So you just got out of seeing The Amazing Spider-Man movie and found yourself pretending to thwip back to your car (don’t be embarrassed, we all did it). It seems a bug (spider?) has bitten you and the only cure is more Spider-Man goodness. However, maybe reading the comics just won’t suffice. Maybe you need something else, something a little more interactive. Well, friend, Activision and developer Beenox have you covered.

Roughly a week ago, Activision and Beenox released The Amazing Spider-Man for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game is essentially a sequel to the film of the same name, allowing you to walk out of the theater and continue the adventures of Peter Parker with a story tied closely to the events of the movie.

Beware: spoiler territory!

There’s a reason why we held off posting this article until after The Amazing Spider-Man hit theaters. While the video game version of Amazing has been out for a little over a week now, I honestly wouldn’t recommend playing it until after you’ve seen the movie. The game basically spoils the entire movie’s plot within the first 20 minutes of turning it on. You’ll know who lives, who dies and where relationships stand in a post-Amazing Spider-Man-movie world almost instantly.

I made the mistake of picking up the game on release day, and I paid the price. Before ever seeing a frame of the film, I knew how things would ultimately play out.

However, if you’re one of the lucky ones that managed to avoid the game and see the movie first and are now looking for a way to continue your Spidey escapades, The Amazing Spider-Man game offers a solid web-shooting outlet.

Just thwip it!

It’s the general consensus that the Spider-Man 2 game from a few years back marks the pinnacle of Spidey video games. That title’s open world let players feel like they were the Ol’ Webhead as they swung between the skyscrapers of New York, busting petty crimes and delivering pizzas for that jerk Mr. Aziz. The web-shooting of Spider-Man 2 was by far the game’s highlight and the reason why so many look back on it with rose-tinted glasses.

The Amazing Spider-Man recreates that feeling. In fact, I would go so far as to say it surpasses it. Developer Beenox is no stranger to Spider-Man games; Amazing marks their third attempt at the character. However, The Amazing Spider-Man is the first Beenox Spidey game with a completely open world. The importance of nailing the feeling of open-world swinging could not be understated. Thankfully, it’s one aspect Beenox gets completely right. The rush you get from swinging as high as you possibly can, releasing your webs and plummeting down towards the streets with your vision blurring around you, only to shoot off a quick web and save yourself from becoming street pizza at the last possible second, is exhilarating. It never really gets old, and it justifies at least giving this game a rental to experience it.

Your motivation.

As I mentioned previously, The Amazing Spider-Man game takes place after the feature film, roughly a few weeks to be both precise and frustratingly vague at the same time. I’m going to avoid recounting the game’s setup here because, alas, that would immediately ruin bits of the movie.

Suffice it to say, the story of The Amazing Spider-Man game is enough to motivate you to throw on the red and blue pajamas and get out their to save NYC once again. I’ll admit, it’s not the most cohesive plot you’ll ever find (it doesn’t have the expert structure and pacing of something like Batman: Arkham City, for example), but it serves its purpose.

Spider-sense is tingling…

Speaking of Batman: Arkham City, The Amazing Spider-Man borrows heavily from Arkham’s combat system. It could be argued, in fact, that Beenox straight up ripped off Rocksteady’s work on Batman. However, before I jump to that conclusion, let me just say that borrowing gameplay mechanics is a very common practice in the video gaming industry. And if you’re going to borrow from someone, why not have it be from the best? Therefore, it makes sense Beenox took a page out of Rocksteady’s playbook when it comes to hand-to-hand combat in Amazing Spider-Man.

Just like in Arkham, combat in Amazing is built on a punch/counter system. You pound away on the attack button and occasionally hit the dodge button when your spider-sense starts tingling to counter the incoming enemy’s attack. It’s a system that works, both in the context of the game’s mechanics and in the world of Spider-Man – Spidey having little “sense” icons above his head makes a lot more sense than Batman having them.

The rush of being a web-head.

The last major tent pole of The Amazing Spider-Man experience is the new “Web Rush” mechanic Beenox introduces in this game. At any moment during your adventures you can essentially slow down time to plan your next move. For instance, while swinging around New York, you can trigger Web Rush and map out your route. The game will then take over piloting Spidey, showing the nimble little bugger bouncing off the sides of buildings and swinging around flagpoles on route to his destination. It’s incredibly cool to watch, and very Spider-Man if you ask me.

