Ultimate Spider-Man

Ultimate is very entertaining, and the addition of Nemesis creates some interesting new situations, but over all there isn't a lot of variety; you fight, you race, you ramble around the city, and then you do it all again.

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.

The blockbuster production values make this one of the best comic book to videogame adaptations ever made. The control is equally as impressive which may not be apparent initially as I mentioned. The only things holding this game back from absolute greatness are basically the same flaws that held SM2 back from greatness: repetitive random missions, relentless chase missions, relatively short story mode and the lack of imagination in terms of game structure.

It’s best to go at these extra missions and goals in moderation though, as playing them for an extended amount of time can get boring.

Ultimate Spider-Man has an excellent comic book style presentation and a great story, but the gameplay seems to hold it back from being one of the better titles released this holiday season.

The campaign mode could be just a little more robust. [Dec 2005, p.109]

The could've been stunning, but after a strong start, the story and missions descend into repetitive, formulaic play. [Nov 2005, p.92]

At the very least this is a good-looking wasted opportunity, while at its most, it's a snazzy disappointment.

By limiting it to repetitive and limiting challenges, the game is condemned to that of pretty distraction.

Any action/adventure fan is looking at a fairly solid proposition here, but don't be surprised if the beauty of the game isn't enough to push those feelings of deja vu and boredom to the back of your mind.

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 new web swing system and the new fighting system are not up to the level of it predecessors but there are still highly playable.

It's great when it sticks to the story, but too often it gets caught up in a seemingly pointless loop. Even so, it's still the best looking Spider-Man game yet. [PSW]

Enjoy swinging around New York to your heart’s content, but stick to a rental for this title.

The new style is breathtaking, although the heavily tweaked gameplay will leave most Spider-fans hanging and the horrible pace will make them want to cut the thread.

Did a purse-holder at Activision one day grapple fruitlessly with the last game's control system and scrawl in their subsequent notes “Make the next one so that I can play it”? Speculation aside, someone sure messed-up Spider-Man. [Dec 2005, p.108]