Video Game Review: Spider-Man 3 (Xbox 360)

Now, a full year after Spider-Man 3’s release, you’re looking to buy it? The price has dropped considerably, you say, and while Spider-Man 3 (Widescreen Edition) was bad (but Spider-Man nonetheless), most of the major problems with it will be things that don’t translate into the game, you say? Besides, you enjoyed the Spider-Man 2game?

You’re right, to a point. Spider-Man 3 the game doesn’t necessarily make the same mistakes as the movie. It does, however, make a whole lot of new ones.

When Activision started hyping Spider-Man 3, I had just picked up my 360, and figured, for the reasons above, I’d give it a go. I had no idea what a waste of cash and time it would be.

A lot of the hype focused around “fixing” problems that people had seen with the Spider-Man 2 game. The controls, which I had no problem with, were considered by many to be too flat. There are a few features here that try to deal with that issue, and they added a bit that would appear in Ultimate Alliance as well – a series of cineractives and mini-games in which you press assigned buttons while Spider-sense takes over, or to lift heavy objects. It isn’t really used innovatively and gets boring after about the second time you use it, which is not very far into the game at all.

I mean, I thought the Spider-Man 2 controls were fantastic. The web-swinging was handled fantastically, as were the fighting controls, while still being simple enough to work properly. They were, in my eyes, the best controls ever assigned to Spider-Man to date.

Another supposed problem with the Spider-Man 2 game was that Marvel forgot to put the subways into the game. I admit, it is cool to be able to access the subways, but the way in which they’re used is a bit forced.

Another problem I had with the game was the number of gangs that exist solely to blow stuff up. I don’t understand it, why do so many dirty, rotten teenagers just want to blow up banks? Maybe it feels like a stretch to me, but I thought the entire point of being in a gang was to protect oneself from being killed by people in rival gangs when you live in a violent neighborhood, not just because you like to see things go boom.

I guess the problem I have with the game, or at least the biggest one, is that it’s just not fun. Did they honestly think these ridiculous Bugle missions would be entertaining? Swing to a location. Look around frantically for some stupid object. take a picture of it. Swing to a different location. Can’t find the ridiculous spot they expect you to land? Start over, bitch! In fact, you should probably just turn off the console.

Did they really expect us to enjoy having to bring Mary Jane back and forth to wherever the hell she goes? Do I look like a taxi?

The funny part is, the voice acting for Mary Jane is probably the best in the game, and is voiced by Kari Wahlgren, not Kirsten Dunst. Tobey Maguire is about as monotone as a robot with a speech impediment that makes him more monotone than ordinary robots. You can hear his disinterest in the project, and even a hint of sarcasm – “oh, I better make sure these bystanders don’t get hurt. That would be horrible…”

This game could have been a lot more fun, if it had picked up the pace, had a bit more story, and not forced me to dilly-dally around, doing missions that I didn’t buy the game to do. The black suit was kind of fun, but I was bored after playing the game for fifteen minutes. Why woud I try to wait to get that godforsaken suit?

Overall, this game was terrible. I hate having to admit being suckered into buying this, but I was. don’t make the same mistake I did, even with the lower price tag. You’ll only be disappointed.