I had my doubts about The Amazing Spider-Man Game. I’ve not been too hasty to grab a title when it comes to movie tie-ins. I’ve never really caught the glimmer of a fantastically superb title that has come from a movie or vice versa. A games a game and films a film and usually best kept well apart. This time it’s different, I’ve had a fantastic opportunity to try out The Amazing Spider-Man and instantly I got to grips with combat, free roaming and the absolute solidity of a cracking title. I quickly come to realise that movie tied games aren’t all that bad if you’re looking for a bit of good ol’ fashioned fun from a video game. Many games have gone for complete narrative which I’ll quickly point out I am a fan of, but it requires a first-class addictive appeal that keeps the grip from my hands to the control pad from ever slipping.
Thankfully The Amazing Spider-Man immediately proves to be the most fun I’ve had free roaming in a long time. Being Spider-Man is a bloody fantastic feeling with a frantic and most certainly breathtaking way of roaming through the streets of Manhattan. This is the closest to being Spider-Man we’ve come across for a very long time throughout many Spider-Man games. Instantly you’ll come to love the tightness of the camera as you swing from building to building and as you glide through the air. If the camera was to be any further out like many other third person titles then the experience would definitely feel a little below par.
The story is a little predictable at times and doesn’t really keep you involved what so ever other than just getting the game complete. Unfortunately there are a few spoilers at hand if you haven’t seen the movie just yet which, shame to say it I haven’t but I’m not at all fussed by that. These are two very different experiences and if you’re like me, then you won’t feel too distraught by a few plot point reveals. I’m not going to go into too much detail of the narrative because I’m here to tell you what you will enjoy most out of this game.
COLLECTIBLES! If you’re a fan of collecting in many games then The Amazing Spider-Man will literally take the piss! It has hundreds upon hundreds of different collectibles that will bring any OCD sufferer like me to the brink of tears. Compulsive hoarding in video games became a real problem when they brought in achievements and gamerscore and now I have to try my damndest to earn nearly every single piece lying in and around the city, within side missions and the chapters. I love collectibles and I can’t get enough of them, especially when they pop up in every crook and cranny within the game. Free roaming around the city for your first time, you will come across one hundred comic pages before reaching your destination to start the next chapter. Some players would be irritated by the vast amount of flashy collectibles surrounding the game but for me it is one fantastic distraction during my playthrough and I just can’t help going into web rush and web slinging myself to pick up each and every one of these things. Picking these comic pages up won’t only reward you a measly achievement but an assortment of unlockable comic books of the Amazing Spider-Man featuring many of the games/films characters and villains from Rhino to the Scorpion and Black Cat. Impressive for any Marvel or Spidey fans and that’s a real must for collecting these items. Roughly 700 of the things!
Being sneaky or full on is entirely your choice for combat. If you’re feeling brave you can run right on in and gain some serious combo XP multipliers to aid you in levelling up or if you prefer your fighting style to be a little more ‘shy away’ then you can approach enemies from ceilings or ledges where you are out of site for you to pick them off one by one. There isn’t really a favoured technique for me, it all depends on the situation and your course of action but definitely the best way to level up is to rack up those combo hits. Now I nearly went the whole length of this review without even mentioning the Bman but here’s the thing. If you’re a fan of the Batman games you’re either going to slag the Amazing Spider-Man off for being identical or you’re going to love the Amazing spider-Man for its familiar approach to combat. One thing I got right into was the combat simply because having played the Arkham games and from that moment I could focus on all manner of Spidey and get on with the game itself.
I mentioned XP earlier and levelling up well this is all fine and dandy when it comes to progressing with character upgrades and tech upgrades. Certain upgrades become available as you play through the chapters and progress in the story. Tech upgrades however can be upgrades with tech pieces that are found surrounding the main chapters and Oscorp side missions. These upgrades of course improve combat skills and techniques that further aid you in your spidey adventure. Good ways of racking up your XP is by completing side missions available to you in the free roaming. Your map will clutter up from time to time with various different symbols for the varying different opportunities to earn a little extra. Although some of these side missions became highly repetitive your OCD intentions will no doubt kick in all over again. I loved clearing absolutely everything one by one,its simple and easy to finish and another good excuse for finding those collectibles during your web swinging addiction. It’s a good break from the main chapters too and maybe you’ll earn a few achievements along the way.
I’m going to conclude this now by saying I need to get back to the game. Knowing there are another 300 comic pages scattered around the city leaves me itching to get back into it. You will most definitely spend more time finding these items rather than playing the actual story through itself. It’s a good thing and I’m enjoying every moment thoroughly. It’s just an all out fun game that Marvel fans and free roam fans will come to appreciate. Maybe once completed you won’t decide to rush back in a long time but a guaranteed enjoyable experience is more than a worthy play through. You’ll get pleasure from the Amazing Spider-Man one way or another.
