Ultimate Spider-Man - First Look Preview

With the release of Spider-Man 2 and Vivendi-Universalâ??s forthcoming The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction itâ??s fair to say that comic-book adaptations are finally getting to an acceptable standard; however not one to sit around, TreyArchâ??s forthcoming Ultimate Spider-Man shows every sign of making the next leap within the genre.

Basing itself around Marvelâ??s â??Ultimateâ? brand and benefiting from no movie tie-in restrictions being placed upon it, Ultimate Spider-Man takes the open-ended structure of its predecessor, introduces a stylish new visual technique dubbed 3D Comic Inking Technology and pits players in the role of both Spider-Man and one of his most deadliest foes, Venom.

Embracing the contemporary settings imposed by the Ultimate brand, the game takes place in both the Manhattan and Queens districts of New York. Players naturally take the role firstly of Peter Parker albeit with a few modern-day changes - instead of a photographer heâ??s now a web designer for the Daily Bugle; a multifunctional adhesive that Parker creates replaces the cartridges and so on, so forth. Although specifics on the storyline are being kept a secret until closer to the gameâ??s release, both Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley have been enlisted to pen a storyline that promises to continue beyond the 13 story arcs taking place across the 77 comic-book issues. Laying claim to having the most Spider-Man universe characters than ever before and being the most authentic Spider-Man game to date, Ultimate Spider-Man looks likely to appeal to both hardcore Spidey fans that had the costumes when they were kids and newcomers from the success of two Hollywood blockbusters alike.

The most startling aspect initially is certainly the visual technique which comes across as the next evolution of cell-shading, so much so that itâ??s perhaps a little unjust to label it as that, perhaps the best description is that it truly is a moving comic-book - bold shadows contrast against distinctive colours, with heavy ink outlines adorning every object. Itâ??s the seamless integration between cut-scenes and gameplay that becomes one of the most significant features, as comic-book cut-outs and panels intersperse the screen and bring the game to life in a way that will leave fans absolutely breathless â?“ itâ??s most definitely got that â??whoaâ? factor as Spidey literally leaps in and out of cut-scenes in true comic-book tradition.

The demonstration featured the typical web-slinging around Manhattan and thankfully looks to be as fluid and responsive as that pioneered in Spider-Man 2, however Treyarch are ramming up whatâ??s on offer to the player with one particularly noteworthy addition being multiple objective missions; one particular example saw Spidey having to rescue a lady stranded underneath a car with a button-bashing event, having done this he must then transport her to safety, only to witness the car exploding and risking a group of other civilians for the webbed one to rescue. Combat as well benefits from several enhancements making particular use of the environment to your advantage and hopefully eradicating the button-bashing tedium to be found within Spider-Man 2. Despite only seeing glimpses of the game in action there appears to be a lot more variety to the game which should help to ease the issues of repetition that thwarted Spideyâ??s previous efforts, however to ensure the game does keep the challenge fresh to the player, Venom makes a playable appearance within the game and presents a whole new challenge and way to play the game.

Half of the game has been devoted to Spideyâ??s arch nemesis, whose focus is on wanton destruction and absolute carnage. The developers have done a magnificent job of recreating Venomâ??s techniques and movements, with his signature spear attacks and brute strength accurately portrayed within the game as he recklessly tosses vehicles around the streets of New York. With his incessant need to feed to stay alive, itâ??s a race against time for Venom as he grabs hold of innocent civilians to replenish his energy from their adrenaline.

The demonstration concluded with an epic bout between Venom and Electro to which the victor gained the privilege to kill a fallen Spidey. This battle took place in Times Square and highlighted the varying objectives and solutions needed to succeed within the game, firstly tearing down the neon signs that provided Electro with a power source and then destroying the water hydrants to give the highly-charged villain a nasty shock.