Let us reflect for a moment and remember just
how great the licensed Spider-Man games have
been for the iOS - it's not hard, there has
previously only been one, Spider-Man: Total
Mayhem.
Despite lacking free-roaming it made up for
this with tightly controlled combat with multiple
fighting 'combos' to master and a cheesy,
but near pitch-perfect storyline for the webslinger
to follow.
Following up on this effort is The Amazing
Spider-Man, a movie tie-in that attempts to
pair Gameloft's first attempt at bringing
the quip-spouting hero to life with a free-exploration
system.
Don't expect a high-flying GTA though as the
game engine struggles to keep pace with Spidey's
speed and ultimately settles in to a mindless
series of brawls that require little part
on the player to overcome.
When standing still on the edge of a building
or taking that first plunge down to the city
streets, it's hard not to be stunned at the
sharp visuals and fluid motion of Spider-Man's
twists and spirals.
However, once you start swinging, the facade
quickly falls away, leaving players with muddy
textures that pop in at the last moment and
a frame-rate that becomes problematic when
trying to pull off precise maneuvers.
The controls certainly play their role in
making things harder than they should be as
the web-slinging system kicks in automatically
if you hold down the jump button.
The problem is, you need to hold the jump
button to jump at all, turning Peter Parker
in to perhaps the most laughable hero ever
when attempting to collect spider-tokens spread
throughout the city to spend on boosts in
the store (never-fear though, IAP can be used
to top up your virtual cash too).
Completing missions and beating up baddies
throughout the city will net you experience,
leveling you up and presenting you with skill
points to unlock various abilities such as
extended combos, additional damage and so
on.
This does encourage players to explore and
be the vigilante hero you're supposed to be,
but at times it can also leave you feeling
weak (but not entirely powerless) if you progress
too fast.
The Amazing Spider-Man is a disappointing
release, especially when the older Total Mayhem
manages to provide more variation in gameplay
and content, albeit lacking in free-exploration.
Considering the premium entry price this leaves
us worried about upcoming movie tie-ins from
the developer.
