Spider-man: Friend or Foe

Spider-Man has fought a lot of crazy characters over his 40+ years as a comic book superhero. Who could forget the tenacious, tentacle-ridden Doc Ock; the prowling Prowler; or the iron-strong Iron Fist? They’re all dead-set on seeing Spider-Man die.

But for the duration of one new action game from Activision – the second to bear the Spider-Man name this year – Peter Parker’s greatest adversaries will become his greatest allies. Enter a world where the friendly neighborhood web-crawler must team with the likes of Scorpion. He may not be happy about it, but it has to be done. Otherwise the title, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, would really confuse people.

Looking at the screenshots, Friend or Foe’s only apparent difference from Spider-Man 3 is that its graphics are not as realistic. The game is based on the comic books and targets a younger crowd, which made the cartoony character designs seem appropriate. Spider-Man 3, however, was going to be compared to the movie’s effects, requiring a stronger graphic engine.

You’ll probably expect the rest of Friend or Foe to be identical to Spider-Man 3. That’s natural – it’s not every day a quick sequel or offshoot is released without being a total rehash (see Dynasty Warriors, Samurai Warriors, and Warriors Orochi for more). Instead of slinging webs through an open-ended city, Friend or Foe’s players will punch, bash, and throw their way through several fantasy locations.

Spider-Man and Doc Ock: the two go together like peanut butter and mayonnaise.

Back in the Brawl

Without any buildings to swing across, Spider-Man spends most of this adventure on the ground, on platforms, and other stable surfaces. Enemies may be dealt with in a zillion different ways. Peter’s fists are his primary weapon, but don’t count out his other strengths. The lack of swing mechanics haven’t diminished his web abilities one bit. While jumping through the air, tap the circle button to shoot a retractable blast of webbing. It’ll grab onto the enemy and, if the button is held, will cause the enemy to be spun around and slammed down onto the ground.

Press and hold the circle button while on the ground for a similar move but with the power to guide where the enemy is thrown. Hit the circle button a couple more times and tilt the left stick in the direction of the nearest enemy. The resulting collision damages both the enemy thrown as well as the enemy hit by his catapulted comrade.

Spider-Man strikes with a three-hit combo when pressing the circle button, on the ground or in the air. Aerial attacks work well on bosses and sub-bosses, as their weak points may not be reachable from ground level. The web-based assaults don’t work well on larger enemies, but you can use it to temporarily stun the walking tin can. Which is what they look like most of the time – metallic and/or rock-based creatures that are shaped like humans but walk and attack like robots. They disappear upon defeat, leaving nothing behind to clutter the screen.

The game boots up with many abilities already given to Spider-Man, but you will also have the chance to purchase new ones using the orbs collected from fallen enemies. Yellow orbs work like money; red orbs heal your health. Both types appear frequently throughout each stage, but you’ll need and find yellow orbs most often.

Orbs, objectives, and other game data are tabulated at the end of each stage. Players will now have returned to the level select hub, the place where orbs may be cashed in for superior character performance. Purchase new moves and health / strength / endurance upgrades that affect Spider-Man’s attack power and resistance. The latter upgrades may also be applied to former villains who now support Spider-Man’s cause.

 
Generic ally or potential superhero? You decide.

Instant Pummeling

What do Paris Hilton and Snoop Dogg have in common? They use their T-Mobile Sidekick to wirelessly send instant messages. Peter Parker’s sidekicks aren’t as high-tech but are much more useful. Any of the acquired villains may be assigned to accompany Spider-Man throughout each stage. A second player may jump in and control the villain at any time, a la LEGO Star Wars. If the second player has to leave, he or she may choose to exit from the pause menu, turning the game back into a single-player experience.

Two-player games aren’t the only way to play as a villain. Solo players can press and hold the triangle button to switch between Spider-Man and his sidekick during any stage (certain boss battles excluded). Some of the villains aren’t too exciting because they control too much like Spider-Man but without any of his cool spider powers. Fortunately, Doc Ock’s enemy-crushing attacks are just as fun to unleash as they are to watch. Scorpion’s deadly tail gives him a killer jump attack. And though Rhino isn’t the most intense character, his slower movement corresponds to his larger size.

Friend. Or Foe?

The linear, button-mash-heavy gameplay is very well constructed. There aren’t many games that can pull it off. I miss the city web-slinging, but this game’s battles are much deeper than Spider-Man 2, and a bit more varied than Spider-Man 3.

But alas, the game is not free of flaws. You know the first one: repetition. No brawler / beat-‘em-up can exist without it. Friend or Foe runs on a set path: select a level, defeat all the enemies, and make your way to the unmarked exit (you’ll know it’s over when the screen turns black – just like The Sopranos). That’s a couple steps back from Spider-Man 3, only because that game allowed you to select from a variety of missions at any point in the game. Friend or Foe boxes you into the one-mission-at-a-time setup.

Camera control is nonexistent, which is Ok 50% of the time. The other 50% is obstructed by camera angles that don’t show the whole picture. You’re likely to jump off a ledge (which takes away health and yellow orbs) because the view isn’t clear. And because of the game’s focus on playable villains, most enemies are made up of the same bland design.

Power! Such power!

These elements aren’t as friendly to an audience expecting variety that’s on par with the Spider-Man comics. Regardless, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is a fun and thrilling beat-‘em-up.

Gameplay: 7.9
Friend or Foe’s large number of moves and the ability to play as multiple villains give the game a fighting advantage, containing core combat mechanics that are deeper and more exciting than the last two Spider-Man games.

Graphics: 5.0
The cartoony character designs are good – the awkward, uncontrollable camera angles are not. Background detail is well below the standards of other PS2 titles, even those released several years ago. The flat backgrounds and unrealistic textures could use a polygonal facelift.

Sound: 2.0
Listen to Spider-Man say, “Let’s do this” and, contradicting himself, “I’m too old for this.” Over and over again. I don’t care how old the average player is, they are going to be annoyed.

Difficulty: Easy
Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man just got friendlier.

Concept: 7.0
Friend or Foe’s gameplay is solid beat-‘em-up entertainment. But as the fourth or fifth (or sixth!? I’ve lost count) 3D Spider-Man game, the mechanics are no longer new. The inclusion of villains as playable characters is cool though.

Multiplayer: 6.9
Co-op is fun but flawed by a confusing camera system. The versus battle mode provides brief amusement with levels that are similar to Power Stone and Shrek SuperSlam.

Overall: 7.9
Repetition and camera issues are damaging, but Spider-Man: Friend or Foe still prevails as the best PS2 brawler released in 2007 (thus far).