Spider-Man: Web of Shadows combat preview looks astonishing

by Griffin McElroy { Jun 22nd 2008 at 1:30PM }

We've had a love/hate relationship with past iterations of titles featuring our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, though one aspect of every title that we felt was never quite right was the manner in which the beloved web-slinger placed the beatdown upon unsuspecting thugs. Sure, certain games have had entertaining, intuitive combat systems, but none truly captured the way the arachnid protagonist whips up on baddies as he does on ink and paper.

However, a recently released video from Shaba Games, developer of the upcoming Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, has boosted our spirits significantly, displaying the kind of aerial acrobatics and swift brawling we've always hoped to see in a Spidey title. Now, as long as they can avoid any glaring graphical issues or frequent cutscenes showing Peter Parker bawling his eyes out, Web of Shadows could be one of the better adaptations of the Spider-Man comics to ever hit the market.

Tags: combat, ea, electronicarts, marvel, shaba-games, spider-man, spider-man-web-of-shadows, trailer, treyarch, web-of-shadows

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Obie @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:35PM

The third movie singlehandedly put everything Spider-man on probation. But this game looks like Spidey is back.

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Jun 22nd 2008 7:35PM

As bad as the third movie was, I'm pretty sure BND managed to do that.

Dracard @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:40PM

Awesome, just hoping they add more to the environment. It's a city, after all; it should feel somewhat alive.

snarfoogle @ Jun 23rd 2008 11:31AM

Yeah, all it needs is a sandbox to rival GTA4 to go with this combat system.

The_Punisher @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:42PM

A spiderman game looks....good?

Pinch me i'm dreaming

Tiptup300 @ Jun 22nd 2008 2:34PM

Spiderman 2 was awesome!

syrik zero @ Jun 22nd 2008 2:44PM

Spider-Man 2 was awesome! This one looks like it may blow it out of the water! I hope just normal swinging around the city is as fun as it was in SM2. That was my favorite part of that game.

Robert @ Jun 22nd 2008 5:35PM

There was definitely something fantastic about the swinging in SM2. I think it was mainly having the right trigger work the right hand web and the left trigger work the left hand web. It just felt... awesome. I didn't do many of the quests but found myself just swinging around the city. The later games didn't incorporate that though, and were worse because of it.

#28 @ Jun 23rd 2008 5:38AM

Woah, hold up. We haven't seen anything control related yet, just some gameplay. Autolockon games require a great use of timing and skill. I've never had trouble with it, and especially for a non shooter, used creatively, it can be really effective. I'm looking forward to what looks to be kick ass aerial combat from this game. If you wanna go sit in a corner and sulk while I enjoy a big heaping of good game, go right ahead.

The_Punisher @ Jun 23rd 2008 10:49AM

Uh...i said it looked good....

Still need to see more, prob. end up buying it on sale for $40, but still.

Kayel @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:49PM

That looks awful. I was kind of hopeful for this game, but the fighting looks like crap. The auto lock-on crap means the combat is broken. It looks like the silver guys just stand around while you push two buttons to kill and then jump to the next.

guidedbyvoip @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:53PM

i noticed that too, but i hope they were in expo mode. skins on the enemies were weak and i completely agree they didn't attack. the game is still in development right?

Arttemis @ Jun 22nd 2008 2:18PM

As opposed to the previous Spider man games where the enemies stand around... while you have very little interaction with them?

Obviously the highlight is in the aerial combat where you literally use the enemies as means for perpetual motion instead of just targets.

Labeling this as "broken combat" because the mechanic locks on is a bit asinine. It would be extreme to expect players to perform stunts to this degree without any targeting assistance. You'd be left with the same flat mechanics of the previous games.

Jason @ Jun 22nd 2008 3:03PM

GTA4 had a lockon system and it wasn't broken combat. matter of fact, i found myself free aiming more with guns.

Kayel @ Jun 22nd 2008 8:34PM

GTA is a terrible example. GTA is not a good shooter, it isn't really supposed to be. GTA makes a sacrifice with the shooting because the game isn't about shooting. This spiderman game seems to be all about the fighting, but the controls don't look very intuitive at all. It looks like the game is playing itself, and while there may be some cool moves there, it doesn't seem like you have a ton of control over what's really happening. I'm not saying anything relative to other spiderman games, I'm saying that based on this video, I think it looks like crap. It looks like they're trying to do way too much with controls that are way too limited.

Jason @ Jun 23rd 2008 11:56AM

You can't make much of a preview though, because it's just that. a PREVIEW. i'm sure the game's being fine-tuned and i think after Spiderman 3 and FoF they'll try to avoid tarnishing the franchise any further.

guidedbyvoip @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:51PM

i might actually play this.

Yourself @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:52PM

I'm not sure how much I like the constant fast/slow/fast-motion that's going on there, but either way, it looks incredibly fun. I was also sort of imagining using the Wii pointer to lock onto enemies instead of that red glowing pillar you see in the trailer. That would probably make it too good though, so I'm sure they won't do it.

JerJer @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:54PM

maybe they arn't doing that because they thought their ideas through.

unlike you.

Yourself @ Jun 22nd 2008 3:36PM

Right, God forbid anyone do anything remotely different.

Deviation @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:56PM

Spider-Man 3 (the game) was so awful it still feels like a betrayal to me. I never got to experience what others have said is so great about previous games in the series. It looks like this one might be righting the ship.

