I had just about given up on the Spider-Man franchise for a little while there, as far as video games go. Spider-Man 3 managed to end up being worse than the movie, something I didn’t think was feasible. And while Web of Shadows went a ways towards remedying that, it still lacked the kind of magic I was seeking from the web-slinger. But then came Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, which blew me away with its multiple characters and engaging multi-tier storyline, leading to a satisfying conclusion. Now Beenox, the developer behind the successful Dimensions, returns for a second go-around with Spider-Man: Edge of Time, and though it doesn’t quite live up to last year’s grand slam, it’s a comic book caper worth checking out. Instead of focusing on four different Spider-Men this time around, the story teeters between two – the current day Amazing Spider-Man, played by Peter Parker; and the futuristic Spider-Man 2099, with Miguel O’Hara underneath the costume. Trouble brews when an Alchemax scientist named Dr. Walker Sloan devises a way to use time travel to his advantage, as he plans to go back in the past and create the company well before his competitors, giving them a financial advantage.
Unfortunately, this changes practically everything through a darker world – including the eventual demise of Amazing Spider-Man. To set things right (and turn the place back to what it once was), 2099 finds himself working with his current-day colleague to undo Walker’s damage, though a few familiar villains get in the way of your progress. The multi-tier dimensional story works quite well for Edge of Time, mainly due to picture-in-picture windows that show both heroes on-screen. Dilemmas actually arise over the course of each stage, such as 2099 suffocating from toxic fumes, and it’s up to the playable hero to set things right by performing actions. Sometimes these actions can be mildly frustrating, mainly due to time limits ticking away before all is lost. Luckily, the tasks themselves are easy to complete, and you can always click on Spider Sense with a press of the D-pad if you need a reminder where your objectives are. Gameplay is mostly divided between platforming and action segments. The platforming consists of wall-crawling, web-slinging (in some areas) and, with 2099, free-falling. These segments alone are fantastic, as they’ll test your “twitch” skills while you avoid objects coming at you at high speed. Hit too many and Miguel ends up dying in the process, so be careful – and only use the boost when you truly need to. As for the action, they’re made up of some cool fighting tactics, which are well divided between the two characters.
They can web zip to posts, jump kick, perform combos and new maneuvers which can be unlocked (more on that in a second), grab enemies (through zip-lining or straight-up grabbing) and perform extraordinary dodge techniques. 2099 uses an accelerated speed in his suit to distract enemies temporarily, moving to another spot while they think he’s standing still. Meanwhile, Amazing can use his Hyper-Sense to get through lasers and avoid incoming attacks. You’ll use these techniques quite often, along with a cool time vortex, which stops everyone in a certain range for a few seconds while you pummel them senseless. You’ll want to use it sparingly, though. The game also throws in a few bosses for good measure, such as Anti-Venom and Rhino, who do keep things interesting. However, Edge of Time is lacking in the kind of memorable boss encounters that made Shattered Dimensions so special. Instead of facing off against Deadpool in a spirited battle, you’re merely running through the basics with Anti-Venom, and it’s not as epic as it could’ve been. Still, the rest of the action is right on pace, particularly with occasional puzzle-solving, switch-activating and, of course, pummeling guys and earning golden spiders. These spiders, along with the orbs you’ll pick up throughout the game, are quite important, as they’ll help earn you upgrades. These enhance your fighting abilities, as well as other techniques and overall strength to help you take on Sloan and company. Both Spider-Men benefit from these, and you can easily play through the game again if you miss something.
This feature review concludes on the next page, please click Page 2 below to read our final thoughts on Spider-Man: Edge of Time.
