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It just isn't as good as it should have been.

The faults don't just lie in the graphics though, as the 'freedom' offered by the game isn't exactly what one would expect, especially with the comparisons to GTA that Spidey 2 has been receiving. “You're free to do whatever you want!” they scream, “ANYTHING!” they carry on, just before passing out from lack of oxygen. Whilst our breathless counterparts may be onto something, they are not exactly correct, and this is another area whereby the game falls short. Being a superhero, you have to fight crime and so cannot commit any naughty deeds - this is fair enough. Seeing as you can only carry out acts of good, it is a shame that the random crimes that can be solved across the city are so ferociously repetitive - the number of times a workman will be hanging for his life from a building through the game is frankly ridiculous - do they not teach people how to not fall off buildings in New York? The challenges and collectables available are things that only the most committed of players will want to pursue, as their monotonous nature will put most players off. This discredits most notions of a 'sandbox' game and puts Spiderman 2 in the realms of being a less limited than normal, but repetitive experience.

Fans of Spidey will be happy to know that the game doesn't just follow the path of the movie, and includes run-ins with a number of the comic's most popular super villains. Boss fights against Rhino, Shocker and Mysterio help the game inject fresher ideas than a straight film-to-game conversion could have, and the inclusion of Black Cat helps to differentiate the story more from the movie with the introduction of the Spidey/Cat/MJ love triangle. Doctor Octopus is, of course, the game's main villain and manages to involve the player in some of the most frustratingly annoying battles this side of Ninja Gaiden, with his maniacal activities causing many headaches. A lot of the fighting in the game, not just in the boss fights, suffers from high irritation levels, with common street thugs being able to block Spiderman's super-powered punches (?!) and dodging his web sprays with ease - these factors smack of artificial difficulty and don't help the game retain fun levels, they just make for a more frustrating experience.

And you can go anywhere...And you can go anywhere...

Overall Spiderman 2 is fun, though a repetitive and maddening game. The feel of truly being Spidey is stronger than it ever has been before and the liberation of swinging freely through the city is one that should be experienced by all, add to this the beautiful Danny Elfman musical score and voice acting carried out by the movie's actors and you have a pleasant and generally well-presented (graphics aside) title. Nonetheless, the game is hampered by the unfinished air it puts out, and though this doesn't detract too much from the experience, it does bring enjoyment levels down considerably in certain parts of the game. Forcing the player to collect points for the story to progress is not a recipe for fun. The game is enjoyable, especially for those who like to get 100% completion levels in their game playing experiences, and should at least be rented by fans of the movie and/or superhero. Spiderman 2 is a fantastic foundation for any future sequels, but right now it just isn't as good as it should have been.

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