Review: Spider-Man 3 (Wii)
After digesting the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions of Spider-man 3, Gamestyle now finds itself faced with the Nintendo Wii incumbent. Whereas Treyarch handled development duties on the 360 and PS3 offerings, Vicarious Visions took control of this project. While it has many similarities with its elder, it is very much a different experience, and one we hope is therefore superior.
The story is as to be expected although the delivery is hampered by the poorly implemented and realised cut sequences. It is also worth noting that you are guided through the game more so than elsewhere - perhaps indicative of the Wii’s target market. Instead of obtaining the keys to New York from the get go (as with the PS3 and 360 editions), leaving you free to explore and experiment from the off, here you are led through several uninspiring missions. While these serve to introduce the various abilities of the Wii remote, they also install a sense of disbelief such as “is this it?” as you fight a small selection of gang characters, almost constantly.
Now what about the control system? In some areas it is a real success, managing to install some fun into what is a mundane and empty combat system. However the limitations against multiple opponents are all too evident. Try switching targets and fighting moves at the same time - it doesn’t really work - as consistently you just flick the remote and hammer the A button with little regard to trying to perform more complicated combos. The underlying issue is that there are just too many actions mapped onto the remote, leaving you dazed and confused. When you are just coming to terms with the current set up, another ability is introduced. Another difference is the ability to spend points to develop abilities in a similar system used in Final Fantasy X. This allows you to plan ahead and enhance Spider-man to your own particular style or work towards the most destructive abilities.
Practice does improve matters but an added issue is that you are able to web sling using either the remote or nunchuk. It may introduce some freedom (especially for left handed players) yet trying to swing in a straight line is almost impossible. Veering to the left or right is all too common, as it losing momentum and falling to the ground.
Visually Spider-man 3 is a real stinker on the Wii; limited detail, poor textures, variable frame rate and that chunky, flat N64 feel, all combine for a title that looks outdated years before it hit the market. Things are so watered down that the best option would have been to ditch the realistic approach and introduce a comic or cel-shaded look. Everything melts into a mix of blurred environments with little detail, so while you may be in Hell’s Kitchen it will look exactly like any other neighbourhood.
The atmosphere is severely hampered through the lack of background sound and chatter. Gamestyle criticised the PS3 version giving the Big Apple an eerie, ghostly feel, yet here it is magnified tenfold. Walking down the main avenues you might as well be in Silent Hill, rather than a bustling New York. Passers-by continue on their set patterns, failing to respond when barged and the traffic is wonderfully muted. The most notable barometer is the map system, which on the PS3 and Xbox 360 allowed you to plan, explore and visualise your position, making an excellent addition. For the Wii the option is relegated to a blurred overhead map with tacky badges to pinpoint gangs or missions. This sums up the whole offering, which is terribly implemented and badly designed.
While many assets have been shared between versions, with the Wii offering it is amazing just what is missing. Gamestyle can forgive the inferior graphics and the mundane audio accompaniment, yet so much has been dispensed with here that the introduction of exclusive elements such as the unique control and extra villains go nowhere near to overcome. While the Wii remains underpowered in comparison, streaming from the disk should allow more areas to be open and available, than we have here. A small positive in this sea of despair is the prominence of the black suit and the constant fight between good and evil for Spider-man’s sanity.
Until this instalment the Spider-man releases had performed reasonably well from a critical viewpoint, avoiding the terrible fate that befell Superman and many other comic book characters. This proves nothing is infallible, but for such a high profile release you do have to wonder how long this took to put together and why it shipped in such a state.
Rating: 3 / 10
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