I’m a mark for alternate reality stories, so a game like SPIDER-MAN: SHATTERED DIMENSIONS gives me more than the best of both worlds. It’s a next-gen platform beat ‘em up that lets you play as Spidey 2099, Spidey Noir, Ultimate symbiote Spidey and regular ol’ Amazing Spidey in their respective universes. This did come out a couple months ago but, let’s get real, a lot of us don’t get big video games like this until we’re gifted them for the holidays, so this is a very timely and festive selection for “Our Favorite Things.”
Spidey's 50th birthday may be a couple years off, but this very much feels like an anniversary crossover to celebrate five decades of the Wallcrawler's history. Four of the five actors who've ever played Spidey in his cartoons (from fan-favorite Neil Patrick Harris of that MTV show to the dudes who led SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN, SPIDER-MAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES and even SPIDER-MAN & HIS AMAZING FRIENDS) are voicing the respective reality-crossed Spider-Men in this. And, with the first Spidey writer Stan Lee narrating the story and the current writer, Dan Slott, handling the script, it'll feel very much feel like playing/experiencing/living every era of the character at the same time .
I'm big on value and I say, if I can basically get four games in one, it makes the whole deal sweeter than a whole sack of candy canes. Each Spidey's levels are effectively part of a different game, with Noir being a more SPLINTER CELL-style stealth sneaker and 2099 having some absolutely crazy free-fall and cyberpunk flying portions. If you enjoyed Comic Vine’s recent video feature on all the different costumes Spidey’s worn over the years, then you’ll also get a kick out of the certified cornucopia of costumes that can be unlocked - - from 1602 to the Mangaverse and from the Iron Spider to the Scarlet Spider.
I know my thumbs are surely going to get all numb and twitchy from too many hours playing this. What about you Comic Vine maniacs?Tom Pinchuk’s the writer of HYBRID BASTARDS! & UNIMAGINABLE . Order them on Amazon here & here . Follow him on Twitter: @tompinchuk