Web Rush also works in the middle of combat. At any time you can trigger the mechanic to survey the battlefield and plan a course of action to ensure you survive the encounter. See that giant dumpster over there in the corner? Hit Web Rush and select it to watch Spidey zip over to it, hoist it up and slam it down on the group of enemies trying to overtake him. It’s very cinematic and visceral, and feels real good to pull off.

Should you pick it up?

Make no mistake; The Amazing Spider-Man is not a perfect game. Swinging around New York is addictive and the combat is fun, but the game does get repetitive. You’ll be doing the same side quests over and over. For instance, it’s kind of sad that there’s literally only one type of car that ever gets in high-speed chases with johnny law.

With that said, however, The Amazing Spider-Man should be an enjoyable Spidey simulation for fans of the character – which, I assume, pretty much describes most of the readers of this site. The game is by no means a master class in game development, but sometimes all you need is something that will provide some hours of escapism and bring a smile to your face.

The Amazing Spider-Man accomplishes that. Fans of the character and people looking for a way to continue the adventures of Peter Parker coming out of the feature film should give this game a shot.

Just for the love of all that is holy, see the movie first!

Erik Norris is a freelance writer for sites such as ComicVine, IGN and CraveOnline.com. You can stalk him on Twitter @Regular_Erik.

Good stuff! Just thwip it...thwip it good! Now all I need to do is upgrade to a console that can take this than the dinosaur I currently have...

I agree the game did spoil a few things from the movie but I did feel that as the game progressed less and less from the movie could be spoiled and in truth I was still overly excited with the film even with being spoiled

*grumble grumble complain complain Grrr.*

*Typical gamer rant when someone insults one of his best games of days passed. *

It’s the general consensus that the Spider-Man 2 game from a few years back marks the pinnacle of Spidey video games. That title’s open world let players feel like they were the Ol’ Webhead as they swung between the skyscrapers of New York, busting petty crimes and delivering pizzas for that jerk Mr. Aziz. The web-shooting of Spider-Man 2 was by far the game’s highlight and the reason why so many look back on it with rose-tinted glasses.

The Amazing Spider-Man recreates that feeling. In fact, I would go so far as to say it surpasses it.

Oh hell no. Spider-Man 2 was great because you had to learn to swing due to the webs actually attaching to the buildings. Once you got the hang of it, THEN you felt like Spidey moving through the city. What we have in this game is known as "moon swinging", which allows you to just swing off the sky. It essentially holds your hand and gives you less control.

Not saying the game can't be fun, but it has nothing on Spider-Man 2 in the web swinging department.

Bleh, someone needs to make a PC port!

And as far as Spider-Man games go, I hold up Web of Shadows as the best one so far. Just my opinion.

@Retnex said:

It’s the general consensus that the Spider-Man 2 game from a few years back marks the pinnacle of Spidey video games. That title’s open world let players feel like they were the Ol’ Webhead as they swung between the skyscrapers of New York, busting petty crimes and delivering pizzas for that jerk Mr. Aziz. The web-shooting of Spider-Man 2 was by far the game’s highlight and the reason why so many look back on it with rose-tinted glasses.

The Amazing Spider-Man recreates that feeling. In fact, I would go so far as to say it surpasses it.

Oh hell no. Spider-Man 2 was great because you had to learn to swing due to the webs actually attaching to the buildings. Once you got the hang of it, THEN you felt like Spidey moving through the city. What we have in this game is known as "moon swinging", which allows you to just swing off the sky. It essentially holds your hand and gives you less control.

Not saying the game can't be fun, but it has nothing on Spider-Man 2 in the web swinging department.

Oh thank God someone else said it. I tried but I always sound like a raving fanboy when I try. All my eloquence and elan quickly jump out the window and I devolve into "internet simian" and start flinging poo.

Thank you Retnex for saying what I could not. :)

Shattered Dimensions was the best so far methinks.

spider-man 2 (after the movie) for ps2 is THE BEST SPIDER-MAN GAME!! IT HAS SHOCKER!!!

Really don't understand what was so difficult for them to use a technology 10 years old. It was much better than this thing we have here.

@Meteorite said:

And as far as Spider-Man games go, I hold up Web of Shadows as the best one so far. Just my opinion.

Totally in agreement, web if shadows was great

I have, however, bought this game and so far im really enjoying it, true the repeated side missions get quite tedious but the change to rhino, scorpion and other characters gives the game a fresh new feel and a clever way to incorporate the characters into the movie universe.

Now if only they could solve the moon swinging for the next Spider-man game...

