While next year’s incoming Spider-Man game from Insomniac Games is going to be nothing short of spectacular, the web-slinger has starred in his fair share of great video games over the past few years – and we’ll be going over that list next week as we get closer to the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming in theaters.
For now, we wanted to focus on one particular title that really did rather well on the market – and helped define Spider-Man, in more than one way, to fans and casual players alike.
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Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions made its debut on September 7, 2010, released under Activision and developed by the new team at Beenox, who would since develop other games for the publisher, including Spider-Man: Edge of Time and a forthcoming yet unspecified Call of Duty project. But Shattered is where the team got off to its glorious start.
Even nearly seven years after the game’s initial release, it remains a timeless classic in the line-up of Spider-Man games that have followed. And while it may take a little bit of effort to track down a copy for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, it’s well worth it – and we’ve got five good reasons why!
It Features Not One, Not Two But Four Awesome Spider-Man Characters
A good Spider-Man game focuses on its hero and chronicles his adventures. But it never hurts to have a little variety, and Shattered Dimensions has it in spades. Not only does it feature the Amazing Spider-Man (voiced by NPH himself, Neil Patrick Harris!), but it also has a version in the black suit, the debut of Spider-Man 2099 (and his futuristic landscape to boot), and a new version of the character, Noir Spider-Man, who looks like he came straight out of the 1940’s. All four versions of Spidey play about the same way (mind some little nuances, like Noir Spider-Man’s penchant for stealth webbings), but seeing them spread across different eras really gives Shattered a great deal of innovation – and it’s fun zipping around from the present to the future to the past and back again, depending on what the game is throwing your way.
There Are Tons Of Hidden Goodies
Strewn throughout each level in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions are a handful of icons available in different colors (like gold and silver), and depending how many you pick up, you can really stack up a number of bonuses within the game, based on the connecting Web of Destiny, as well as an unending list of skills that you can unlock, making your character more versatile and open-ended in the process. And there are a ton scattered throughout each stage, and it’ll take a good deal of exploration in order to track them all down. We’ve been playing for over five years and we still haven’t found everything.
Deadpool’s Level Is Absolutely Bonkers
There are many enemies that you’ll have to face over the course of Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, including a number of familiar foes that fans of the series will easily recognize. But perhaps our favorite level of all is Deadpool’s, as he invites you on a remote island rigged with traps and gunmen, then films it all for a crazy reality TV show, eventually making it all about a showdown between the two. We know Deadpool already has his own game to show off and all, but his appearance in Shattered Dimensions is truly noteworthy – and it’s one of our favorite levels in the game overall.
There Are Challenges Aplenty
Along with collecting a number of hidden icons strewn throughout each stage, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions also has a whopping amount of challenges that need to be overcome. This includes small, basic goals at the beginning, like web-zipping enemies that are perched atop towers (which can easily be done), but they soon begin to ramp up. However, the more you unlock, the more the Web of Destiny opens up, and the more challenges you’ll be able to attain. Like the collectibles, these add an extraordinary amount of replay value to the game – and we can’t get enough of them.
It’s a Hell of a Lot of Fun
You can tell the good Spider-Man games from the bad ones depending on how well it plays. Beenox is aware of this, and has assured that the gameplay feels like vintage Spidey, whether it’s about ground combat (and being able to web-zip into an enemy to drop kick them into next week) or swinging through the air while enemies shoot at you. While it’s not quite as open-world as, say, Spider-Man 2 on the GameCube, Xbox and PlayStation 2, it’s still a game that offers plenty of excellent moments, which you can easily take control of. Plus, there are surprises galore, including…
BONUS: Spider-Ham!
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions has an awesome amount of characters, heroes and villains alike, strewn in, ranging from Carnage to the Goblin to Juggernaut, and eventually you’ll have to come face-to-face with Mysterio as well. But the team at Beenox saved the best for last, as you’ll be treated to a familiar face at the end of the credits in the game – Spider-Ham! He shows up to lend Madame Web a hand, even if he answers the call a wee bit late. Hey, it’s just great to see him pop up in a game that doesn’t make him look too, ahem, hammy.
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is available now for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It should be available on Steam again as well, though Activision hasn’t provided a release date.
