05-04-2007, 10:11 AM
Spider-man 3
The reaction to Activision and Treyarch's Spider-Man 3 game trailer has been less than stellar. "It's Spider-Man 2 with better graphics," fanboys have screamed across the Internet, but after a day in the Activision offices and some hands-on time with the wall crawler, I can tell you, folks are selling this game short.
"You can see that we've really redone the city from the ground up," said Will Townsend, associate producer on Spider-Man 3 as he maneuvered Spider-Man around New York -- a New York that's 2.5 times bigger than it was Spider-Man 2. "It's been his office before, but now, it's his playground."
Grab your tights, everything you loved about Spider-Man 2 is back; sandbox gameplay, Bruce Campbell's biting wit, secret tokens, villains, the Daily Bugle... and the stuff you hated about Spider-Man 2 is gone. Lame-ass balloon-catching missions and a handful of other constantly repeating tasks? Gone. Spider-Man 3 is going to boast at least 21 city objectives that'll pop up as Spidey makes his way from point A to point B.
One main storyline running throughout the title? Nah, Activision is pouring ten threads (nine not from the movie) into the game and drawing in comic book rogues such as the Scorpion, the Lizard and a couple of other big names that I can't mention yet.
Incredibly generic citizens who wander the streets at all hours of the day and don't react to the epic battles that are being waged before them? They've been replaced. The amount of traffic and sidewalk-stomping New Yorkers will be dependent on the time of day, and if Spider-Man has to take the battle to the streets, expect the crowds to react.
The first thing worshipers at the Church of Parker will notice when they leap into the sky and whip a web is the ramped-up slinging animation. The web comes out with a fluid arc, slams into a wall and goes taut as Spider-Man puts his weight on it. It doesn't sound like much, but in comparison to the straight webs our hero's been throwing for years it's pretty impressive -- just like the new wall crawling Activision's added. Remember how particular Tobey Maguire is when he scaling walls in the movies-- y'know, he gets close the surface and uses his fingertips to stick as he moves? It's in here.
Of course, the biggest addition to this software is the symbiote: the black suit that Spidey rocks in the movie and the one that goes on to bond with Eddie Brock and create Venom (spoiler!). Townsend said the game's about 60 percent red PJs and 40 percent black attire; but it's not just about looks. When Spidey and the symbiote get together Peter swings faster, runs quicker, deals out more powerful attacks and gets access to a rage meter that can be uncorked to unleash super-powered attacks such as "Ultimate Puppet Master" -- Spider-Man jumps into the sky, webs up all the enemies below him, yanks the group into the air and then slams the gathering into the asphalt.
Beyond colors schemes, Spider-Man has a handful of new and improved tactics up his sleeve and past his web shooter; chief among them is his Spider-sense. In previous titles, Spider-sense was thrown into gameplay as another way to block attacks and for cinema fodder. Now, you can use your ability to find enemies, solve puzzles and just make the game look cooler. See, with the click of a button, the majority of Spider-Man 3's screen goes from lush and colorful to black, white and grainy. Civilians show up in green, and your enemies or puzzle objectives turn red. It might not sound like much, but when the sense enables you to see through a building and locate the exact position of a gang or identify a water pipe that could extinguish a blaze blocking your way, you'll be happy you have it.
As far as blocking attacks, Spider-reflexes take over in this installment of the franchise. When some goon is coming to get you, tap a button to activate your reflexes. Time will slow down for the bad guys, a blue meter in the left corner will start to drain and Spidey will be able to reverse melee attacks by you hitting the right button in time.
Spider-man 3 cinematic trailer remix--------------------
If you want to dish out more powerful attacks or swing faster, you'll just need to keep practicing. There's no Spider Store in the current-gen versions of Spider-Man 3. Peter's abilities will get better and better as the player plays more and more (think Oblivion), although completing missions will unlock new moves.
Spider-man 3 Story and Combat video--------------------
Activision's brand new interactive cinemas will be key to completing missions on Peter's way to being the hero of New York. When the big story elements go down in the game (think fight scenes such as Harry Osborn and Peter brawling through the sky) players won't just watch a cutscene, they'll play it... kind of. The cinema will play, you'll be watching and suddenly a button logo will flash. Tap the corresponding button quickly, and the cinema continues with Spider-Man fighting the good fight and you needing to repeat the button challenge a few more times. Hit the wrong button or don't get to the right button quickly enough, and Spidey eats it (a car he should've dodged takes him out in midair, a subway car turns him into tunnel pizza, etc). Your health will decrease, and you'll try it again. In other words, it's like the God of War or Tomb Raider Legend playable cinemas.
Spider-man 3 Behind the Scenes look video--------------------
Spider-Man 3 the videogame launches the same day as the Sam Raimi's latest opus -- if you don't speak nerd, that's May 4 -- so fans still have a month to kill before they can battle the three gangs ravaging New York, try to keep their Crime Fighting Index at a level that will have the city happy, take on the plethora of races around town and, if you buy the collector's edition, play as the New Goblin with Sixaxis controls; where Spidey starts when the game boots up is up to you.
Spider-man 3 Overhaul video--------------------
Spider-man 3 game play with Venom--------------------
Images from IGN.com
Videos from Gametrailers.com
Preview by IGN.com