The game is fun and I enjoyed it, but the only problem I had with it (and it's not the web swinging) it's the length of it, I got it Friday afternoon last week, by Sunday evening I had fully 100% the game.

Haven't played the console version yet, but easily the best 3DS version of a game I have ever played. the web rush is so much fun whilst using the Gyroscope function, although you will want to turn 3D off for that part. And the graphics just... work with the 3DS, i guess is the best way to put it

I thought Spider-Man: Web of Shadows was Beenox's first open-world Spidey game?

@ObsideonDarman: it wasnt. spider-man 2 (after the movie) was the first.

@KainScion: Read my comment again my good man. Beenox's first open world Spider-Man game. Not the first open world Spider-Man game in general.

@ObsideonDarman: sorry my good sir. but the answer is still no. beenox made the pc version of spider-man 3.

@KainScion: Oh right. Could have swore they did. Oh well.

I thought the game was ok I would probably give it 6.5/10. The indoor missions got tedious quickly as did the fighting. I think they tried to recreate the combat system for the Batman Arkham series but failed, it's no where near as smooth. However, for a game based on a movie it's 10 times better than Iron Man (WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN F**KING AWESOME).

The web swinging in the game is fun, but damn if it doesn't get repetitive. There are too many boss fights and stages that go on way longer than they should. The combat is serviceable, but not anywhere near as responsive as the combat in Arkham.

But, the game is still pretty fun. If you're willing to put up with the repetition there are some really thrilling moments to be had in the game and there are a ton of little references in the game for Spidey fans as well.

Just tell me how it compares to Spider-Man 2's game which is easily the greatest Spider-Man game ever, if it stacks up against that well then I'll give it a shot if it doesn't I won't waste my time

@ZZoMBiE13: Aawwee

Making this game was great fun. I hope that you all enjoy it as much as I did in helping to create it.

eh this game was alright. definatly worth playing. i beat it in one day and wasn't entirely satisfied. the combat reminded me of a dumbed down arkham city/asylum. boss fights were a little too easy, even on super-hero mode. it was still a fun game, but i feel like could have done a hell of a lot better.

I think for me the problem with this game is really the new feature, Web Rush. I feel like the game was designed thinking you would use this feature the most and for that reason web swinging and combat suffered. I rather they threw out web rush all together and brought back Spider-man 2/Web of Shadows style web swinging. As to the combat system, I can understand that if you 100% copy Arkham City that it's going to be just more of the same to a lot of people. As it is the combat is mediocre and forces you to depend on Web Rush. I would have loved if they had amalgamated Arkham City's combat and with Web of Shadows. Imagine Arkham City style combat that flowed seamlessly from the ground to walls to ceilings to air and back again. That's what I was really hoping for.

@ZZoMBiE13:

No problem, and I know what you mean. I had to choose my words carefully and avoid sounding like a maniac, haha.

The gameplay was good. I haven't finished the game yet but it really feels like this game is lacking a good story and is really lacking classic Spidey villains. I get tired of fighting robots and enemys like "The Iguana" .They couldn't have thrown in Venom, Carnage, Kraven, Mysterio or a Goblin? I hated how Scorpion and Rhino were hybrid Human-Animals too.

I made the same mistake in buying the game before the movie and paid the price as well, but also learned from my mistake to just wait until seeing the movie before playing the game.
 
Overall I very much enjoyed the game, I loved how by the time you reach the end of the game you're basically running around New York in a battled torn, ruined costume, which makes the game more realistic as it has been a long couple of days for our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
 
My only complaint for the game is that while it's open world, once you beat all the selected muggings and car chases, you're done. I would have liked it if they would have made it where there's always some short of crime going on, whether it were a simply thug or a random car chase as, personally, I get bored just swinging around the city doing nothing after completely every little task. I kinda hoped they would have done similar to Ultimate Spider-Man where even after you beat the game, there's always a random crime going on, nothing the player can't handle, but it makes the whole "never ending battle" feel more...never ending. Plus, the main reason I liked USM over other games was the fact that every once and a while you would literally run into Shocker, who may seem more like an upgraded thug, but again it makes things feel more realistic. I wouldn't have mind it if we could random run into Rhino or Scorpion again, we knew Black Cat was still out there, so another bank robbery would have been nice. That's really my only complaint about the game.
 
If there were anything else, I wouldn't have minded if they had touched up Spidey's fighting abilities, giving us a little more variety instead of simple button mashing.
 
Overall, I loved the game. 

