So the Spider-Man 2 game is finally out after tons of anticipation. The movie that shares the same name has already broken box office records. This one promises to be better than ever and brings along a brand new web swinging engine for the ride. So, is it better than the previous mediocre Spider-Man games? Let's find out!

The manual isn’t that deep, but it covers the basics that you’ll need to get into the game. It’s not necessary at all to read it, as the in-game tutorial will teach you most of the moves and tricks you’ll need.

The navigation is simple and effective. A round, rotating mini-map is found in the bottom right hand corner with buildings and important locations marked. A cool feature of the mini-map is elevated markers showing the height of Spider-Man as well as any other marked characters or waypoints. The icons in the map and throughout the game are stylish and fit in perfectly with the vibe of Spider-Man. The actual large map does an incredible job as well. It’s provides a zoomable, overhead view of the 3D rendition of New York, complete with hint marker locations as well as other important areas of the metropolis.

The HUD is also uncomplicated, but does its job well. A small set of bars in the upper left corner show the amount of health Spidey has as well as the “hero meter” which tells how much time Spidey can go into a slow motion mode called “spider reflexes”. Jumps can be charged, and a meter for that is included as well.

The in-game movies are a mixed bag. Some are intriguing and clever, while others are strangely paced. Thankfully, the videos can be skipped easily, though it isn’t recommended the first time through. There are also CG movies of higher quality that propel the story forward.

Another nice addition to the game is a page full of stats, with just about everything you’d want to know, and some stuff you don’t. This includes the number of steps and swings Spidey has taken, and even includes the fastest speed and the farthest he’s fallen and then caught himself with web, among other random stats.

The game saves are handled by a simple 3 slot system. The game takes an unusual amount of time to save, because it makes it a two part process. It takes a while to find the save file on the hard drive, and then finally lets you choose which slot you’d like to save in. The game lets you save whenever and wherever, which makes it an easy game to pick up and play for a short amount of time

The fighting isn’t overly complex yet it’s fairly gratifying. There are a few buttons to attack, and a limited number of combos that can be purchased with hero points. There is a small indicator that appears above Spidey’s head when an enemy is about to attack. If you press B when that icon appears, Spider-Man will successfully dodge a bullet or melee attack. It’s a pretty simple system that’s easy to learn, but takes a while to get good at fighting large number of enemies.

The game is fairly non-linear, but it’s still based around chapters. In any given chapter, there are multiple objectives. Generally, there are events you must do to move the story forward, but those do not need to be immediately completed. There is also a requirement to obtain a certain amount of “hero points” which are the game’s currency. Each chapter puts a few more unlockable moves/upgrades at the store. Hero points are traded for upgrades that let you swing faster, fight with more moves, or enable you to perform certain web swinging tricks.

The actual story mode is very short, and the events that take place within it aren’t incredibly varied or exciting. Some of the challenges are pretty entertaining, but you can easily complete the entire story mode in under 10 hours. However, according to the game’s statistics page after completing the story mode, only 40 percent of the game is complete.

Forgetting about the story mode, there is still plenty to do in Spider-Man 2. There are green markers all over the place that indicate the potential of a crime. Unfortunately, the crimes don’t start until you talk to a witness who’ll start screaming about some muggers or another act of crime. Generally, there is a short sequence outlining the event, and then Spider-Man is left to fight off the criminals. Once all of the criminals have been defeated, Spider-Man is awarded a number of valuable hero points. Unfortunately, these are incredibly unvaried and you’ll find yourself fighting the same type bad guy in the same situation over and over again.

Random crimes do occur without talking to a citizen in distress, but they are few and far between. It’s rare to find one, and you’re not required to intervene, although you will be rewarded with hero points.

To make the game last a bit longer, a bunch of collectables are included. Dispersed throughout the roofs of the skyscrapers are skyscraper icons that can be collected for a reward. There are also hidden secret icons as well as hint markers that provide you with suggestions to improve your web swinging and fighting.

The animations are another mixed bag. Once again, the actual Spider-Man shines in this aspect; he swings through the air gracefully. From the swinging to the flipping to the wall running, Spider-Man does it all, and does it smoothly at that. The dodging animations are also another case of silky smooth treatment of your eyes.

The fighting animations are done well for Spider-Man, but the henchmen’s aren’t done nearly as well. Their kicks and punches seem to visually lack force, and bullets look like the air is made of syrup and someone’s throwing marbles at their enemies. Also, a weird white trail comes from the bullets so you can see them a mile away.

Overall, New York is captured well, albeit in a cartoony fashion. The draw distance is incredible, letting you see the entire city even on the tallest of skyscrapers. There are some landmarks included, such as the Empire State Building, and a memorial for the World Trade Center, as well as the Statue of Liberty. The buildings are a bit blocky in times, and some of the textures are pretty low-rez, but overall they look decent enough. While swinging through the city, the reflections on the buildings are a nice accent. There is some variation in the buildings, but more would’ve been a nice addition. Some of the fence and wall textures are a bit unsightly, especially at a distance when you can see how much they are repeated.

New York makes a great transition from day time to night. The buildings’ windows provide a nice glow from the lights inside. The sky becomes a nice dark blue and the moon appears dimly through the clouds. The clouds in the sky look very flat and seem to move a bit too quickly. It’s not overly dark, as everything is still visible, just with a bluish tint.

The streets look great from a distance, but the textures are fairly fuzzy up close and personal at ground level. The cars are a bit blocky, but do their job at a distance. The traffic congestion of New York isn’t captured very well; the vehicles are dispersed fairly thinly.

The water surrounding the island city does it’s job, but better has been seen in many other games. When Spider-Man does take a plunge in the water, the splashes look nice with a foamy spray of water flying into the sky.

In general, the graphics aren’t very complex, and the lighting isn’t impressive, but it all comes together for a nice cartoony look. This makes the game seem more like you’re playing in a comic book, rather than the movie that shares the same name. No slow down is apparent at all, which is very remarkable, considering the vastness of the city.

At times, there’s techno-y music in the background, which will switch without warning to the movie’s score. There aren’t many pieces of the Danny Elfman score, but they are repeated often enough to make you hate the existence of your television’s speakers. The music really lacks any consistency and slightly ruins the atmosphere that’s so carefully set up by the rest of the game.

The only thing redeeming about the sound in Spider-Man 2 are the sounds of web flying through the air, and hitting various surfaces. These are fun sounds that add to the immersion and make you really feel like you’re actually the one shooting the webs at 100 story skyscrapers.