Xbox

Ultimate Spider-Man

I’m sure there will be those who disagree, but I enjoyed this game much more than Spider-Man 2 for several reasons. It was based on fresh material and not a re-hash of a movie, and it was a smaller game that packed in just as much action. Plus, there is no denying the guiltiest pleasure of all, playing as Venom and feeding on the innocent citizens of New York.

Ultimate Spider-Man on the Xbox is a little faster on the load times when compared to the PS2, but overall it really is the same game. The game is a great deal of fun, and the comic style adds quite a bit to the presentation.

Despite its problems major and minor Ultimate Spider-Man is not only one of the most faithful superhero games ever made, but one of the best in terms of graphics, style and execution. Fans of the Marvel series or just Spider-Man may find fault in the game’s length, but as far as superhero games none do a better job of making you feel like the hero than this one.

Ultimate Spider-Man is simply the ultimate in comic book video games. Ultimate Spider-Man does for comic book games what Sin City did for comic book films. The look and feel of a comic is there and it simply looks amazing in motion. The same highly addictive gameplay from Spider-Man 2 is there and doesn’t miss a beat. The only real complaints I have about Ultimate Spider-Man is the length, the camera, and the at times frustrating chase missions. Aside from those small complaints this is easily the best Spider-Man title to date, and knowing Treyarch they will only surpass it with their next Spidey title.

Ultimate Spider-Man is a beautifully put together game that will make a lasting impression on anyone who witnesses it in action. Unfortunately they have lost a lot of features that helped make last years game so special and traded them in for a more cosmetically approved storyline. You will not be disappointed with end product and the Venom sequences really help break up the gameplay. Overall Ultimate Spider-Man is a success and we hope Treyarch has enough time to give us two Spider-Man games a year.

USM is definitely a keeper. Treyarch has proven to be a potent Spider-Man developer and USM further cements that. Though the game isn’t perfect, the addicting story line and amazing presentation are definitely welcomed. If Treyarch had kept the bigger city and more advanced web swinging techniques, Ultimate Spider-Man would have been the definitive Spider-Man game.

What a treat the last few releases have been for Marvel fans that also dabble in gaming. First, The Incredible Hulk got his just due without the movie license constraints. Then, Marvel served up some new blood in Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects. Now we get a Bagley-inspired, Bendis written Spidey title with all the trimmings. I place Ultimate Spider-Man somewhere in between the previous, recent Marvel releases. Ultimate Spider-Man hands out a beat down to Nemesis, but Hulk is holding the trump card with a bit more thoroughness up his sleeve. Spidey fans, or general fans of comic book games: don’t pass Ultimate Spider-Man up.

I seriously hope that games like this are a sign of what is to come in future superhero games. Ultimate Spider-Man however is not perfect. It is relatively short and leaves fans wanting more: More story missions, more than five or six city events, and more time as Venom; maybe even an entire game devoted to the big black monster. What it does, it does well, and throughout my entire time playing, I really enjoyed the game. I’ll look forward to Spider-Man 3 (slated to release around the time of the upcoming movie featuring Sandman and Venom as villains). What is there left to say except "Up, Up, And Away Web!"

Even though the story line is short (around 3-6 hours), there is plenty of stuff to keep you busy in US. From finding all the comic covers, to unlocking all of the secret costumes (including the super cool Symbiote Spider-man costume), most players will have their hands full of replay value. Not to mention the fact that beating the game grants you access to switch back and forth between Venom and Spider-man as you please. Barring a few hitches here and there, this game is an extremely enjoyable experience for both comic book veterans, and new Spider-fans weaned on the movies. I highly recommend taking a spin around the big apple with your friendly neighborhood Spider-man.

Oddly enough, Ultimate Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 flip-flop in terms of strengths and problems. Where Spidey 2's story mode was atrocious, USM's is awesome. But the free-roaming mode and the swinging were the real strengths of Spider-Man 2 and conversely the one mild disappointment in USM. In the free roaming mode, there are spots of slowdown, both with swinging and in combat.

Ultimate Spider-Man is the best comic book game I’ve ever played, aside from The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. On one level, that’s not saying much when you consider the less than stellar history of comic book video games, but on another level, this game holds its own with any of the other video games in the action adventure genre. It is a beautiful game with some technical flaws that are definitely worth overlooking. The excellent mixture of the alternate storyline and the sensational art style are second to none. It would have been nice to have more side missions, but what is here is adequate enough. USM is a game with flair and spirit that any fan of Spider-Man, comics or movies, should check out.

It's a strange situation when one of the weakest elements of a game -- in Spider-Man 2's case, the story -- can massively improve in a follow-up, and yet the overall quality of the games can remain roughly the same, but that's exactly what's happened here. It's a shame Ultimate Spider-Man isn't a bit longer and that the web-swinging isn't quite as fun anymore, but this is the most polished Spider-Man game yet and something no fan of the series should be without.