I'm sorry, I just saw The Amazing Spider-Man and the only thing I feel like doing that's related to the movie is beat up some random stranger to release my frustration, let alone play a game that's tied to that movie. No f***ing way I'm playing that.

It's a good game but I feel like they bastardized the villains by turning most of them into cross species and ripping them of their personalities. In-door environments are also a bit boring, they re-use Oscorp and generic sewer locations several times. Open world also have a lack of stuff to do once you complete the game but it's a pretty fun game by itself and probably one of the better Spider-Man games in years.

There'll a PC port in August

Great graphics. Hopefully the game  play is actually as good as they claim it to be.

I bought Amazing Spider-Man: Arkham City today and it came with $20 in e-movie cash. So I'm going to see Amazing Spider-Man a second time!

Pretty good review and maybe I'll pick it up when it comes out for the PC next month. 

Would never play this game!

@BlackArmor said:

Just tell me how it compares to Spider-Man 2's game which is easily the greatest Spider-Man game ever, if it stacks up against that well then I'll give it a shot if it doesn't I won't waste my time

How is it the best. It was terrible.

@Hero4life said:

@BlackArmor said:

Just tell me how it compares to Spider-Man 2's game which is easily the greatest Spider-Man game ever, if it stacks up against that well then I'll give it a shot if it doesn't I won't waste my time

How is it the best. It was terrible.

.....We must have played a different Spider-Man 2

Doubt it. I've played all spiderman games except Spiderman friend or foe thing.

It was a terrible game. The best spiderman game there is would be Spiderman next dimension

****edit this new one will probley be just as bad.

@KainScion: No! wrong again!

Beenox made the PC version of ULTIMATE SPIDERMAN....and again with Treyarch, witch made SM2+3.....

Beenox by herself (itself) made only Amazing Spiderman (open world i mean)

GIVE SPIDERMAN TO SHABA GAMES(developer of Web of Shadows) THEY CAN MAKE A GOOD IMROVED GAME (WoS with improvements is gonna be a GREAT game....)

@PunyParker: Spider-Man 3 is an action game loosely based on the Spider-Man 3 film and released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions were developed by Treyarch, the PC version by Beenox while the other versions were developed by Vicarious Visions. It was released May 4, 2007.

Is the Wii version any good?

@KainScion: Ultimate Spiderman was realeased in 2005 and the PC version was developed by BEENOX

Spiderman 3 was realeased ,as you say, in 2007 ....so WITCH Spiderman game Beenox made first??

The guy asked the FIRST Spiderman free roam game, developed by Beenox....so i answered

@Hero4life: I think you are reffereing to the PC version of the game.....because the PS2/XBOX/Gamecube version is ,like, the best Spiderman game, no doubt.....

@BlackArmor said:

Just tell me how it compares to Spider-Man 2's game which is easily the greatest Spider-Man game ever, if it stacks up against that well then I'll give it a shot if it doesn't I won't waste my time

didn't play Spiderman 2, but it's WAY better then Spiderman 3(the game I mean, havn't seen da movie yet)

@RoboShark said:

Is the Wii version any good?

No open world on the Wii version

@Death Certificate said:

@RoboShark said:

Is the Wii version any good?

No open world on the Wii version

Works for me.

@PunyParker: No, I've never played the pc version. I still stand with my comment. It's not the worst but it ain't that best.

In my opinion, The only free roam superhero game that was good was Batman Arkham Asylum. Spiderman games are better with levels.

@Hero4life: AA wasnt that free roam.....AC had a city to explore AA had only the Asylum area!

I think you meant AC ;)

SM2 isnt my favourite Spidey game....(Ultimate is) but the aspects of SM2 in Spiderman gameplay are the best you can find in a Spiderman based video game.

I cant agree with you on level-based games for Spiderman....Spidey needs freedom in exploration....he needs the whole city!

@PunyParker said:

@Hero4life: AA wasnt that free roam.....AC had a city to explore AA had only the Asylum area!

I think you meant AC ;)

SM2 isnt my favourite Spidey game....(Ultimate is) but the aspects of SM2 in Spiderman gameplay are the best you can find in a Spiderman based video game.

I cant agree with you on level-based games for Spiderman....Spidey needs freedom in exploration....he needs the whole city!

Your right I meant to say Arkham City.

Yes, I'll agree the Ultimate Spiderman game was better than Spiderman 2.

I bought this game a few days and although tries to copy AC in some things like combat and stealth this is a fun game . No doubt that Beenox will do better next time (also better with the swinging).