Spider-Man 2 – PSP – Review

Hey Web-head, ready for a new
adventure? Well, maybe not “new” new, but certainly on a new platform.

Spider-man is moving onto the Sony
PSP, courtesy of Activision and Vicarious Visions, and the Web-crawler looks
right at home on the new handheld system. In fact, the stellar graphics,
enhanced sound narratives and compelling combination of gameplay mechanics from
the games (based on the movies that preceded it), make this iteration of
Spider-man not only dynamic, but also addictive.

Let’s see, where to start? How about
stunning load screens that are so visually appealing you actually don’t mind
seeing them up on the handheld’s screen? Or maybe you are interested in the new
voice animations that both Toby Maguire and Alfred Molina have supplied to the
game. How about the fact that the voice of J.K. Simmons, as J. Jonah Jameson,
marks its debut in any of the movie-based games?

The game has some wonderful aspects
working in its favor. First, the control scheme is similar to the PS2 version of
the title, but rather than follow them precisely, Vicarious Visions has opted
for almost a hybrid of the first and second console platformers, with less
emphasis on the acrobatic swinging, and more emphasis on combat and combo moves.

In fact, the game uses the square
and O buttons for the punch and kick moves but challenges players to come up
with new variations. Some combos will produce certain responses – like punch,
punch, and hold the kick button will knock opponents up into the air, where you
can juggle-pummel them – but the game rewards players for being inventive and
creative in their combos. Get stuck into the same routine over and over, and you
get less reward value for the combos. The higher reward value, the more points
one can spend in the store to upgrade Spidey’s abilities.

The game’s thread starts out with a
simple tutorial-type level – you need to knock out some bank robbers, and then
chase a helicopter (using your swinging ability, targeting and webbing shot in
short bursts). After that, it’s on to meet Harry Osborne and witness the tragic
accident at Doctor Otto Octavius’ lab, which turns the later into the
super-villain, Doc Ock.

And yes, the game does feature the
same general storyline. Doc Ock coerces Harry to give him some tritium for
another try at the super energy source, and he kidnaps MJ (Mary-Jane Watson,
Peter’s love interest, if you haven’t followed the movies). Peter, as Spidey,
must foil Doc Ock and rescue his ladylove. But on the way, there are other
villains to battle, and therein lies the depth and challenge of this game.

Spidey will encounter Mysterio, the
Vulture, Rhino and Shocker, all in various settings. Each boss battle will tax
players to figure out the weaknesses and deal with the bosses. In the case of
Rhino and Shocker, you will get to tangle with both of them, but you must defeat
Rhino first, and simply fighting him hand-to-hand will not work.

The gameplay is intuitive and if you
have had any experience with the other Spider-man games, you will pick this up
in no time.

The sound of this game is very well
done, and supplies a strong supporting role to the game’s graphics, which are
superb. The animation is startling, and while the levels are puzzles, timed and
mazes accompanied with a lot of action, the game flow is solid.

But the game does have a few minor
problems – the first is the length of the game. While there are new cutscenes
and even some different levels from the Spider-man 2 version on other console
systems, the game is not that long, and because it is linear, the replayability
of the title is diminished. The other drawback does pertain to the graphical
elements and camera positioning in particular. You can control the movement of
Spidey with the analog stick, but the camera is manipulated by the D-pad. If in
a combat intense situation – such as the boss battle with Mysterio when you have
to find the right Mysterio (apart from the fake ones), each of which is
launching salvo of fire balls, which means you must be moving rapidly – the use
of the camera to find and target the right one can be challenging.

Still, Spider-man 2 is a wonderful
PSP release. That this happens to be part of the initial launch of the handheld
is even more impressive. This is one game that action-adventure fans are bound
to enjoy.

Review Scoring Details for Spider-man 2

Gameplay: 8.8
The game has a fair amount of cutscenes, but they are really well done and
enjoyable to watch. However, this could impede in the enjoyment of replaying the
game at harder levels, or in an effort to garner more of the goodies sprinkled
around some levels, not to mention improving scores to upgrade to better stats.
On the other side of that coin, you can skip them with the push of a button, and
the load times are rather quick.

Graphics: 9.0
The animations are wonderful, the environments are well textured and the game
amply shows off the power of the platform. This is a game that will certainly
treat the eyes. New CGI scenes and load screens only add to the candy.

Sound: 9.0
New voice-overs enhance this game’s sound and while it can sound a little tinny
on the tiny speaker, musically speaking, plug in some headphones and you will be
treated to a rich, robust audio experience.

Difficulty: Medium
The game has three difficulty settings, and those affect the time elements of
(what else?) time missions and the encounters you will face. This game is almost
a nightmare at the hardest level, and a little too simplistic and forgiving at
the easiest. The puzzles are not anything you will not have seen before, but you
will have to be on your toes and aware of all the goodies in any area.

Concept: 9.0
The PSP release of Spider-man 2 draws on some of the original (movie-based)
gameplay and integrates it nicely with the second film’s story line – albeit
with some plot twists, and cameo villain appearances. The control scheme is
familiar and that makes this an easy game to jump into and play.

Overall: 9.0
Gorgeous graphics, solid gameplay, and a wonderful audio track make this version
of Spider-man 2 a winner. This is one game that gamers deserve to see on the PSP,
simply because of the “wow” factor. Vicarious Visions and Activision have taken
a solid game experience and made it feel right at home on the new system. The
only stumbling points this game faces are that it is a relatively short game,
and the camera can be a bit of a bear at times, especially when you need to move
it for glancing about during intense combat sequences. While it is hard to judge
exactly what gamers will be treated to down the road, this game signals the next
generation of gaming handheld experiences.