Reviewed: October 10, 2007
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
Activision

Developer
Vicarious Visions

Released: October 16, 2007
Genre: Action
Players: 1

5
5
7
6
5.9

Supported Features:

While I personally enjoyed the third open-world game on the 360 and PS3, gamers and critics weren't as universal in their praise, and now five months later and without the hype of the film debut, Activision tries to sneak in the PSP version too late for theatrical momentum and too early for the DVD release. Sadly, Spider-Man 3 will likely die a lonely PSP death, sandwiched on the store shelves by games with far more media attention.

The first mistake for this PSP version was basing the gameplay on the Wii version, the one game system that varied from the rest, not only in the way you played the game, obviously, but in the core design as well. The Wii was my least favorite of the original launch line-up, not so much because of the physicality, which isn't even an issue on the PSP, but with the omission of the Action Events, and new features like the ability upgrade tree, and the whole gang/territory domination element it didn't even seem like the same game. In fact, the only thing I really did enjoy about the Wii version was moving my arms around pretending to be Spider-Man. Once you remove that for the PSP version you are left with only the stuff I didn't really like.

But then again, the PSP version was developed by Vicarious Visions, the company who also did the Wii version, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I can't hide my disappointment in what could have been a great PSP version of one of my favorite franchises. So bottom line, if you have played any version other than the Wii, Spider-Man 3 on the PSP will be an original experience. And if you have already played the Wii version, there are still one or two surprises in store for you on the PSP.

Vicarious Visions has taken the source material from the movie and spun a web of new, albeit limited content designed with the PSP gamer in mind. You can take part in new missions as well as re-envisioned missions from the other consoles, original story arcs, new dialogue (even during the tutorial), and a whole lot of awkward controls, thanks to the limitation of the PSP.

In this new vision of New York City Peter Parker has pretty much cleaned up the town and everyone is happy. His vigilante status has been replaced with the “hero” moniker, at least as far as the police are concerned. J. Jameson still has issues but seems to be coming around once you save him from some nasty kidnappers. Peter and M.J. are quite the item and Peter plans on popping the question. Everything is good in the Big Apple…or is it?

Four vicious gangs have moved into the city and are staking their claim to various territories. You’ll need to routinely fight these criminals to keep their hold on the city at bay, all the while partaking in numerous story missions that go several layers deep, exploring favorite characters from Spidey lore and even a few surprises. Spider-Man 3 doesn’t stray from its gaming roots and you still get to seek out numerous collectibles and mini-games hidden around the city.

Combat is far more easier than it was on the Wii with button presses allowing for quick and strong attacks that you can creatively mix into various combos, more of which you will unlock as the game progresses by earning Hero Points and spending them in the Upgrade Web. While actually punching and kicking are easy to pull off, aiming Spidey toward the intended target is problematic thanks again to the unruly analog control that makes our hero just as hard to control on the ground as in the air.

Missions are about two things; combat and movement, neither of which is all that easy to execute on the PSP. Nonetheless, you'll need to master the art of swinging and zipping and jumping, which are all integral to the massively complex combat and combo system that evolves over the course of the entire game. You will continue to unlock devastating new moves and attacks, but whether you choose to memorize these elaborate movement combos, or merely execute sequences of light, strong, and jump attacks with the occasional web-hit, is up to you.

Two things the PSP version does very differently from the other systems is to offer a unique territorial map of the city that shows the direct percentage influence of the rival gangs as well as the police, and an RPG stat system where you have complete control over customizing Spider-Man throughout the course of the game. You'll gain experience in combat and you can spend those points on new moves, upgrades, and abilities as dictated by a unique customization web. Just pick a path on the web and start adding enhancements to your swinging, attacks, combos, defense, and other abilities. This unique features allows you to enhance Spidey in areas you may be personally lacking as a player.

The black suit version of Spidey is also back and much like the Wii is far more integrated into the gameplay, adding some definite strategy to the gameplay, at least once you earn the ability to wear it and remove it. The more you wear it the harder it is to take it off, plus your overall City Satisfaction Index takes a hit when your fans see you swinging around town looking like a villain.

The city is still huge, which means you get a lock of blocky, textureless buildings, pop-up, and unimpressive character models and traffic. The characters are small, often too small at times, approaching NDS size, and I was extremely disappointed in the fact that there was no widescreen support, so characters all have fat faces during the cutscenes and the game is full of jaggies and serious framerate issues.

The camera system is worthless. With no second analog stick the PSP requires you to use the D-pad (while holding L) to adjust your camera view, presumably with the same thumb that is moving Spidey. That means you can't move Spidey and the camera at the same time, so when you need to adjust your view you have to stop moving and usually take some extra damage from cheap attacks.

The HUD and menu screens are nicely designed. The 3D map, while not nearly as impressive as the other systems, works well and is complete with all the necessary icons and crime maps, and I still love the spider web upgrade interface even if I'm not a big fan of the system it represents.

The voice acting is excellent with surprising performances by Toby, who plays a confident Spidey and a nerdy Peter, as well as Bruce Campbell who delivers some of the most priceless lines in the entire game. They even have console-specific one-liners and the Wii version may be just the best when it comes to humor, at least during the tutorial. J.K. Simmons turns in a character-matching performance for his J. Jameson character while Topher Grace and Thomas Haden Church lend their talents to the game. The rest of the supporting cast is handled with sound-alikes for the important people and just plain good actors for the rest of the population.

Spider-Man 3 has plenty of good sound effects but they seem to be limited to only the action portions of the game. There is very little ambient city noise, which is just plain wrong for NYC, especially when you can look down and see bumper-to-bumper traffic across the city grid and not hear a single horn honking. I also miss the occasional cheers and jeers from bystanders and Spidey swings through town and Peter’s witty responses.

All the important stuff is here like water, fire, rumbling trains, sifting sand, metallic pipes, echoes and reverbs, sickly thwacks as you punch an egg sack, and all sorts of thumps, oofs, and groans of endless combat. Just make sure you are wearing some good headphones so you can appreciate the best element of this game.

I probably could have talked myself into liking Spider-Man 3 more if it had shipped back in May with all the other versions, but as it is, this is just a below-average game that looks dated, plays poorly, and probably isn't worth your time. If you need a fun Spidey game for your PSP, allow me to recommend Spider-Man: Friend or Foe. It's a far better alternative and even has co-op multiplayer.