Spider-Man
has fought a lot of crazy characters over his 40+ years as a comic book
superhero. Who could forget the tenacious, tentacle-ridden Doc Ock; the prowling
Prowler; or the iron-strong Iron Fist? They’re all dead-set on seeing Spider-Man
die.
But for the
duration of one new action game from Activision – the second to bear the
Spider-Man name this year – Peter Parker’s greatest adversaries will become his
greatest allies. Enter a world where the friendly neighborhood web-crawler must
team with the likes of Scorpion. He may not be happy about it, but it has to be
done. Otherwise the title, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, would really confuse
people.
Looking at
the screenshots, Friend or Foe’s only apparent difference from Spider-Man 3 is
that its graphics are not as realistic. The game is based on the comic books and
targets a younger crowd, which made the cartoony character designs seem
appropriate. Spider-Man 3, however, was going to be compared to the movie’s
effects, requiring a stronger graphic engine.
You’ll
probably expect the rest of Friend or Foe to be identical to Spider-Man 3.
That’s natural – it’s not every day a quick sequel or offshoot is released
without being a total rehash (see Dynasty Warriors, Samurai Warriors, and
Warriors Orochi for more). Instead of slinging webs through an open-ended city,
Friend or Foe’s players will punch, bash, and throw their way through several
fantasy locations.
Spider-Man and Doc Ock: the two go together like peanut butter and mayonnaise.
Back in
the Brawl
Without any
buildings to swing across, Spider-Man spends most of this adventure on the
ground, on platforms, and other stable surfaces. Enemies may be dealt with in a
zillion different ways. Peter’s fists are his primary weapon, but don’t count
out his other strengths. The lack of swing mechanics haven’t diminished his web
abilities one bit. While jumping through the air, tap the circle button to shoot
a retractable blast of webbing. It’ll grab onto the enemy and, if the button is
held, will cause the enemy to be spun around and slammed down onto the ground.
Press and
hold the circle button while on the ground for a similar move but with the power
to guide where the enemy is thrown. Hit the circle button a couple more times
and tilt the left stick in the direction of the nearest enemy. The resulting
collision damages both the enemy thrown as well as the enemy hit by his
catapulted comrade.
Spider-Man
strikes with a three-hit combo when pressing the circle button, on the ground or
in the air. Aerial attacks work well on bosses and sub-bosses, as their weak
points may not be reachable from ground level. The web-based assaults don’t work
well on larger enemies, but you can use it to temporarily stun the walking tin
can. Which is what they look like most of the time – metallic and/or rock-based
creatures that are shaped like humans but walk and attack like robots. They
disappear upon defeat, leaving nothing behind to clutter the screen.
The game
boots up with many abilities already given to Spider-Man, but you will also have
the chance to purchase new ones using the orbs collected from fallen enemies.
Yellow orbs work like money; red orbs heal your health. Both types appear
frequently throughout each stage, but you’ll need and find yellow orbs most
often.
Orbs,
objectives, and other game data are tabulated at the end of each stage. Players
will now have returned to the level select hub, the place where orbs may be
cashed in for superior character performance. Purchase new moves and health /
strength / endurance upgrades that affect Spider-Man’s attack power and
resistance. The latter upgrades may also be applied to former villains who now
support Spider-Man’s cause.
Generic
ally or potential superhero? You decide.
Instant
Pummeling
What do
Paris Hilton and Snoop Dogg have in common? They use their T-Mobile Sidekick to
wirelessly send instant messages. Peter Parker’s sidekicks aren’t as high-tech
but are much more useful. Any of the acquired villains may be assigned to
accompany Spider-Man throughout each stage. A second player may jump in and
control the villain at any time, a la LEGO Star Wars. If the second player has
to leave, he or she may choose to exit from the pause menu, turning the game
back into a single-player experience.
Two-player
games aren’t the only way to play as a villain. Solo players can press and hold
the triangle button to switch between Spider-Man and his sidekick during any
stage (certain boss battles excluded). Some of the villains aren’t too exciting
because they control too much like Spider-Man but without any of his cool spider
powers. Fortunately, Doc Ock’s enemy-crushing attacks are just as fun to unleash
as they are to watch. Scorpion’s deadly tail gives him a killer jump attack. And
though Rhino isn’t the most intense character, his slower movement corresponds
to his larger size.
Friend.
Or Foe?
The linear,
button-mash-heavy gameplay is very well constructed. There aren’t many games
that can pull it off. I miss the city web-slinging, but this game’s battles are
much deeper than Spider-Man 2, and a bit more varied than Spider-Man 3.
But alas,
the game is not free of flaws. You know the first one: repetition. No brawler /
beat-‘em-up can exist without it. Friend or Foe runs on a set path: select a
level, defeat all the enemies, and make your way to the unmarked exit (you’ll
know it’s over when the screen turns black – just like The Sopranos). That’s a
couple steps back from Spider-Man 3, only because that game allowed you to
select from a variety of missions at any point in the game. Friend or Foe boxes
you into the one-mission-at-a-time setup.
Camera
control is nonexistent, which is Ok 50% of the time. The other 50% is obstructed
by camera angles that don’t show the whole picture. You’re likely to jump off a
ledge (which takes away health and yellow orbs) because the view isn’t clear.
And because of the game’s focus on playable villains, most enemies are made up
of the same bland design.
Power! Such power!
These
elements aren’t as friendly to an audience expecting variety that’s on par with
the Spider-Man comics. Regardless, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is a fun and
thrilling beat-‘em-up.
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Gameplay: 7.9
Friend or Foe’s
large number of moves and the ability to play as multiple villains give the game
a fighting advantage, containing core combat mechanics that are deeper and more
exciting than the last two Spider-Man games.
Graphics:
5.0
The cartoony
character designs are good – the awkward, uncontrollable camera angles are not.
Background detail is well below the standards of other PS2 titles, even those
released several years ago. The flat backgrounds and unrealistic textures could
use a polygonal facelift.
Sound: 2.0
Listen to
Spider-Man say, “Let’s do this” and, contradicting himself, “I’m too old for
this.” Over and over again. I don’t care how old the average player is, they are
going to be annoyed.
Difficulty: Easy
Your friendly
neighborhood Spider-Man just got friendlier.
Concept: 7.0
Friend or Foe’s
gameplay is solid beat-‘em-up entertainment. But as the fourth or fifth (or
sixth!? I’ve lost count) 3D Spider-Man game, the mechanics are no longer new.
The inclusion of villains as playable characters is cool though.
Multiplayer: 6.9
Co-op is fun but
flawed by a confusing camera system. The versus battle mode provides brief
amusement with levels that are similar to Power Stone and Shrek SuperSlam.
Overall: 7.9
Repetition and
camera issues are damaging, but Spider-Man: Friend or Foe still prevails as the
best PS2 brawler released in 2007 (thus far).
