Spider-Man 3 The Game Hands-On Preview

Superhero Hype! got a chance to get a hands-on, first look at the different versions of Spider-Man 3 The Game! You can watch a video feature on the event by using the player below. We also have new screenshots for the PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS versions here! You can read Dante’s preview of the game below the video:





I went down to Activision to get my grubby hands on the newest “Spider-Man” video game, which is due out on the same day that the newest movie installment hits theatres on May 4. The game will be available on eight platforms: DS, GBA, PS2, PS3, PC, PSP, Wii, and Xbox 360.

All of the console versions had the same basic premises and were also graphically comparable which, considering the “vaunted” power of the PS3, was kind of disappointing. The game’s engine seemed to be based loosely on the previous “Spider-Man” game, in which you have free reign of the city of Manhattan with non-linear mission objectives as well as plot lines unrelated to the movie. Think of the Black Cat plot device from Spidey 2. This time villains like the Scorpion, Shriek, and Morbius all make cameos in the game.

One of the cooler features I checked out was the new crime-fighting dynamic, where we find the city of Manhattan caught in the middle of a gang war that you must get to the bottom of. The game developers added in some strategy elements so that you can systematically clean up the city streets. Now, instead of waiting for random crimes to occur (which got really repetitive in the second game), you can seek out the trouble spots and change the city for the better. As a cool feature, if you ignore the crime rate in the city then the city itself is affected – the citizens get edgy and Manhattan begins to look bad as a consequence. It’s pretty cool, especially since it gets rid of silly random occurrences that plague video games.

The controls are similar to the previous incarnations with a few exceptions. Your Spidey-sense works differently; you can use it to avoid attacks and to counter your opponents. The combat is a bit lacking, only because I felt like I didn’t have a lot of control of a lot of the cool things that Spidey was doing, even though the controls made fighting really exciting so I’ll take the trade off. The rewards system is also retooled with different combos to unlock and other cool effects. The better you are at fighting, the more devastating your attacks become. You can also get costume upgrades that can make your war on crime easier to accomplish, or you can throw on the Black Costume and pummel your opponents half to death. Of course this comes with a price – while you’re stronger and faster, and more resistant to injury, you can’t wear the suit too long or you’ll fall unconscious and fail your mission.

The last game play element of note that I noticed was the responsive button sequence segments, where hitting the required button was the only way to get through that part of the stage. At one point Spidey has to traverse a series of trip lasers. The button (or left analog direction) you need to press briefly flashes on the screen and all you have to do is hit the corresponding move in time. If it sounds easier said than done then your right, at times it’s down right maddening. I was told by the developers that they where still working out the timing of this part of the game and hopefully it won’t be so difficult by the game’s release.

All in all the game looks very promising, and I can’t wait to play the final version.

Dante Maddox never got that damn balloon down in Spider-Man 2.

Source: Dante Maddox

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