Review: Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions

Well, if it’s Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, you get a video game that is quite good.

The game begins with the Amazing Spider-Man confronting old nemesis Mysterio and during the battle, he accidentally shatters the Tablet of Order and Chaos. This causes the pieces to be scattered across dimensions and time, necessitating retrieval of the pieces by Spider-Men of each of those dimensions.

They are:

The Amazing Spider-Man – the best-known web slinger, living in this time and dimension.

Spider-Man Noir – a more primitive Spider-Man, fighting crime in the 1930s. His limited equipment means he relies more heavily on shadows and stealth.

Ultimate Spider-Man – Spider-Man clothed in a black comtume made of a chemical substance that can cause rage and tempt him toward the dark side.

Spider-Man 2099 – Spider-Man of the future, with an environment of high skyscrapers and plenty of room to swing in pursuit of bad guys.

Given that each of the Spideys are a little different, their abilities and challenges are also on the diverse side.

As the game progresses, levels unlock that offer a chance to mix up the action, with multiple choices to proceed. In all of them, the currently active Spider-Man offers up wisecracks and running commentary. Well, except for the Noir one, who’s a bit reticent and not as verbal.

Despite his seriousness, the Noir Spidey is probably my favorite of the heroes. The retro look, combined with gameplay that requires a little more thought, makes his levels stand out. He really deserves his own video game.

Although there are four separate paths for the game, all of them have many of the same moves. Each is allowed his own special charge attack, but most of the attacks and defensive measures apply to all.

Character upgrades include more health, extended rage duration and accelerated vision. Alternate spidey suits for each can also be purchased.

Throughout the game, a total of 180 side challenges are offered, with management of said goals accessible through the Web of Destiny. There you can tick off the “throw 25 water barrels at enemies” goal and the “zip kick 20 perched electric creatures” goal and many more.

The game deals with all of this comic book action with full-on tongue-in-cheek. Spidey’s wisecracking and meta references flow almost constantly, although he is nearly outjoked by Deadpool in the TV show level. The nemeses are, by and large, appropriately vicious and evil.

Lots of familiar bad guys – Hobgoblin, Hammerhead, Doctor Octopus, Sandman and more – make appearances and offer character-specific challenges.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is mostly a beat-em-up, albeit a pretty good one. Each level consists of wading through waves of enemies, with an ultimate showdown with the boss.

It’s fun, it’s irreverent and it’s solid entertainment.

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 Rating: Mature Manufacturer: 2K Games Score: 8 spinneret chilies