ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN
review by Head Cheeze

While the free-swinging, action-packed Spider-Man 2 was released for the other consoles, we PC owners were saddled with the craptastic Spider-Man and Friends; a game so cutesy and tedious that only drooling infants or the severely mentally challenged found any joy in it. So while our platform brethren were slinging webs across Manhattan, PC owners were watching super-deformed versions of Spider-Man and his pals duke it out with all of the action and intensity of an episode of Sesame Street. Activision heard our cries, however, and, with the insanely cool and addictive Ultimate Spider-Man, our prayers for a quality Spidey title on the PC have been answered!

So what’s so ultimate about Ultimate Spider-Man? Well, for starters, it’s based on the comic series of the same name, which has rewritten the origins of Spidey and the characters within his universe, made the wallcrawler a teenager again, and is chockfull of some of the best, most rib-tickling writing this series has seen since Stan Lee himself penned the first issue. The characters were also given a visual facelift, with an anime influenced drawing style, as well as new look for many of Spidey’s old nemesis.

The game features two modes of play that alternate throughout the single player campaign; one featuring Spider-Man, and the other featuring the hulking fan-favourite Venom. Players alternate between controlling each character as the game progresses, eventually squaring off against other faves from the Marvel universe. For example, Venom tears up a biker bar that just happens to be the ornery X-Man Wolverine’s hang-out. Meanwhile, Spidey is confronted with the task of taking out the Rhino as he rampages throughout downtown Queens. Everyone from Kraven the Hunter to the Fantastic Four’s Johnny Storm make an appearance, serving as either end-bosses or characters in various challenges placed around the city in the guises of races (which are an absolute blast once you get the hang of the initially awkward controls) or city events (stopping bad guys, saving lives, etc). All of this is held together by a fantastic original story written by Brian Michael Bendis and with comic book style cut scenes illustrated by Mark Bagley, making for a game that is not only fun to play, but essential to finish as this is the sort of story you want to see brought to its conclusion. However, for those who like to take the scenic route, Ultimate Spider-Man is laid out in such a way that you can spend hours swinging around the city before making your way to a “hot point” to trigger an event in the main storyline, thus allowing you to dictate just how many hours you want this particular gaming experience to last.

The graphics are bright and vivid, with comic book style backgrounds, cell-shaded characters, and smooth, cartoonish animation. While I was a bit disappointed with the non-interactive buildings and generally flat look of the city in general, one has to take into account the enormous map size and the demands it would put on your system were these buildings given any more detail than they’ve gotten. In the end, it all looks like a big comic book, and that is precisely the point.

Character animation is fantastic, with Spider-Man and Venom looking especially cool doing their “signature” moves. While the in-game camera system can make battles with multiple enemies a bit confusing, the enemies you fight en masse rarely do any serious damage and seem to be there more for the sake of accruing points than anything else. The camera can also be locked with the press of a button (B) and we are given a traditional over-the-shoulder view for dispatching the more difficult bosses.

Spidey is outfitted with his usual arsenal of web shooters, fists and witty barbs, while Venom is given the ability to “feed” by devouring the energy of his combatants, whip around tendrils, and pick enemies up by their faces before flinging them into walls. The combat system is fun, fast, and easy, and the excellent sound effects give each blow some serious impact. The sound is actually one of this games finest elements, with a wonderful musical score, loads of great dialogue (I don’t think I’ve ever laughed out loud while playing a videogame, but some of Spidey’s quips are hilarious).

The one major drawback for Ultimate Spider-Man is the lack of a multiplayer option. PC gamers are all about multiplay, and, without the ability to go online and slug it out against other gamers, Ultimate Spider-Man’s replay value is limited to going back into the single player campaign and collecting “tokens” to unlock rewards like covers of issues of the comic book.

Still, Ultimate Spider-Man is a welcome addition to any adventure game fan’s library, and is especially welcome in that it is the first quality Spider-Man title to hit the PC. While the fun may be limited to a single player experience, it’s one hell of an experience just the same.