 

But these contrasting feelings of thrilling excitement are nearly always compounded by rank disappointment elsewhere. If only Treyarch had polished the game properly, we could have been reflecting on one of the best superhero games ever - and if you were to cut together a movie of the best bits you'd almost certainly want to buy it on the strength of that. As it stands, the total lack of consistency in what the game offers in terms of entertainment gives it the whiff of a game produced under pressure, and one developed around an unrealistic deadline so it could come out day and date with the movie. Whatever the truth of the situation of Spider-Man 3, here we are, yet again, complaining ruefully about 'missed opportunities', 'a lack of consistency' and 'unfulfilled potential'. For something as thrilling yet as disappointing as this, perhaps a rental's the smartest plan.

[dogbert]

Yeah, I haven't heard much in terms of reviews. This might be due to the movie tie-in and related content or it was rushed to meet the theatrical release deadline. If it improves on spidey 2, I may bite.

 

It's the movie-tie in. All reviews are embargoed till today, and even then, journalists are under NDA so they don't reveal certain story elements in their game reviews.

[Angry the Clown]

Ignore me as usual. Chris beat me to it with the Eurogamer link.

 

Nothing to see here. Don't bother reading, especially you, Romier, so I can write this without you ever knowing:

 

.... Romier is a chump

 

You're none the wiser because you never read this post.