Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this action game is based loosely on the movie of the same name. Players control today's most popular costumed vigilante as he swings through the city and delivers street justice against monsters, gang members, crooked cops, and evil geniuses. The game features plenty of violence with a range of weapons (guns, bombs, fists, whips, throwing stars, etc.), but it is never gory. Players are encouraged to fight for the side of law and order and rescue innocents from criminals.
Families can talk about vigilante justice. Although Spider-Man often helps the police, sometimes he purposely keeps his missions from the police. Is violence more acceptable to players if it is directed at gang members and criminals? Families may also wish to discuss the marketing of video games tied to movies. Would gamers be as interested in a Spider-Man game if it wasn't a companion to a popular movie?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Chris Jozefowicz
Fans who haven't gotten enough of their favorite web-slinging superhero over the past few years on big and small screens have another chance to get pulled into the web with SPIDER-MAN 3, a video game companion to the newest movie. The game's action is occasionally thrilling, but fans don't need spider sense to know that they've seen much of what is offered here before.
Spider-Man 3 follows the famous wall-crawler through the skyscraper canyons of a sprawling virtual Manhattan. While there is some overlap with the movie – fans will see Sandman, the new Green Goblin, and recognize the voices of many of the big-screen actors – movie moments are just small episodes in a larger adventure that includes more crime fighting and supervillains.
As with previous Spider-Man games, much of a player's time in Spider-Man 3 will be spent swinging on webs through the concrete jungle. Spidey's graceful moves, which become more elaborate as players unlock special abilities, are the game's highlight. The vertigo-inducing visuals and controls may take a little while to master, but once gamers get the hang of it, they will be rewarded with the sense of freedom that comes from being able to leap off of 40-story buildings and run along walls.
Unfortunately, when it comes to Spider-Man's crime-fighting activities, much of the grace is lost. Players will find themselves button-mashing their way through dozens of repetitive gang fights scattered around the city. Some have a specific goal, like taking photos of crooked cops, but many amount to nothing more than simple fisticuffs. The fights against supervillains are similar and involve little more than using Spidey's super senses to avoid an attack and then getting in a few counterpunches.
The game also leans heavily on sequences in which players press buttons in time to cues that are displayed on the screen to make Spider-Man swing, dodge, punch, etc., depending on the situation. Such context-dependent controls can be a good way to keep players engaged in what would otherwise be cinematic cut-scenes, but in Spider-Man 3 these sequences are too frequent and require a frustrating amount of repetition and memorization.
Such lack-luster action ultimately drags Spider-Man 3 down. And gamers shouldn't expect slick graphics to make up for the so-so action. Although the cityscape can look beautiful at night or when the sun glints off windows, the wide-open streets are underpopulated and sterile. The game's camera can also cause problems. It often gets stuck in odd positions when Spider-Man is crawling along the edges of buildings, and it can hide enemies off-screen during brawls.
Although the game offers players a beefy 14-hour-plus adventure, there is little new to see after the first four hours or so. Players will surely enjoy swinging gracefully though the large city, but even Spider-Man fans might want to try renting the game before buying.
Superhero games have been done better before, even games featuring Spider-Man. Comic fans might want to check out Marvel: The Ultimate Alliance, in which Spidey and dozens of other heroes battle evil doers in a fun, pulpy comic-book universe. The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction also does a great job of giving players a chance to feel super-powered in a wide-open world.
Platform Notes
Game Boy Advance
The Gameboy Advance version of Spider-Man 3 is, like the DS version, a traditional 2D side-scrolling action game. Spidey\'s jumping, punching, and swinging are easy to control and the simple action (rumbling with bad guys, putting out fires, crawling up walls) is satisfying in short doses. The levels can become repetitive, but hidden power-ups and branching paths encourage exploration. Although the DS version is superior in graphics and controls, the GBA game should please Spider-Man fans looking for gaming on the go.
Nintendo DS
In some ways, the DS\'s version of Spider-Man 3 is the most satisfying of the bunch, although the action is kept to a two-dimensional plane. The DS\'s touch screen is an effective way to control Spidey\'s punching, kicking, and jumping. And the graphics are very good for the small screen.
Nintendo Wii
The Wii version of Spider-Man 3 allows players to flick the Wii remote and the nunchuck to control Spider-Man\'s webslinging with both hands. Of all the versions available, this offers the most satisfying webslinging experience. Too bad the fighting action is even clunkier than in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions. The game is ultimately frustrating to control and graphically ugly.
Reviewed: 07/03/2007
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Sexual ContentA few scantily clad female villains, but nothing offensive. |
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ViolenceLots of fighting with fist, sticks, whips, bombs, guns, etc., but no expicit gore. |
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LanguagePlayers will hear coarse language like "suck," but more offensive words are sometimes bleeped out. |
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Social BehaviorMixed. Spiderman helps take out crooked cops and rescues innocents, but metes out plenty of vigilante violence. |
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CommercialismMost in-game ads are fakes, except for those promoting Activision. |
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