Amazing Spider-Man

The Amazing Spider-Man. Nothing like a good game to get people ramped up for the movie, which I'm sure will be pretty god, at least better than the catastrophe that was Spider-Man 3. Oh wait, this really isn't a good game. The Amazing Spider-Man game will help at the box office though as I'm sure there will be plenty of "You have the game. Forget the game, the movie is so much better". And then you will if you haven't.
While I appreciate that this game is actually decent, especially when it comes to a game more or less based on the movie, though in this case it's more of an epilogue or sorts, people wanting to see the movie without spoilers might want to advert their eyes and ears from the Amazing Spider-Man game. Just a heads up from me to you. Unless you're into spoilers. Play about half an hour of the game and you might not even have to see the movie and save some money. Thing is, it should be the other way around. Go see what is sure to be a pretty good movie, and then maybe you won't have to buy this game.
The villains are okay I suppose, not the biggest villain trying to take down Spidey, and certainly not the best-known villains for that matter. If you're thinking of buying this game to see some of Spidey's most hated arch-nemesis, I'll save you some time. You'll be seeing a lot of Rhino and Iguana.
If you're a big fan of Arkhan Asylum and/or City, this game might annoy you a bit. The fighting is near identical. Yup,you'll be pulling off combos with about 2 main buttons. You're little little combat meter will go ip as you perform combos and land punches and kicks without getting hit. And yes, just like Batman, an indicator will give you a heads up so you can avoid a would-be-bow on your person, provided you're quick enough. There's a few twists here and there, but like batman Arkham Asylum or City, Spidey will either stick to the shadows like a ninja, or walk up to some thugs and lay the smack down like a man.
The combos are surprisingly dry and uninspired and the animations are a bit choppy, especially when compared to Arkham Asylum or City. Some of you may disagree or argue I'm just being hard on the game, but that's my honest opinion. Combat could have been so much better. It's a shame. Well, I will say this for the game, wrapping up the bad guys and shoving them against the ceiling to hang and sputter until either they expire or someone fins them, is really fun and even funny the first five to ten times, then it just feels like copy and paste. All is not lost, however. Something tat doesn't grow old is dashing to an enemy with your web, kicking them until they're nice and tender, and then finishing them off by launching something like a dumpster, for example, and hurling it against their heads as you come crashing down above them, is just so satisfying in the most violent sense of the word. The first time I did this was a big OH SNAP moment. The camera can be a bit off and even disorienting at times like when you're climbing around on walls or the ceiling and you're required to look around and do things. And when you're required to sneak around it's very simple but way too easy. You can hide in a well-lit room with a guy's flashlight on you while you sport neon lights and blinkers and somehow you'll remain unseen
Like any open-world game, you can go where you please and engage in the random encounters and events. usually this consist of catching bad guys and defending the citizens of the city. This was fun at first, but like so many other open world games out there, it quickly becomes repetitive. There were times when I didn't help someone in need and just kept right on searching for some comics hidden all over the city. Which brings me to my next point.
To create a little more incentive to explore the city, players can find real comic pages hidden around in hard to see or hard to reach places. Which is fun, especially if yo're a fan of comics. Don't be surprised if there's already walkthroughs and let's plays out there on the net which shows you where to find all of them. And there are A LOT, I think somewhere around 700 if my sources are correct. And this definitely drags out the game for at least a few more hours, especially if you don't cheat and look it up. Providing the comics is all well and good, and it was a neat addition. I will say, however, it's a shame all the player really has to do is find them. In Arkham Asylum and City there were those cool Riddler Puzzles, some of which were repetitive, and other that were truly memorable.
But that's just me. If you're read my Skyward Sword review, you already know what I think about pure scavenger hunting. What saves this game some face is web rush. Web rush is basically a quick way to get from A to Band is all the more satisfying when you can combine it into the combat. Besides that, like the first Spider-Man game based on the movie, your webs won't always connect to anything, especially when you're up in the skyscrapers, and it looks really silly. But, the physics and laws of gravity seem still apply and even when the web doesn't touch anything while you're swinging around, it still feels right somehow.
As far as graphics, visuals, and tone are concerned, don't hold your breath. They're average at best, and even a bit stiff and choppy in some areas such as the cut scenes. It's hard to get the feeling of a real Spidy game when you're running around a sewer or through a bland building far too often.
For its mediocre gameplay and unfortunate lack of originality or intuitive game mechanics, the Amazing Spider-Man earns a 6 out of 10 and may have been a 5 had it not been one of the best games based on a movie I've ever played  despite all its flaws.