Review: Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions

I have a bit of a confession to make. I am not a comic book junkie. I have no desire to make weekly visits to the comic book store or get dressed up in tights and waltz around Comic-Con. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the occasional superhero movie or game based on a comic book. It’s just too bad we don’t see quality examples of either too often. But every once in a while we do see a shining example of what can be done if producers put their minds to it.

Take Batman Arkham Asylum, for example. It was probably the best Batman game we’ve seen in years. Iron Man 2? Not so much. Then along comes Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions. This ambitious title not only follows the storyline of The Amazing Spider-Man, but also Spider-Man in three other parallel dimensions. It’s a lot for any developer to take on. Did Beenox bite off more than it can chew?

The Story

Mysterio has managed to get his hands on the “Tablet of Order and Choas”. Just as he’s about to make off with it, Spider-Man appears to teach Mysterio a lesson. But when Spidey attempts to deliver a blow to the supervillian, Mysterio holds up the tablet. Spider-Man smashes it into a dozen pieces hurling the Marvel world into choas. To bring order back to the world, Madame Web calls upon not only Spider-Man, but the Spider-Men of three other dimensions to help bring back the scattered pieces of the Tablet.

The Gameplay

The game is broken down into acts, with 4 levels in each act. Each level will have you take control of one of the Spider-Men to try and track down a fragment of the tablet in their dimension.

The game is essentially a button masher with some special moves thrown in to spice it up. Each of the 4 Spider-Men have their own unique abilities which change the dynamics of each level. The Amazing Spider-Man levels are bright and colourful and give us traditional Spider-Man moves we all know and love.

Noir Spider-Man levels focus on stealth. Spidey sneaks in and out of shadows relying more on stealthy takedowns rather than full on combat. It feels so good to sneak up on an enemy from above, grab him with your web and hang him from a lamp post without anyone noticing what you’re up to!

Ultimate Spider-Man makes us of Spidey’s symbiote suit to devastate enemies, while Spider-Man 2099 gives our web slinging hero impressive speed and aerobatic techniques. It’s a fun mix which keeps levels feeling fresh!

Speaking of levels: they are long! You’ll spend about 45 minutes in each one making your way to the supervillian at the end. And that’s if you’re whipping through the game. Each level has a series of optional challenges to complete which also take time. Some levels require you to finish off your enemies with certain techniques, others will have you hunting down hidden spiders. Complete these achievements and you’ll earn points which can be used to “purchase” new moves, bonus costumes and concept art work. Try and complete these extra challenges and the levels can take far longer.

Thankfully you get help along the way. You can activate your Spidey Sense at any time to help you see where your enemies are and keep an eye on your goal. Your Spidey Sense also shows where hidden items are located. It comes in handy and believe me when I say you’ll be using it quite often.

Each of the levels are very unique and the boss fights that accompany them are some of the best we’ve seen in any superhero game. You’ll come across some familiar names such as Juggernaut, Deadpool, Electro, and Carnage. You’ll also see some new versions of characters not seen before in a particular universe, such as Hobgoblin 2099, and Hammerhead Noir. During the fights, the action will sometimes switch to first person, where you enter a fistfight stance. Here you’ll use the analog stick to move Spidey’s hands to either punch or block. A nice way to mix up the fights giving a bit more realism to the game.

The Graphics and Music

Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions looks incredible. The entire game has a cell shaded comic feel with some impressive cinematic cut scenes. The supervillians look amazing as does Spider-Man and his special attacks. It’s cool to see Spider-Man’s web turn into giant hammers, or to watch as he entangles his enemies. If you thought Batman Arkham Asylum looked good, just wait until you see Spider-man Shattered Dimensions.

While the game is impressively visually, we can’t forget about the voice acting. One word. Superb! Neil Patrick Harris who voiced our web slinging friend in Spider-Man: The New Animated Series reprises his role in the main universe. The other three Spider-Men are also voiced by individuals who were cast in other Spider-Man cartoons of the past. And let’s not forget Stan Lee who narrates the story from beginning to end. The dialogue is some of the best I’ve ever seen, not only entertaining but at some points laugh out loud funny. I guess it helps the entire story was penned by Amazing Spider-Man writer Dan Slott.

The Downsides

It’s disappointing to see an amazing game like Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions bogged down by a cruddy camera. For the most part the cameras works quite well, until you get to the important boss battles. The supervillians move quickly and often leave the screen to attack you from behind. With no way to lock onto the bosses you’re constantly searching around to see where they went. Sometimes it’s quite difficult to get them back in your sight before you get attacked.

The Bottom Line

Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions is an absolute joy from beginning to end. The characters, both good and bad, are brought to life thanks to an amazing story and some superb voice acting. The game’s levels are diverse and fun to play, which is key in a superhero game. Long levels with high a re-playability factor make this title that much more enjoyable. Finally we have a Spider-Man game not just for the fanboys and fangirls. Our Spidey Senses are tingling, Beenox and Activision have a winner on their hands.

The Good

Beautiful cell shaded graphics
Amazing voice acting
Unique level design
High re-playability

The Bad

Camera gets in the way during boss battles