Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: October 15, 2001

For over three decades Spider-Man has thrived in Marvel comic books and on animated television series. After a demonstration of a new technology in which a spider crept into a radiation beam and then bit Peter Parker’s hand, the basis for the legendary superhero was born. Now LTI Gray Matter and Activision have released a computer game attempting to capture the essence of the famous mutant. This third-person action-adventure title is basically of the platform variety, but to succeed you need to be able to do a lot more than web slinging. Confronting a seemingly unending series of grotesque villains, you guide the red-and-blue clad arachnid through harrowing predicaments to save the world.

In this release Spider-Man finds himself in a fight, specifically to protect the people of New York. Appearing as journalist Peter Parker, Spider-Man attends a business meeting presided over by Otto Octavius, also known as Doctor Octopus. Suddenly an intruder dressed as Spider-Man breaks in and steals a special device from Octavius. After rival journalist Eddie Brock snaps some shots of the impostor, the camera is destroyed and Venom takes over Brock’s body. Venom then turns his dastardly attention to Spider-Man himself. The story is true to the Spider-Man legacy, but it is not particularly subtle or engaging.

The game features 34 single player missions, in which you gather intelligence and spy on nefarious evil-doers, avoid the police, chase and battle numerous foes, and rescue hostages. All told, there are eight main locations within New York City, including skyscrapers, a bank, the Daily Bugle office, an underwater trench, the waterfront, a warehouse, and the sewer system. Often you have to use your special spider skills to get across wide chasms while moving high overhead in the metropolis. Indeed, if all the action just took place on street level, there would never be a need for many of Spider-Man’s strengths. There is decent, if not spectacular, variety in the levels.

In the course of these challenges you encounter both helpful characters, such as Daredevil, Black Cat, and the Human Torch, as well as enemies, such as lizard men, aliens, Carnage, Mysterio, Rhino, Scorpion, Venom, and of course, Doctor Octopus. It takes different tactics to beat each of these adversaries, as each has a distinctive repulsive personality and utilizes differing approaches to combat. Sometimes the issue is not so much overcoming foes in battle but rather chasing them down before they elude you. Boss enemies are decidedly foreboding, particularly since they are inevitably much more powerful than you are. The strong personality and authenticity of the foes keeps them fun throughout.