Review: Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions

Spider-Man is an IP that has had it's fair share of ups and downs in both film and video games.    When it was revealed that Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions, a game spanning four parallel universes would be coming to next generation consoles, I was pumped.  When I discovered that the game would be a linear action game from Beenox, the studio who brought us hits like "The Bee Movie Game,"  my hopes were smashed. Does Shattered Dimensions deliver the Arkham Asylum quality experience that I have been waiting for in a Spider-Man game? While the answer is most definitely no, there is mindless fun to be had and enough fan service to mask the glaring faults plaguing the game's design.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS)
Developer: Beenox
Publisher: Activision
Released: September 7, 2010

Playing as four different Spider-men and facing off against new variations of established and classic Spider-man villains is a fairly bold concept to start out with. Entrusting something like this to a studio with so little "street-cred" is a risky move but unfortunately expected from a powerhouse publisher like Activision. When the details began to trickle out, It started to seem like Beenox had stripped out some of the most important aspects of what makes Spider-Man games so awesome. Shattered Dimensions is not an open world sandbox game. There is no swinging through the city and engaging in intense aerial battles. You might ask yourself what the point is then. To answer your question, Beenox has taken what the other games didn't do so well and improved those aspects considerably, almost to the point that it is eventually possible to forget that certain mechanics are missing entirely.

While previous games in the series, save Ultimate Spider-man, have relied almost entirely on an addicting swinging mechanic to keep players interested, Beenox has attempted to vary the gameplay by allowing players to play as 4 different Spider-men (Amazing, Ultimate, 2099, and Noir). Instead of an open world city, the game is structured into levels focused on a single villain that Spider-man must track down and defeat in battle. While the premise is rather predictable and ultimately makes the plot unspectacular, the levels are visually interesting and varied enough to keep things moving along. The cast of villains is well chosen and it is always fun to see how the villains differ in their respective universes. For instance, fighting a female Doctor Ocotopus in the year 2099 or the Goblin in the 1930's make for some really interesting and diverse moments in the game. Unfortunately it always boils down to a rather simple formula: chase down the bad guy, hit him a lot, chase him again as he runs away, rinse, repeat. While the levels themselves are visually interesting and there are some great set piece battles, they almost always end on a rather anti-climactic note. Am I the only one who gets bummed out when a seemingly epic battle ends with a bad guy passing out after being punched in the face? Where are the crazy acrobatic kicks and stylish finishing animations? Not here.

Going back to what I said before. Shattered Dimensions takes the unsuccessful elements of previous Spider-Man games (Ultimate Spider-Man not included because that game was considerably better), namely the static animations, ugly presentation, annoying voice acting and turns the dials up on them considerably. Most levels are beautifully rendered and really do a good job of drawing on the tone and feel of their respective comic book universes. The story unfolds in a fairly cinematic fashion and the voice acting is bearable despite a few painfully bad lines of dialogue and the games propensity to shotgun off a single line of dialogue in mid battle multiple times. Character progression is handled in the form of an intricate web of challenges that earn the player points that can be spent on upgrades and new combat maneuvers. Luckily, this addition makes the game feel a bit deeper and more rewarding for players. Where I think a lot of people are going to be split is with the choice to include first person battle sequences. Playing out like basic quick time events, the player must use the analog sticks to wrestle and deliver the final blows during boss fights. These sequences create a neat affect and are actually quite cinematic when handled right but unfortunately, they are too often predictable and repetitive. When used to simulate the feeling of being knocked through the air by the Juggernaut, it works; when repeatedly punching the vulture in the face, it doesn't.

On a high note, it is worth mentioning that the Noir and Ultimate universes are ultra stylized and beautiful, making them the backdrop for some of the most memorable moments in the game. As I was playing, I couldn't stop thinking about how badly I wanted a current gen sequel to 2005's ultimate Spider-man since the art style from the original game makes a come back in gorgeous HD. In addition, the stylized look of the Noir universe opens the doors for a game with potential of it's own. If handled by the right developer, the visual style and gameplay of Spider-Man Noir would make for a wonderful and fresh take on Spider-Man games. The stealth based gameplay is incredibly flawed here but with a little polish and a competent camera, this could really be fleshed out into something really great.

Unfortunately, where Shattered Dimensions stumbles is in the execution of the swinging mechanic. That's right, the most beloved aspect of past games in the series is nowhere near as fluid and satisfying. The feeling of running along the walls of buildings and then leaping into the air is completely missing. Instead, I found myself frustrated by an awkward pause between swings that made smoothly traversing the environments incredibly difficult. When coupled with the hideous camera, the fun in the game is often limited to basic button mashing combat and the occasional stealth or free fall sequence. With filler content like this, it's easy to see how much missed potential this game truly had.

Ultimately, "Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions," tries a bevy of different approaches to the typical Spider-man formula only to fall just short of mediocrity. While the stylistic choices and aesthetic are often fun to look at, the gameplay just doesn't quite cut it. In the end, I think Beenox did a better job than I was expecting and I certainly applaud them for trying to change things up a bit. Unfortunately, this is not the Arkham Asylum of the Spidey-verse and I suspect it will be a long time before this IP truly finds it's footing in gaming. However, one thing that can be said is that Beenox has certainly opened the door for any one of these universes to be explored in their own stand alone title. Now let's hope that if any of those games come to fruition, a proven, slightly more experienced developer will be at the helm.

Score: 65

(60-69%: Good - You’ll find some serious or distracting issues)