JOE has been swinging around New York City for the past week, slinging webs and catching crooks as Spidey in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 on Xbox One. Here’s a look at how we got on with the game…
We were really excited to play The Amazing Spider-Man 2 here at JOE as we’re big fans of superhero video games and superheroes in general (see here). However, we were, unfortunately, a little bit disappointed with The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Published by Activision and developed by Beenox, The Amazing Spider Man 2 was supposed to be the next big adventure for Spidey that tied in closely to the movie of the same name in the sense that you set out to find the killer of Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben. The game does include extra side missions and a few new bosses so it doesn’t feel like a carbon copy of the movie, but ultimately, this doesn’t feel like the big budget game that it could/should have been.
The single most fun aspect of the game is web-slinging through the streets of Manhattan. Unlike the last Amazing Spider-Man video game, players have to use the right and left triggers respectively to sling web from Spidey’s hands, which makes it feel like you’re actually controlling Spider-Man and not just some computer-generated AI with a predetermined destination already set out.
At times, we gave up trying to complete the story and the side missions and instead, we went for an awl swing through NYC, just for the craic.
Unfortunately, the web-slinging action was the only thing that we really liked about the game. In fairness, we did enjoy being able to play as Spidey’s citizen alter-ego, Peter Parker, as he’s a photojournalist who is tasked with taking various snaps for the Daily Bugle, so that’s the closest we’ll get to Journalism Simulator 2000.
The graphics on the Xbox One version that we tested were disappointing to say the least, especially when you consider the competition (Batman Arkham) and they reminded us of the Spider-Man 2 game that came out in 2004.
You can tell that a lot of the visuals like textures and backgrounds were rushed in order to get the game ready in time for the release of the movie, but it was the small things like mistimed lip-syncing and a repetitive use of catchphrases during free play that really irked us throughout. In hindsight, we may have gotten a little bit too excited over the initial teaser trailer…
The combat was also a little disappointing. It tries to mirror the combat style of the Batman Arkham series, but it falls short and you’ll eventually find that any battle can be won by smashing the A button (or X if you’re on PlayStation) repeatedly… without fail.
Having said that, if you’re a diehard Spider-Man fan then you’re sure to get your kicks out of the game and thanks to its simplicity when it comes to buttons, the game is also suitable for younger fans of the series too. Just keep that in mind when it comes to your younger brother’s or sister’s birthday. For now, we’ll be using The Amazing Spider Man 2 as our own Journalism Simulator 2000/web-slinging simulator.
We think we were spoiled with the Batman games of late…
For a full range of video games, consoles and accessories, including The Amazing Spider-Man 2, make sure to check out Littlewoods.ie.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Conor Sketches | Tiger Woods loves Ger Loughnane and cosplaying as Charles LeClerc
