XBOX 360- Spiderman 3

The web-slinging, villain catching, wall climbing, web-head is back and is better than ever. "Spiderman 3" has been a long awaited game and now that it has finally arrived, fans could not be more excited. With it being on a next-gen console, like the XBOX 360, the Spiderman experience is sure to be better than ever. Surprisingly, many critics and game magazines gave this game about a 6 or 7 out of 10. However, many gamers agree that this game is definitely worthy of an 8 or 9 because of some of the new features and the awesome amount of fun the series still contains.

As you probably already know, "Spiderman 3" the video game is based on the movie, but in no way is that a bad thing. Obviously, the game will not explain the entire story and there will be bits and pieces of information missing, but thats not uncommon for a movie based game. Just like in the movie, you'll be able to play as "Black Spidey", go up against Venom, Sandman, as well as the New green goblin. And, just like in "Spiderman 2", you will face numerous villains that have no connection with the movie, which adds to the game's appeal. The story can get confusing at times, as you might not know where you stand with the story's unfolding events. Truth be told, Spiderman games were never much for deep plots, just lots of action. It might help if you think of it this way; the story was left up to the movie, while the action has been left up to the game. So if you want to understand more of the plot while playing, go see the movie.

Missions are aplenty in "Spiderman 3", making it hard not to find something to do. Fortunately, story missions and sides missions are completely separate; which is great for someone who just wants to speed through the game and just complete the main story. Then again, if you do like completing side missions and building up your skills, theres nothing stopping you from doing so. The side missions are great for when you get bored with the plot and want to do something different. Of course, just swinging around the city and performing those insanely awesome acrobatics will alleviate the boredom too.

One of the best things about "Spiderman 3" has got to be the sandbox feature, which allows players to go anywhere and pretty much do anything. Swinging through the city is just as fun in previous games as it is in this one. New aerial moves have been added, which makes each jump exciting to do and even more fun to watch. The city is simply huge and has plenty of places for players to explore. Exploration has its bonuses too, which you will come across while playing. While swinging from one place to the next, you will often be alerted to criminal activity in the area. You can stop what you are doing and help resolve the situation or you can just go about your business; its up to you. Some of the random crimes you will undoubtedly recognize, while others are new additions to spice up the gameplay. Exploring the city, climbing buildings, stopping criminals, and having fun is what this game is all about. So be sure to take time some time to enjoy the game, rather than just "beating" it.

The combat system in "Spiderman 3" is almost identical to "Spiderman 2". It's familiar, but it doesn't really bring anything new to the table. Obviously, there will be different combos and web slinging skills, but for the most part it's still button-mashing mayhem. During big fights, you'll constantly be pounding on the punch and kick buttons to take out thugs with your semi-powerful combos. Thugs won't be much of a hassle one on one, but when there numbers start increasing, things can get a bit rough. Throwing in some of your web abilities helps out during the bigger fights; plus, they're all fun to use. Use your web to swing an enemy around your head and then release him violently into a building. Use a web blast for a powerful "ranged" punch that will send an enemy flying back into the air. Use webbing as a rope and quickly pull enemies to you, then send them flying with a powerful kick or punch. One of the coolest things to do in combat has got to be tying up a thug and then hanging him from a street lamp, all the while you continue to beat up his accomplices. There are many useful, not to mention powerful, combos you can pull off with your web abilities and hand-to-hand maneuvers, so don't be afraid to try out new button combinations.

The newest feature in combat is the new spider-sense system, which slows down time and allows the player to dodge most attacks and deal out crazy amounts of damage. It isn't that much of a help during small thug fights because thugs are already no match for your abilities. But during boss fights, it's not a luxury, it's a necessity. Many boss fights will force the player to activate spider sense if he/she wants to stand any type of chance. If spider-sense was less required and more "optional", it may have come off with a better feel. The whole aspect feels like it is forced upon the player. The combat system as a whole isn't anything revolutionary, but it isn't boring either. Once you get used to the new spider-sense and get down some of the basic attack combos, the game starts getting much more enjoyable.

One of the biggest boasts about this game is the ability to play as the black-costumed Spiderman. By the time you do finally get to use the alter ego, you will have "almost" completely forgotten about him. But when the time comes, it is pretty sweet none the less. You'll get an assortment of new moves and combat attacks that the red Spidey does not have access too. Not only that, but the black Spiderman has enhanced agility, strength, and endurance. The black Spidey is definitely fun to play as, but like always, all good things come to an end. Be sure to treasure playing him for as long as you can.

From a pure gamers perspective, judging on only the games mechanics, appearance, and combat system, it isn't hard to see why critics gave this game a 6 or 7 out of 10. Truth be told, it does have numerous faults that can't be ignored. The graphics as a whole, although decent, seem to lack in terms of next-gen capability. Most of the buildings are nicely detailed and look quite good; however, practically everything else looks somewhat lacking. Spiderman himself actually has great details and a good overall appearance, but everyone else looks kind of, for lack of a better word, crappy. Enemies will sometimes be knocked through walls, yet the walls don't break. They simply sail through the corner of a building as if it wasn't there. Enemies will also get routinely stuck behind invisible barriers that stop them from moving altogether. Those are just a few of the graphical flaws and glitches that players will cross paths with.

Another noticeable problem is the camera. Controlling the camera while you swing around the city should be an easy task, but generally speaking, it's not. You will often find yourself frustrated as you try to position the camera (while moving) so you can get a clear view of the environment and everyone in it. It will get extremely irritating during timed missions, as every single second counts. Ultimately, the camera will be the cause for quite a few "mission restarts". It may take some time to get over the "camera angle anger", but once you do, the game will be much better.

Those are some of the main problems found while playing, and in any other game those would be colossal issues which could not be overlooked. The thing is, players are willing to overlook all of the games faults as long as they get to play as Spiderman and websling from building to building in search of action & adventure. Because Spiderman games don't come along all that often, players tend to cut it a lot of slack when the game finally releases. As long as there is some action, some adventure, and some good Spiderman "mythology" thrown into the mix, players will flock to it like bees to honey.

Overall, "Spiderman 3", for the XBOX 360, is a pretty good game. Even with its obvious flaws, it still ends up being a fun gaming experience that everyone can enjoy. If you thought "Spiderman 2" was fun, wait until you get a hold of this one!