Besides Noir Spiderman, The other three are very combat oriented, and will have to deal with lots of enemies. Every level and alternate reality comes with different enemies but are essentially the same enemies over and over again, just in different character models. They are spread into light melee, light armed, bigger guys with huge weapons and so on. So even though you are playing with different Spider-Man characters against different enemies, the combat feels a bit same-ey throughout the game, with no major changes besides a few little differences here and there.

As I said earlier, the combat is half and half. Some of it can be incredibly rewarding and fun, while at other times it comes across as a little too chaotic and frustrating.

Another major element of playing as Spider-Man is his actual ability to move, and this is something that becomes a lot of fun indeed. Being web-head and all, Spider-Man can swing around levels and move really quickly using his web as a zip-line (all areas that can be zip-lined to are highlighter with a small arrow, and allow Spider-Man to move to its location very quickly. This is an integral part of the gameplay in Shattered Dimensions, and undoubtedly one of it’s most fun elements.

Web swinging is activated by holding in the right trigger, and works pretty much anywhere (unless stated otherwise). Instead of merely holding in the trigger to swing constantly, the player controls individual swings, allowing Spider-Man to swing and then float for a short while in the air before deciding to swing again, zip-line to nearby perch or add an add an extra jump into the mix for extra height. The swinging and zip-lining gives a great deal of freedom and allows the player to get creative with his movement and enjoy Spider-Man’s coveted abilities to their fullest.

Each mission is based around a Marvel villain that Spider-Man has to face and this is where my first gripe with the game arose.

The villians themselves are pretty fantastic, with some incredible re-imaginings of the villains we have all known for so long. Noir Spider-Man faces a Vulture that will remind you of the very creepy Nosferatu vampire, while 2099 Spider-Man faces some incredibly teched-up versions of others, some possibly even a different gender to what you remember.

At the beginning of almost every level, Spider-Man is looking for a piece of the tablet, only to find out that a villain already has it, or has used it to get Spider-Man into some sort of trap and this is where things start going a little downhill.

Every mission is themed around the villain and/or specific location and comes with its own charm but in the end, is essentially the same idea. Villain gets the tablet, then you track them down, fighting off their minions only to have a small boss battle and then track them down again. Rinse and repeat a few times. At the end of pretty much every single level, the villain learns of the power of the tablet, uses it and forces you to fight them in some sort of powerful form.

May of the levels may come across as very recycled for this reason, as it feels like you are merely doing the same thing a few times over while the scenery changes. The boss battles themselves are the typical case of finding out the bosses weakness and then using it to your advantage, be it something in the environment, or attacking when a boss is tired from using a certain special move. Other recycled segments include killing off enemies, finding and pulling items for a specific reason and saving hostages so that they can help you progress through the level.

The general experience of each unique level combined with the crazy combat is enough to keep you very entertained, just don’t expect to be thrilled with an unravelling story as it’s all pretty much the same as far as that goes.

Your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Comedian

An extra element of that deserves some noting, is that in typical Spider-Man fashion the player will be inundated with crazy quips and one-liners from Spider-Man. There is a ton of humour in Shattered Dimensions, and while a lot of it is incredibly cheesy, the writers know as much and poke fun at themselves and the game, with some jokes doing well to break the fourth wall and even poke fun at the game’s mechanics and stereotypes as well. Enough to have you performing furious face-palms and at times, even laughing out loud.

Spider-Sense

Visually, Shattered Dimensions is really good to look at. With the unique realistic styles of the Noir and 2099 dimensions mixed with the sharp and colourful styles of the Ultimate and Amazing levels it really is a good looking game. The framerate also stays completely consistent, with little to no noticeable drops at any point throughout the game.

Each character is also voiced by different actors, most of which I recognise from different Spider-Man’s throughout the history of the cartoons. They all do their job very well, and fully deliver on their one liners where required. Sound in general is pretty solid, with some decent epic music that would be expected from a superhero game.

I did experience a few bugs in the game, such as Spider-Man’s spider sense staying active, enemies getting stuck in strange places as well as some voice elements repeating constantly for no apparent reason. None of them broke the game in any way, but it did give the impression that a bit more polishing was required in a few areas.

Conclusion:

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is undoubtedly the most fun that I have ever had with a Spider-Man game, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have its faults. The repetitive story and combat elements can grow tiresome at times. The combat also gets a little too crazy and can be very frustrating at times, and while fast paced “thwack” combat has always been a part of Spider-Man’s history, it wouldn’t have been a bad idea to slow it down and tighten up the mechanic a little.

On the whole I think that Beenox had a very good idea with Shattered: Dimensions but it falls short of enjoying the kind of greatness that was delivered with a superhero game such as Batman: Arkham Asylum. If a sequel is made and the developers really concentrate on a better story and some tighter mechanics, I think that we may have some great gaming ahead of us in future.

For now, Shattered Dimensions remains an enjoyable, albeit slightly flawed, Spider-Man experience.

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Scoring:

Gameplay: 8.0

It’s fun to be Spider-Man, controls can be a little iffy at times, though.

Presentation: 9.0

Great looking game with multiple graphic styles all running at a smooth framerate.

Sound: 8.0

Good voice work and nice use of effects.

Value: 8.0

A single play-through on normal will last you around 7-8 hours, with challenges and unlockables giving fans enough incentive for a second play-through.

Overall: 8.3 (not an average)

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions will keep big fans very happy, while others may find the progression a little too familiar. It’s still a solid superhero game and comes packed with a lot of fun moments, just don’t expect it to completely blow you away.

[Reviewed on Xbox 360]