The Amazing Spider-Man Game takes place after the movie, so don't play it unless you want spoilers.
Here you have the standard fast made, cheap movie game, spewed out to cash in on the movie coming out. I can't say I saw anything new that I haven't seen in any other Spider-Man games or done better by other Spider-Man games. In fact, the game seems like a poor man's Web of Shadows, stealing the plot of the infected, which was venom like creatures from that game and making them cross species in this one. Of note, Cross Species is the new "mutant" or "x-gene" or "metasuperhuman powers". The game just steals a lot from previous titles and churns out something not as good and rushed.
The game has you fighting Oscorp, with no Norman Osborn? Your against a new mad scientist Smythe who I have found memories of from the older cartoon series on Fox Kids. He build robots, there's an outbreak of a "cross species" virus and he goes crazy. Then you fight him, robots and infected New York, it was fun to play that same scenario in Protoype 2 a few months back too.
One of the worst parts of the game is the first person perspective start which has B-Movie acting at it's best. The opening cinema set the tone of the game. So you're in Oscorp and monsters start breaking free, what do you do as a scientist just standing around while all this is going down, run away and freak out or slightly move? Yes, just slightly move, when monstrous creatures try and eat you, just don't do much. It sets the bar for the whole game.
Eventually, Spider-Man suits up and you fight robots and cross species monsters. The robot fights were fun, your swinging around fighting giant behemoths or beating up a Spider Slayer in the air or in the the city streets is spectacular, but I think I've seen robots before in previous titles.
There some obviously rushed gameplay. I had to configure the brightness multiple time, because everything looked freaky blue. When I did stealth attacks (stolen from the Batman Arkham series) enemies would switch positions in animations abruptly so they could be wrapped up. Oh, it's fun as hell to sneak up on them and wrap them in the web cocoons. Didn't need to be stealth missions to use that power. There's a point where you capture Selina Kyle (Black Cat) and go up an elevator. The game messed up for me and it became an actual awkward silent ride elevator simulator. Had to restart it and found out the game just messed up on the elevator and that dialogue was missing. Just to say, that last time I was on an elevator we discussed how stupid the card key system was at the downtown Marriot.
At one point your de-powered. I beleive also reminiscent of Batman games or something else, but it's the worst part of the game. Having all those fast attacks and mobility and suddenly you have nothing is like hitting a wall. It happens late in the game and as good as a story element it is, it makes for some of the most sad gameplay ever. Who want to play as Norman-man? Against deadly robots and a giant mech monster with no powers, except some stupid web shots? Those programmers must have been so rushed or morons.
Then there's the steam issues with our wall crawler crawling through walls. Steam can kill you. Steam, I know it hindered Batman in Arkham, but having to crawl through a ceiling and slowing down when there's steam shouldn't have been in the game. Steam fights you again when your de-powered to add another element of "I hate this part of the game so much".
What is good is the writing, little dialogue scenes and some catchy banter helps. Some lines are however repeated far to much. After saving someone, Spider-Man will say, "Stay Frosty!", which always seems inappropriate. One scene has Stan Lee calling Spider-Man about an over maxed credit card, but what's funny is the world, his world is dying around him and Stan is telling him to grow up and live in the real world. It's a great bittersweet scene.
The voice casting was okay, I noticed some of the thugs being well known anime voice actors. Oh, Bruce Campbell is an annoying Disc Jockey in a blimp who bugs Spider-Man to do stunts. It does work as a fun little extra.
There are also little hints eluding to other Spider-Man villains like Mr. Negative, Vulture and so on on side missions for a reporter.
I have to call out Desturctoid or any other site that gives it something higher than a four. I really don't have a system in place here, I just tell if the game sucks. If you're bored, it's a rental and not worthy of $60 right now.
If this game had more time and was more refined it be worth it, but it being rushed and the absurdity of levels where Spider-Man has no powers or crawls through a vent and is stopped by steam take away too much.
The real ending after the credits also seems tacked on.
Beat the main game on Hero difficulty on the 360.
