Spider-Man 2 for the PSP feels like a mixture of the original Spider-Man on the PlayStation 2 and last year's movie adaptation. However, Vicarious Visions has developed an entirely new title that features over twenty missions. Whilst the missions are short, they are very varied, and Spider-Man won’t just be fighting bad guys in the city, but navigating around a creepy museum and saving civilians from fires. The game follows the storyline of last year's blockbuster movie (which is available for free after you register your PSP). The storyline is well presented, so those who haven’t seen the movie will find it easy to get immersed in the storyline.
One of the disappointments of the game is that the free-roaming environment from last year’s version has been removed. Alas, this means that once the game is completed, there isn’t too much to come back for. The missions have also been scaled down in size so that gamers on the go can quickly play a mission (and without getting stuck halfway before they have to get off the train etc.).
The game also includes battles which weren’t seen in the movie, so players will find themselves battling Shocker, Vulture and Rhino; but the encounters aren’t too long. We assume this is because Vicarious Visions didn’t want to deviate too much from the storyline of the movie.
This is hardly a fair fight.
The game play has made the transition to the PSP unscathed. Spider-Man himself is just as nimble and possesses plenty of moves such as punching, kicking and a variety of web attacks. The controls are fairly easy to pick up, and are very similar to the PlayStation 2 version; thankfully, it really doesn’t seem like many downgrades have had to be made to keep the experience feeling the same. Overall, the combat is fairly simple, but it is this that makes the game so appealing.
Unfortunately, the game itself feels a little linear at times, and the outdoor environments (whilst easily the best missions in the game) are timed, so the opportunity to explore is diminished. Ultimately, the experience feels a little linear, and we would have loved a little less direction and a little more freedom.
The camera can sometimes become a problem, and it's rotated using the directional pad. This can sometimes be a bit of a clunky way of changing the camera, as Spider-Man himself is controlled using the analogue nub. This can mean you have to take your hand off the nub to change the camera, which is a bit fidgety.
A lot of the PSP titles we’ve played recently have had a noticeable amount of loading. Spider-Man is different in this respect, and doesn’t contain too much loading at all. Getting into a mission takes under five seconds, and the introduction screen actually contain hints (which keep the player occupied), so we were very impressed with how little waiting we had to do - it makes the whole game feel like it flows better.
Flying
Graphically, the game is fairly decent, although the lack of free-roaming makes the game world feel greatly reduced. There are some missions where players can zip around the city, and this is where the game is at its best. All the cut-scenes look fairly good, but Peter Parker and Kirsten Dunst aren’t rendered as well as we’d hoped.
Activision has secured the rights to use authentic voices for the game; this adds to the experience considerably, and Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and Alfred Molina all add their voicework, voicing their respective characters from the movie. The soundtrack is really great, and sounds exactly like the movie. The sound coming from the headphones on the PSP is brilliant and never stops.
Web Zip!
The game includes a fair few unlockables to keep the action going. Hero points are accumulated after each level, and with these hero points players can buy upgrades such as more health or stronger punches. Aside from this, movies and production art can also be purchased. Accumulating everything won’t be possible on the first play through, so anyone wanting to unlock everything will need to play through the game a few times. However, this isn’t as much of a challenge as it may seem; it is actually possible to complete the entire game in under five hours, which is a little disappointing.
Spider-Man 2 is a fairly decent game; fans of the franchise will lap this game up as it doesn’t change the formula too much. Ultimately, there are a few shortcomings that hinder this game from becoming an instant classic. The lifespan is disappointing - there are a few reasons to play the game again but it is unlikely most people will bother. The open ended city from the game’s predecessor is also missed and makes the game feel like more of a downgrade, rather than a sequel. However, most people looking for a decent action adventure title will still enjoy Spider-Man while it lasts.
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