What's more, each villain will come equipped with combo attacks that'll complement Spidey's abilities. Green Goblin, for example, can paralyze nearby enemies, enabling Spider-Man to jump over and beat the tar out of them. They'll also take verbal jabs at Spidey the whole time, reminding us that - even though the two have decided to momentarily put aside their differences - they're not entirely happy about working with each other.
While the prospect of playing as villains is cool - as is the idea of pitting them against each other in the game's versus mode - Spider-Man: Friend or Foe's linear brawling honestly looks like a huge step back for a franchise that made its name by offering a constant rush of web-slinging freedom. Still, this is a kids' game - Activision reps went so far as to use the words "family-friendly combat" while showing it - and judged on its own merits, it could turn out to be fun. We'll know for sure when we actually get to play it.