Overall, Ultimate Spider-Man is a very entertaining superhero action title that takes the series into a new direction. The comic book style will throw off certain gamers, while others will gladly devour what Treyarch has developed. It is a deep and fun single-player adventure that fans of comic books or superheroes are sure to enjoy. I didn’t have as much fun with this title as I did with Spider-Man 2, but I still recommend this title. However, I will be eagerly waiting for Spider-Man 3 to hit both the big screen and home consoles.

Flowing seamlessly from gameplay to cutscenes encased in comic book framing, USM is a visual marvel, pushing current consoles to their processing max. Utilizing unique inking technology and character models drafted by co-creator Mark Bagely, the game is a cross-media tie-in with the comic book (picking up where the series left off and dropping it off where it will continue). Though a short-lived experience, the visual presentation, original script, and true comic book feel make this game a worthwhile endeavor for any level player. Fans of the series will get more from it then neophytes, but when isn't that the case?

Well, I was gonna be more detailed than that. Ultimate Spider-Man is the best Spider-Man game yet, due to its diversity and the addition of...um, that other guy. You know who he is. Anyway, the graphics, for the most part, get the job done, and the audio's impressive. But it's the gameplay that'll keep you rampaging through the streets, making it a safer place. Or a worse one, depending on that, ahem, certain one's progress.

If you exclude Venom from the game, Ultimate Spider-Man would be that much better. Despite its flaws, Ultimate Spider-Man is definitely something worth picking up. If you haven't played Spider-Man 2, it should please on all Spider-Man fronts. All the changes made from last year's Spidey title aren't necessarily for the better, but they do make sense, and there are a few treats in store for fans of Spider-Man. This is definitely one of the better comic-based games out there.

Ultimate Spider-Man is a fairly short game, as well. You can easily beat it over the course of a couple days. The action is fun, but a couple of the vagaries of gameplay kill that. This is a case of an otherwise high-quality game being hindered by a few iffy additions that wreck the whole experience. It's a good game, to be sure, and an excellent representation of both the Spider-Man character and comics, but it falls a bit short of classic status.

On the whole, Ultimate Spider-Man remains one of the best superhero games out there, joining the likes of The Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and X-Men Legends. The interesting plot and addictive gameplay will keep you coming back for more even after you play through the entire story mode. And extras such as new artwork and costumes definitely add some spice to this well-rounded title. Although Ultimate Spider-Man is a fun title that will likely be dismissed by many because of its cell shaded graphics, I personally recommend picking this one up if you’re a fan of Spider-Man and are open to a storyline with plenty of twists and turns.

Ultimate Spider-Man fans are sure to like this game, but that’s not a lock for everyone else. There are a number of reasons to recommend that you at least take a look at the game and give it a try with a rental, but its shortcomings may keep it from keep you interested much beyond that.

If you’ve enjoyed some of the other recent Spiderman games, such as Spiderman 2, then I definitely suggest you give Ultimate Spiderman a shot. It’s not perfect, but playing as Venom is a great change, and exploring the city is a lot of fun.

Ultimate Spider-Man is largely a success. While it undoubtedly falls short in certain key areas – the imperfect controls, the repetitive side missions, the slightly bland engine… – it will certainly be more than adequate for any Spidey fan feeling the need for some web-slinging. While not quite up to the standard of last year’s Spider-Man 2, its inventive style and faithful tone make for an entertaining, if fairly brief, dose of adventuring.

So, while the game is beautiful, and the story mode is a lot more engaging and interesting than that presented in Spider-Man 2, some of the lackluster combat options and changes to web-slinging keep it from being amazing. A solid play for fans of the comic and character, and a good way to whittle away an afternoon, but after that you're left with nothing more than an expensive, interactive comic book that you probably won't be picking up to play again anytime soon.

The storyline also deserves mention as being rock-solid, written by Brian Michael Bendis, and is generally not too bad. It's worth playing through at the least. Again, though, if you play through a handful of chapters, you've won. There isn't even much to unlock, aside from a comic art gallery and some extra costumes. In my eyes, that spells "rental," and maybe not even a full price rental. Maybe you've got a free rental somewhere as a birthday present from your great-aunt Whatsit. That's what Ultimate Spider-Man is for. It's a quick fix of fun gaming that really doesn't need to be lingered over.

Ultimate Spider-Man is a better game than Treyarch's previous efforts, but it still relies too heavily on the novelty of swinging around the city and beating up the same bad guys over and over again--a novelty made less so by the simplification of both mechanics. It's especially distressing because the developer was clearly able to put together a solid story and some great boss fights, yet was unable to cull together enough of them to make a great game. All told, Ultimate Spider-Man would serve as a worthwhile rental for any comic fan, but only the most vehement of webheads ought to consider it for purchase.

Ultimate Spider-Man shows off an amazing graphic engine which portrays a very faithful comic feel. Playing as Venom and getting to interact with the suit looks absolutely amazing. With a free roaming environment full of side missions, Ultimate Spider-Man seems to be replay value friendly. Stay tuned for more.

