Spider-Man 3 Box ArtWhen I look over at the stack of games sitting next to my entertainment center, I see a range of experiences. Discs like Mass Effect and The Orange Box spent over a hundred hours combined in my 360 because the games contained on them kept drawing me back for more. BioShock immersed me in a world which demanded that I unravel its secrets and it is an experience that will stay with me for a long time. I find satisfaction in familiar sports games where I can play GM, Coach and player to win championships for my favorite franchises which rarely replicate the feat in reality. Games like Gears of War & Army of Two are there when I want to mindlessly shoot (and chainsaw) things without a pesky narrative getting in the way.
Then there are games which are forgotten almost as soon as they are removed from the drive tray. They are played for no other reason than I need something new to play and some aspect of it appealed to me. Ultimately though, there is nothing to take away from these games and no reason to remember the experience. These are gaming's empty calories. Spider-Man 3 is the latest example in my collection of this type.
Spider-Man has always been a favorite character of mine and there have been a number of fun Spider-Man games over the years, so when Amazon had it discounted for $15, I picked it up. Even for that price, I regret the purchase because it cost me 15 hours I could have been playing through something better. Its overwhelmingly mediocre, with some good qualities, but just as many bad aspects that spoil the whole.
Pro: Enjoyable swinging and fighting controls which made it fun to explore the large open world and to dispatch the thugs you encounter
Con: One of the worst game cameras I've encountered. Spidey's quickness is always going to make a tolerable camera a challenge, but that doesn't mean they get a free pass for this mess. They ensure the camera gets in the way by including as many cramped interiors as they can. You are combo-ing your way through a pack of enemies one second and find yourself upside down on the ceiling the next.
Pro: Welcome addition of alternate plotlines and classic villains to supplement the lackluster movie storyline
Con: Unimaginative, repetitive boss battles that required nothing but an extreme amount of button mashing and patience.
Pro: A good variety of random crime missions with enough gameplay variety to keep them interesting
Con: Frustrating difficulty spikes at unexpected times
This ain't no cut-scene! PRESS A!Con: TOO MANY QUICK TIME EVENTS. Failing these "hamster feeding bar" moments results in a loss of health so if you were just able to beat a boss with a sliver of life left and you aren't anticipating LT, B, A, X, Left Stick Up, RB, Y, you get to start the whole boss battle alllll over again
Con: Having to rely on a Spidey Reflex Dodge button that doesn't always dodge the attacks its supposed to
Con: Last gen character models and cut-scene animations besides Spider-Man himself.
Con: Introducing a brand new playable character with completely new controls in the middle of the final mission
Con: Uninspired bomb defusing puzzles. Tapping Y rapidly and alternating the triggers doesn't feel like bomb defusal to me.
Con: 100+ tokens to collect for no reason other than achievements. They unlock no abilities or even extra features.
I guess I've run out of Pros......
I hope Web of Shadows is betterWhen I can't bring myself to unlock achievements that won't take me anything but time to get, I know the game is not that good. I mean I farmed 10,000 kills on the training stage of Undertow for god's sake! Sure Spider-Man 3 is a movie game, and their quality is usually suspect, but my expectations weren't that high and they still weren't met. All it did was satisfy my craving to play a game. Much like there are better things to eat when you are hungry than a bag of potato chips, I could have spent the time playing a better crafted game. At least my hands weren't greasy afterwards....
4 Comments
