Okay Geek Farm
Xbox 360 Review - Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
Ricardo TrejoStory: Mysterio’s got ahold of a mystical tablet known as the “Tablet of Order and Chaos”, and when he accidentally shatters it, the tablet causes a rift in space-time and disrupts a number separate dimensions. To remedy the situation, Madame Web charges four Web-Slinger’s from each of their respected dimensions to collect the broken pieces of the tablet and restore the fabric of reality back to normal once again.
Gameplay: No open world this time around Web-Heads! Combos are the name of the game, and with four different Spider-Men to choose from, (Amazing, Noir, Ultimate, and 2099) there’s no shortage of various attack styles and counters! Four chapters are openly selectable within the current Act being played, which allows the player the freedom in which order he would like to play them in. Each level is hosted by one of the many infamous Spider-Man villains; villains such as Hobgoblin, Kraven, and Dr. Octoupus just to name a few. Not only that but a few surprise cameos, namely one fan favorite who oddly enough is guarded by fanboys in his stage, make an appearance in the game. Aside from who you expect to see in the game, web slinging, button mashing, stealth, and free falling are just some of the many kinds of gameplay styles thrown into Shattered Dimensions. Boss fights are plentiful, and levels don’t outstay their welcome.
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Visuals/Audio: Comic-book heroes have recently gotten bigger budgeted games, (See: Batman: Arkham Asylum) which shows in the way they perform and are presented; Shattered Dimensions is bright with color, and yet has some contrasting dark stages in the Noir universe that utilize its shadows, which overall gives it the feel like it’s a living comic-book. No slow-down’s, and polished attack moves make for a smooth experience, with the exception of the hard to get-a-hang of camera.
The voice acting is everything you’d expect from a Spider-Man game: awesome! Neil Patrick Harris voices the Amazing iteration, but fans of the Spider-Man cartoon series of the 90’s will be especially excited the first time they hear Christopher Daniel Barnes lending his voice for Spider-Man Noir. Top that off with Stan Lee’s narration, and you got yourself a unique sound that screams, “Here Comes your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Excelsior!!!”
Hours to Complete: 8 - 10. While not the longest game ever, it does offer a solid campaign that is made up of everything that is Marvel and Spider-Man. Replayability is presented in the form of collecting Spider emblems, hidden spiders, unlocking all the characters’ moves and outfits, and finishing the game in the hardest difficulty setting. In the end, only the most die-hard of ‘Spidey’ fans will get the most value from their $60 investment.
Difficulty: The game is, for the most part, a walk in the park for the average gamer. However, the Noir stages, especially in the later game, can become a bit tedious since patience is carefully needed to complete the stealth portions in their levels.
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Opinion: While it’s no Arkham Asylum for sure, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions puts up a good fight. The different versions of our Arachnid friend gives the game the added flavor to stand on its own two feet, because if let’s say the entire game was just Amazing Spider-Man then I don’t think I’d be able to stomach the whole adventure. I found Spider-Man 2099’s levels to be the least enjoyable due to how uninspired his levels seemed to be despite the creative notion of being set in the far off future. Ultimate Spider-Man and Amazing were interchangeable with each other, never feeling different enough to be considered two dimensions in my book; I would’ve preferred if Beenox and Marvel had settled on another universe, like let’s say Mangaverse Spider-Man with a completely different art style to replace the Ultimate dimension, but ehh… maybe next time.
Play or Pass: Shattered Dimensions is a step in the right direction. Rather than giving us new gaming takes on the Spider-Man world, we have a game here that let’s us experience four of them within a single title. However, due to how quickly the adventure can be completed, I’d recommend most players to pass it, or if they’re interest is piqued, simply rent the game. A buy should only be reserved for the most hardcore of hardcore Spider-Man Marvelites.
