Spider-Man 3 review

Want the best version of Spider-Man 3? Here it is

GamesRadar+ Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Spidey's movement

  • +

    Parts of the city

  • +

    Bruce Campbell narration

Cons

  • -

    It's a last gen game

  • -

    Rehashed gameplay

  • -

    Nasty pop-in

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You know a game is bad when people stop what they're doing just to watch it suck. That's what reviewing Spider-Man 3 was like. Every few minutes something appalling would happen, something so annoying that passersby had to plant their feet and witness the horror. We're not saying Spider-Man 3 is the worst game of the year, or the worst on any individual system, but it's easily one of the most disappointing, rehashed experiences in a long while.

First of all, Spidey's playground has not been drastically improved. It's the same New York you slung webs through in 2004's Spider-Man 2, complete with Roosevelt Island and a near-perfectly recreated Manhattan. Seeing as everyone's familiar with NY already, there's no great incentive to swing around and explore. Some additions, like the extra bridges, just lead to a vast nothingness. Granted, there's only so much you can do with a real-life city, but part of having one giant level in the game is making it interesting for the player. We've done this twice now, and improved graphics aren't enough of a reason to slap money down all over again.

On the plus side, the 360 version is hands-down better than the PS3 game. That version is wrought with sticky, choppy gameplay that sucks the web-slinging excitement right out of the air. At least here you can still enjoy flipping and flying all over the place. It's also worth noting that some areas of the 360 version actually look better than the PS3 version, yet with no overbearing slowdown.

More info

GenreAction
DescriptionThwip! The first two Spider-Man tie-ins proved that movie games need not suck; can the third keep the streak going?
Platform"GameCube","PS2","PC","DS","PSP","Xbox","PS3","Xbox 360","Wii"
US censor rating"Teen","Teen","Teen","Teen","Teen","Teen","Teen","Teen","Teen"
UK censor rating"","","","","","","","",""
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
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Brett Elston

A fomer Executive Editor at GamesRadar, Brett also contributed content to many other Future gaming publications including Nintendo Power, PC Gamer and Official Xbox Magazine. Brett has worked at Capcom in several senior roles, is an experienced podcaster, and now works as a Senior Manager of Content Communications at PlayStation SIE.