I am not a comic book person. However, I do remember having a brief infatuation with comic heroes who made their way to video games. The Captain America beat ’em-up on the Sega Genesis was not a bad way to spend a weekend back in the early 1990s. The only other superhero game I thought looked neat was the Spider-Man game for the Genesis. It was only years later on the Sega Channel. (Yes, I did play this precursor to GameTap for several months, and there were several games I would not have been able to play without it.) It was then that I discovered the Spider-Man game was not as neat as I had originally thought. Spider-Man: Web of Shadows for the Nintendo DS is my latest Spider-Man gaming experience.
This time around, there are all sorts of symbiotes running around New York City destroying things. Apparently, these symbiotes are similar to Venom’s suit. So our hero proceeds to run all over town saving people and, if possible, beating answers out of Venom. You can choose to follow the villains (such as Green Goblin) and how they “save” the city, or you can help the good guys (like Nightcrawler). It doesn’t really change the plot but offers the game some replay value. And, unfortunately, the game does not give hint at why those symbiotes exist as you work your way through the story.
Anyway, the game is rather decent to play. It is a beat ’em-up with a mix of exploration. Essentially, you keep hitting the Y button until everything is defeated. The top screen holds all the action while the bottom screen holds the map. It’s a basic map that gives you an idea of where you are in the area. There is also an overview map that shows how the different areas are connected, but it is not exactly to scale when it comes to giving you an idea of how everything is connected. Also, there is no real way of creating a reminder of locations that you could not previously reach.
Anyway, whenever you defeat an enemy, Spidey can yield health orbs, life orbs (essentially orbs that let you revive Spidey a certain number of times) and experience. Experience can be multiplied by hitting monsters consistently; by spending those points you can expand (if not improve) Spidey’s moves between the two suits (red and black). (Black is more physically focused and supposedly stronger, and the red suit is more agile and better for defense). Regardless of which suit you choose, Spidey is exceedingly agile and easily goes where you need him. There is touchscreen usage, but it is rather gimmicky: It can be used to revive Spidey by dragging life orbs into him whenever a life orb is used. And when the life orbs run out, it’s game over. It can also be used to switch between the different maps.
Purchasing skills at save points is not the only way to improve Spidey’s moves. After a boss battle, an item will drop that will allow Spidey to travel somewhere he previously could not. For example, one of the earliest power-ups is increasing Spidey’s strength. This allows him to pick up objects that originally blocked his path. Another power-up allows him to dash into certain walls and shatter them. By exploring every nook and cranny, you can power him up even further by finding expansions for health, life, defense and attack.
Graphically, the game is rather decent for a DS game. It looks like a low-end PlayStation game, but that is not to say that it is bad. On the contrary, Spider-Man moves with grace and so do the other enemies. Furthermore, each area has its own feel. For example, there is the apartment building with its warped floors, the sewers with its crazy slopes and subway tracks, and the outer limits of the city. The only downside I found with the graphics is that the game can be rather dark. The monster blends into the background. And I do not think it has anything to do with the fact that I’m playing on an older DS model.
The audio for the game is decent. It’s easily forgettable, but all the requisite sounds are in their proper places. There is some voice acting, but it’s a tad on the low end. The voice acting doesn’t feel right, especially Spider-Man’s. His voice is nice, but it does not fit the character. And Nightcrawler’s voice feels a tad too faux German. There is one element of this that I did enjoy: Spidey’s one-liners. It was a nice change of pace to have a humorous little quip every so often.
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is a decent game. I confess that I was not expecting much, but it is fun. And yet, at the same time I am a tad disappointed with the game. The exploration is not as deep as I would like. New York City is a massive place, right? Shouldn’t the environments feel, well, labyrinthine? The only beings I’ve known to travel so quickly from point A to point B are those rambunctious four penguins. My problem with this game is that it bores me. It just is not my cup of tea. The same things are done over and over again, and the manual is paper thin. It reminds me a tad too much of the beat ’em ups of my youth and lacks the polish of those older games. However, let me make this clear, I did have some fun with Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. Even if it is a tad simplistic.
Those looking for a game to keep them busy for an afternoon or two, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is the way to go. Those who have children that love Spider-Man, this is a decent game to keep them busy for awhile. They’ll probably need a bit of help from an older sibling or a parent. In general, I’d say this is a rental for most gamers.
