Action Is His Reward- Spider-Man: Web of Shadows Reviewed

As the title opens, New York City has been invaded by symbiotes, gooey extraterrestrials with malicious intent. Their plague has reached vulnerable Peter Parker, transforming the iconic red and blue-clad hero into something much darker. Fellow superhero Luke Cage guides the player through an extended tutorial, where the player learns the basics of combat. Unlike Spider-Man 3, which forced players to play through entire missions in either conventional or symbiote mode, Web of Shadows allows the freedom to change powers through the click of the left thumbstick. Players are warned that too heavy of a reliance on the dark powers can have detrimental effects on our beloved web-head.

                        Something needs to be about the purple-on-purple crime ravishing New York City.

Web of Shadows’ combat feel significantly improved from its predecessors. When a group of antagonists is spotted, players can an employ the gratifying ‘web strike’ move.   By tapping the ‘Y’ button, Spidey sends a web out toward the enemy. As the player nears the opponent, a second press of the button defeats the foe with a powerful flip kick, and allows the attack to be continued onto the next foe. With skillful timing, the player can easily sweep a street of adversaries, bouncing around like a pinball.

Successful combat rewards the player with experience points that they can spend to increase their offensive arsenal. As players complete missions, they’ll discover other heroes and villains in the city; which will offer additional quests for the player. Depending on your alignment- either superhero good or symbiote evil, these characters will grant the player exclusive abilities, and even fight alongside the gamer with a press of the digital pad. Like Fable 2, your moral decisions will be evident in the reaction of those around you- civilians cowered in fear as we combed the streets alongside Black Cat.

                                       “Incoming shipment of scrap metal for Stark Industries, coming up!”

Graphically, Web of Shadows offers an improvement over the Spider-Man 3 game engine. Overall, New York City looks sharper, and the game slows down far less that its predecessor. We specifically appreciated the addition of collateral damage- window, cars, and hydrants can be broken during heated skirmishes.  While the game’s camera generally frames the action acceptably, the occasional transition from ground to building-side can be jarring and disorientating. 

Both the game’s dialogue and delivery undermine the overall quality of the game. Spider-Man’s voice work is grating and amateurish; greater care should have been taken in casting this pivotal element. The writing is freqently no better, and often cringe-inducing. The plot manages to be preachy and corny, referencing the obsolete tone of the 60’s television series.

                                            In Web of Shadows, everybody has a health bar, even the courthouse.

While combat control feels refined, occasionally we stumbled while navigating the city. Spidey can be temporarily grounded at the base of buildings, especially if awnings are present- jumping hyperactively, yet not clinging to the building. Infrequently, the game will send Spider-Man knee-sliding down the side of a building. While this animation can be stopped with the press of the right bumper, pressing the button during a rapid descent can be intuitive. He’s a spider and should naturally stick to the wall, not slide down.