E.J. @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:56PM

Spider-Man 3 in a sentence:

"I forgive you." (Insert wind-blowing sound effect here)

WRE (PSN: WorstReviewEver; Gamertag: HaloKissesBoys; Wii Friend Code: 4204-4590-6106-3583) @ Jun 22nd 2008 2:10PM

Spider-Man 3 in two sentences:

"Alright Sand Man, whoever cries the most wins. GO!!!"

Jakka @ Jun 22nd 2008 2:14PM

*hug

theturtle363 @ Jun 22nd 2008 1:58PM

That looks pretty awesome, but imo as a dedicated Spider-Man reader, it seems like there's actually too much air combat. Sure he can jump and fly like that, but he stays pretty close to the ground for fights most times.

Arttemis @ Jun 22nd 2008 2:24PM

Keep in mind that the majority of this clip was highlighting aerial combat, and the video itself was designed to show the more extreme segments.

We didn't see much free roaming exploration, but I'm sure it will be a major element of the game. I'm sure the fights against ground-based enemies will stay close to the ground, even after flighting them up against a building.

As a game though, it seems as thought the aerial combat is much more satisfying and I do hope there's a large focus on it.

Kye - M-Kart Wii 0817-4620-2062 @ Jun 22nd 2008 2:10PM

Looks good.

Rodrigo @ Jun 22nd 2008 2:13PM

looks good, i think

Rodrigo @ Jun 22nd 2008 2:15PM

why my profile doesn't change my avatar??? i have tried like 1000 to change it and it wont.

Haggard @ Jun 22nd 2008 5:22PM

Same, but I see your picture. Maybe we can't see our own? :O

mr nimblewick @ Jun 22nd 2008 8:47PM

I have the same problem. It let me change my picture the first time, but hasn't let me since.

Rodrigo @ Jun 22nd 2008 2:25PM

*1000 times

Slayer @ Jun 22nd 2008 2:45PM

Every spider-man game has managed to disappoint me one way or another. This one however, might actually turn out to be a decent game.

Benny @ Jun 22nd 2008 3:12PM

Consider my Spidey-sense tingled.

Bluebrake @ Jun 22nd 2008 3:18PM

Looks pretty neat. Sort of God-of-War-ish with aerial combat. I really don't like the animation, though. He moves like William Shatner does on Family Guy.

Jouten @ Jun 22nd 2008 3:47PM

Treyarch has something to do with it so I am weary...

Natalie @ Jun 22nd 2008 4:22PM

ugh,god of spider-man. pass..

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Jun 22nd 2008 7:24PM

Wait. Spiderman gets to fight Gods in this game?

NO WAI!!!

T-Bag @ Jun 22nd 2008 4:24PM

Looks incredibly repetitive.

Mike @ Jun 22nd 2008 4:45PM

Bleh. Since when did spider man fight like this? This game looks plain silly. I'm putting a solid 6.0 average rating prediction on this hog.

Trippy Haps @ Jun 22nd 2008 6:55PM

Since when has Spider-Man NOT moved like this? I seriously don't get why some of you are coming off ass if the Webhead is supposed to be some toe-to-toe brawler.

His fighting style ((and advantage)) has ALWAYS relied on his agility and ability to perform seamless acrobatic feats around his opponents. And I'm damn happy they're putting an emphasis on web use. In the comics, the art style always depicted his webbing in such a vibrant, almost lifelike way. This is the first Spidey game to capture that.

((Not directed to Mike)) If you guys didn't joygasm during the scene ((little more than halfway into the clip)) where Spider-Man literally dove and web-zipped through a barrage of missiles, then I don't know what else you could possibly want!

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo) @ Jun 22nd 2008 7:39PM

@Mike

If you've actually read the comics or watch any of the TV shows, you'd know that Spidey prefers aerial combat over normal fisticuffs. He's always in the air and constantly moving when fighting, so this trailer is probably the most accurate showing of Spider-man's fighting abilities.

Mike @ Jun 23rd 2008 12:16AM

I've never been a huge fan of Spider-Man, so thanks for clarifying. Game looks pretty lame to me. 6.0, mark my words.

ScallionN @ Jun 22nd 2008 4:45PM

Was I the only one who nerdgasmed when Spidey knocked a guy in the air, juggled him, and pasted him onto the wall?
Badass.
I wish they would try to do it without the hokey slow motion effects, so the visual transitions between dispatching an enemy, swinging, and taking down another baddy are smooth as butter.

Benny @ Jun 22nd 2008 6:37PM

I imagine it would be a bitch to control though if it all moved really quickly. I could see it making a few people nauseous, and they wouldn't want to alienate some of their audience.

MasterCKO @ Jun 22nd 2008 10:55PM

no, you weren't the only one. That scene alone proves that this game is really right on the money as far as portraying how Spidey fights in comics. Awesome. If they can keep the control fluid during the fights and maintain the fun of webslingin through the city, this game will kick much ass.

jhrf89 @ Jun 22nd 2008 5:28PM

I predict a bad P.C port.

Will @ Jun 22nd 2008 9:24PM

Nah. Quality of PC ports has really increased in recent days. I have Gears of War, Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, and Need For Speed: ProStreet and they were all very well ported. Also Call of Duty 4, but that wasn't really a port since it released at the same time.

jhrf89 @ Jun 23rd 2008 4:38AM

Perhaps, I've played a few of those too. There is a trend with super hero games at the moment though.

Hulk and Iron Man come to mind. They correspond with films though so perhaps there is hope for this and I must admit the fighting system looks cool. It doesn't look like it would translate to p.c very well though.