Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

Game review by Brett Molina, Common Sense Media
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 13+

High-flying action that grows repetitive quickly.

PlayStation 3, PSP, Nintendo Wii, Windows, Mac, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo 64 2008
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Parents say

age 10+

Based on 4 reviews

Kids say

age 11+

Based on 19 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this game.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that combat plays a prominent role in Spider-Man's latest adventure. Most of the game is spent punching, kicking, and hurling enemies throughout the city. However, the game doesn't include any blood or gore.

Community Reviews

BroncoDude10001
BroncoDude10001 Adult
December 31, 2012
age 14+

Decent game, but overwhelming sex content ruins it.

CSM's review of this game is not accurate. That is the first thing I would like to point out. The area where it fails to give correct information is in the "Sex" category. They don't even give it one dot, saying the only thing to worry about is "mild flirting between Spiderman and Black Cat". That is sorely wrong. I bought this game because I thought it would be okay based on the review from Common Sense. It is not. First, the flirting between Spidey and Black Cat is much more than mild, it is highly suggestive. Secondly, Black Cat's outfit is extremely revealing, similar to the outfit of Catwoman in Batman: Arkham City. I wanted to be able to play as Spiderman, not be exposed to the stuff of promiscuous "gentlemen's clubs". It is rather disturbing to me that 1) the game developers would even put this in a game, and 2) that Common Sense Media would seemingly overlook it. Otherwise, this game is fun enough, though as other have said it gets repetitive. Ultimately though, the bad outweighs the good, and I'll be looking for other options.

This title has:

Too much sex
iatecheese
iatecheese Adult
May 6, 2010
age 2+

awesome

Even though I easily beat it fluently in four days, I thought that this was a totally different Spider-Man experience (it's T, but what kind of teenager would play Spider-Man? Settle down, ESRB!) I give it an E rating because the violence was a little strong and they said the word "hell" sometimes. Nothing wrong, a great game.
See all 4 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Even superheroes have their bad moments. In the case of Spider-Man, it happens in the form of Activision's SPIDER-MAN WEB OF SHADOWS. While the combat is often exhiliarating, the adventure feels very one-dimensional. New York City has been invaded by an alien symbiote infecting citizens, and it's up to Spider-Man to thwart it.

Unlike recent Spider-Man titles which focus on open-world action, Web of Shadows emphasizes combat. Your hero pummels foes on the ground, along the facades of skyscrapers and even in mid-air. As you vanquish foes from drug dealers to super villains, you'll earn points toward new attacks. You can also pick up glowing spiders scattered throughout the city that increase your speed. A twist to the storyline is Spider-Man himself has been infected by the symbiote. As a result, Spider-Man can take advantage of the symbiote's powers in the form of an all-black costume. While Spider-Man deftly bounces past enemies in his traditional red and blue suit, the black version whips long tendrils at foes and uses brute strength to punish enemies. Some elements of open world games, like light exploration and sporadic side quests, appear as well.

Is It Any Good?

Fights look and feel incredible, particularly once you leave the ground. You can pull yourself toward enemies with a web shot and let loose a flurry of punches and kicks. You can also slings gobs of web to slow foes before beating them down. Out of all the Spider-Man video games, Web of Shadows is arguably the best at conveying the character's speed and agility.

Where Web of Shadows fails is the game's singular focus on combat. The game simply involves swinging from fight to fight. There are occassions where you rescue civilians or chase down an enemy, but they're rare. What's worse is the combat itself is fun initially, but grows repetitive as you see Spider-Man repeatedly execute the same moves. Web of Shadows may dazzle at first, but don't expect the thrills to last very long.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Web of Shadows compares to other Spider-Man video games. How is this game better or worse? Also, what are some of the best video games based on comic book characters?

Game Details

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