Games based on superhero and movie licenses have been hit-and-miss projects for developers for donkey's years. At one end of the graph, there's Batman: Arkham Asylum, one of the best games from a decade dominated by first-person shooters and rock star simulators. At the other end, there's ET: the Extra
Terrestrial, a game so shockingly bad that it was blamed for the industry's near-collapse in 1983.
Somewhere above the median is where you'll find Spider-Man's latest adventure. Shattered Dimensions takes place over four dimensions of the Marvel universe, each with its own version of the web-slinger. Amazing Spider-Man (the most famous incarnation) begins the story by confronting Mysterio, an evil magician with a face like a fishbowl, as he attempts to steal a rare artefact from a museum. During the struggle Spidey accidentally shatters it, causing all of creation to fall out of sorts, and there's your quest - reunite the lost pieces and restore order.
Joining Default Spidey in the battle against the Marvel baddies are alternate versions from Ultimate Spider-Man (the 21st century franchise reboot), Spider-Man 2099 and the Depression-era Spider-Man Noir. Comics legend Stan Lee narrates throughout.
Arkham Asylum veterans will be at home in the Noir missions where Spidey is best suited to sneak 'n' strike attacks, and they will find some familiarity in 2099 where dive attacks and high-tech enhancements are the order of the day.
Amazing and Ultimate's missions are cheesy fun, but the pen-and-ink style can be hard to tolerate when Spidey's moving at high speed. Minor wall-crawling glitches are a hassle, but ultimately forgivable.
Verdict: Great superhero games are rare, but Shattered Dimensions is worthy of the title. It has a good story, strong appeal for comic geeks, and clever gameplay.
Rating: 4/5
Format: Xbox360, PS3
Rated: M
