Mysterio is up to no good in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. In fact, according to super-psychic, and nice old lady, Madam Web, only multiple Spider-Men from multiple dimensions can put reality back where it’s supposed to be. It’s a clever concept that allows Activision to showcase even less well known incarnations of the character. Add on some classic web swinging and a gorgeous graphics engine and it’s the perfect action game for teens and maybe even pre-teens.

I’m not saying that to damn the game with faint praise. This new Spider-Man actually apes that stellar Batman game and marries to to wall crawling and webswinging.

The game switches dimensions and lets you play as the Spidey of that plane of existence. There’s regular Amazing Spidey, the little remembered early 90’s Spider-Man 2099, Ultimate Spider-Man, back in the black suit but before that alien suit tries to eat him (pre-Venom), and a Spider-Man in a black leathery suit called Spider-Man noir. The only ones missing are clone Ben Reilly as the Scarlett Spider, a couple Spider-Women (the suit Iron Man gave him, is unlockable) and a real missed opportunity as Peter Porker the Spectacular Spider-Ham (he’s referenced in the tutorial but really, including a funny character would have made a fun dimension by itself .) Each character has different abilities but plays roughly the same. Batman Noir deserves special mention, not just because a Spider-Man in black leather skulking in the shadows and taking out the bad guys by webbing and stringing them up is cool – oh yes it is – but because it plays like Batman Arkham Asylum. This is a good thing.

Lots of familiar bad guys and unfamiliar incarnations of bad guys litter the game as the various Spider-Men try to set things right. I can’t imagine a more recommendable game for Teens and I can see some parents going as low as 9 or 10 for mature kids – or comic book fans. Hey, the TV shows are more violent and are rated for 7+! As always, that’s up to parents, for the rest of you… well… nuff said!

PS: Enjoy the voice work of Stan Lee.

Tags: Game Reviews