Spiderman 2

Publisher: Activision

Rated: Teen (T)

About Spiderman 2

Spiderman 2 is a one-player action/adventure game based on the blockbuster movie. In the game uou help people in danger, swing through the city of New York with your web, and fight the forces of evil using your spider abilities. Battle the evil Dr. Octopus, Rhino and Mysterio and earn your reputation as the infamous Spiderman.

Playing Spiderman 2

Gameplay is divided into chapters, each one with a set of objectives for Spiderman to complete. As you complete tasks, you earn “hero points” that can be used to purchase new combos and abilities. The most enjoyable part of Spiderman 2 is the ability to swing freely through the city using his web. You can climb buildings, trap foes, and dodge danger with your fast spider reflexes. Spiderman 2 allows you to explore through the city without a time limit, but you are not allowed to proceed to the next chapter until a certain number of tasks are completed.

Replayability/Length of Game

This game only has one difficulty level, and once you beat the game there's really no reason to come back. Spiderman 2 offers a few challenge/timed scenarios but nothing too earth shattering. Once the novelty of swinging through the city with your spider web wears off, the excitement dwindles. There is also a lot of repetition with many of the tasks in the game. Many of the foes you will fight are not that difficult to beat: just use your web to bind them and and punch away. However, the major opponents (Dr. Octopus, Rhino and Mysterio) do provide an interesting challenge, and you go into some cool places while tracking them down. Overall, this game is not very challenging. Spiderman 2 is a good rental but probably not worthy enough to purchase for replayability.

Graphics/Audio

The graphics in Spiderman 2 are very crisp. The city of New York, Spiderman and your major foes look great. The voices and appearances of the actors from the movie are used, which is a nice touch. Also, Spiderman 2 has movie sequences at the end of every level and when you encounter major foes. They look a little cheesy, but the voiceovers are great. The only gripe is that the regular characters you will encounter on the streets look very flat and have little expression.

As for sound, the dialog sequences are pretty good. There is little background music, so when you're not on a particular task all is quiet except ambient noises and Spiderman's footsteps.

Instructions/Manuals

The instruction manual for Spiderman 2 is quite useful. It gives you information on all Spiderman’s major moves, how to adjust some game options, and gives you some hints on gameplay. There is also a narrator that attempts to help you throughout the game. He will occasionally make sarcastic remarks if you do something wrong or wait around too long.

Summary

Spiderman 2 is a one-player, action-adventure game based on the blockbuster movie. It allows you to explore the city of New York freely, swinging with your web and climbing buildings. Fight Dr. Octopus, Rhino and Mysterio. Earn “hero points” and buy new abilities and skills. Play bonus challenge/timed scenarios. Spiderman 2 makes a great rental, but it doesn't have enough replaybility to take it home as a purchase.