This turned out to be one of the harder games I've ever had to review - largely due to my bias for the comic book and my love of all things Spider-Man. And as much as I wanted to score the game higher for its dynamic story, fluid gameplay, and of course, its aesthetic superiority, and as much as I tried to forget its shortcomings, I couldn't. This is the best Spider-Man experience yet, but with its inexcusable length and lack of any replay value, Ultimate-Spider Man ends up being a pretty good game instead of a phenomenal one. Does that mean you shouldn't check it out? Absolutely not, because whether you're a fan of the comics or not, Ultimate Spider-Man is still worth every penny.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love moments of Ultimate Spider-Man. The style and mood captures the spirit of the comics perfectly, and having two playable characters is a feature that turned out excellent. It’s a shame that stomping through the streets as Venom while devouring civilians can’t make up for the repetitive missions and the appallingly short time it takes to beat the game. Even Uncle Ben would be a little disappointed.

After tearing through "Spider-Man 2" last summer, I was impressed by the controls and a free-roaming concept that really suits a superhero like Spidey, even though the rest of the game didn't stack up. I was convinced that Treyarch's follow-up would have the foundation necessary to build something genuinely impressive on top of it, but as much of a good time as I had with "Ultimate Spider-Man", it's not the step forward I'd hoped it would be. The graphics are a spot-on match for the comic, bringing in Mark Bagley and Brian Michael Bendis is a huge boon, and it's fun while it lasts, but the game is too short and a bit too repetitive to fully warrant its $49.99 price tag. "Ultimate Spider-Man" is worth seeking out, especially for fans of Bendis and Bagley's comic, but it's better suited to a rental until the price eases back.

While the game does manage to successfully re-create the classic Spider-Man comics in video game form, the frustrating and quickly repetitive gameplay seriously lowers the enjoyment that can be gained from the game. Being forced to complete repetitive random missions in-between each of the interesting story-driven missions is simply unwanted, causing many players to quickly tire of the process and lose interest in the game. If you’re a dedicated Spider-Man fan, you’ll manage to garner some enjoyable gameplay time with Ultimate Spider-Man, while others may be hard-pressed to endure the boring random missions every fifteen minutes.

Décidément, Spider-Man est un super-héros bien souple. Courbant l'échine face à des problèmes de gameplay, à un système de progression perfectible et à un fond assez limité, il parvient tout de même à se relever sans heurt. Un miracle découlant d'une atmosphère immersive, d'une jouabilité intuitive et impressionnante de liberté ainsi que d'un découpage graphique innovant. En bref, le titre d'Activision est une production véritablement honnête, ludiquement correcte, qui divertit agréablement. Et c'est bien tout ce qu'on lui demande à la réflexion. Et une toile pour la deux, une !

I would recommend Ultimate Spider-Man to any comic book reader with one gentle reminder: even great comic characters like Spidey have dark moments. Anyone else remember the Scarlet Spider?

Overall, I was really hoping this was going to be completely different from SM2. But to my dismay, there was nothing really new other than the look of the game, and of course you can play as the villain. This game should defiantly be put on your “rent it” first list, unless you have never played Spider-Man 2, which means you might find this one more fun.

If you haven’t played the Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction the downsides – short story, not much fun stuff to do – will only seem minor. But in comparison to Ultimate Destruction, which is chock-full of objects to destroy, projectiles to throw and robots to mow down, Ultimate Spider-Man feels empty. There’s not a whole lot to do. This feeling is heightened as you trek across the city to get to a mission or checkpoint. Instead of enjoying the chance to litter skyscrapers with webbing you’ll wish there was a “Jump to Mission” option.

With all the great comic games that have hit the shelves in the past few years (except Batman games, but I don’t want to talk about that now) I was fairly surprised at how uninspired Ultimate Spiderman turned out to be. The graphics are a great fit for a game based on the comic and webswinging around the city is a blast. It seems like Treyarch phoned in everything else. Dull side missions that the player must complete to progress combine with chasing down almost every boss just doesn’t appeal to me. The storyline and the cutscenes are great, but didn’t we stop playing games for the cutscenes when we upgraded to the current generation of consoles. If they can make Ultimate Spiderman 2 as action packed as the cutscenes in this one then count me in. Only pick this up if you’re a die-hard fan, otherwise I’d keep this one in the weekend rental category.

Over the past few years, Treyarch's one-two punch of Spider-Man movie games for the Xbox has been, well, amazing. Placing the web-slinger inside a free-roaming reproduction of Manhattan with oodles of story missions, secrets, and random city events has made for a successful Grand Theft Spider cocktail -- and one "borrowed" by VU Games for its own slam-dunk superhero title, The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction.

Ultimate Spider-Man may look very stylish and visually capture the essence of a comic perfectly, but the gameplay feels like a swing backwards in almost every department. The swinging is all context sensitive now and you can only use webbing when the game allows you to, meaning you'll constantly be hitting the buttons to no avail until you get in the perfect position. The fighting is so lacklustre that you'll wonder where all those cool moves from the last game went and why you can't go buy them right away, easily making the game feel tiring and almost like a chore very early on. Forcing the side-missions on the player is a horrible move, as none of them are much fun, and while playing as Venom is a nice switch, he doesn't show up nearly as much as the game leads you to think he will and his sections aren't that much better than Spider-Man's.