| Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Beenox[a] |
| Publisher | Activision |
| Directors | Kody Sabourin Pablo Gonzalez |
| Producer | Meghan Morgan |
| Writers | Mark Hoffmeier Daniel Strange Dan Slott |
| Composer | Jim Dooley[2] |
| Series | Spider-Man |
| Platforms | |
| Release | Nintendo DS,PlayStation 3,Wii, &Xbox 360 Windows |
| Genres | Action-adventure Metroidvania (DS)[4] |
| Mode | Single-player |
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is a 2010action-adventurevideo game based on theMarvel ComicssuperheroSpider-Man, developed byBeenox and published byActivision. Players control four different versions of Spider-Man, each originating from a differentuniverse in theMarvel Comics multiverse. Previous Spider-Man voice actorsNeil Patrick Harris,Christopher Daniel Barnes,Dan Gilvezan, andJosh Keaton each voice one of the four Spider-Men. TheNintendo DS version of the game was developed byGriptonite Games and features only three Spider-Man variants.
The game revolves around an artifact known as the Tablet of Order and Chaos. When it is shattered into pieces during a fight between theAmazing Spider-Man andMysterio, it causes problems with multiple realities across theMarvel Multiverse.Madame Web recruits the Amazing Spider-Man and three alternate versions of the hero—Spider-Man Noir,Spider-Man 2099, andUltimate Spider-Man—to restore balance by retrieving the tablet fragments from villains within their respective dimensions. Gameplay alternates between the four Spider-Men, who control similarly but present a different gameplay style and/or abilities. For example, the Spider-Man Noir levels encourage astealth approach, while the Ultimate Spider-Man levels place emphasis on large scale combat encounters.
Shattered Dimensions is the first Spider-Man game developed by Beenox after being given the license by Activision, replacing previous developerTreyarch. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the concept of bringing four Marvel universes together, and lauded the voice acting, combat, presentation, humor, and score. However, criticism was aimed at the game's simplistic story, choice of villains, and the overall design of the cutscenes as well as its technical difficulties.
A sequel,Spider-Man: Edge of Time, was released in October 2011, featuring only the Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2099. Both the game and its sequel were de-listed from the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live marketplaces in 2014 following the expiration of Activision's existing licensing deal with Marvel.Shattered Dimensions was re-released via Steam on October 24, 2015, but was later removed on April 1, 2017.
One of the writers of the game, Mark Hoffmeier, also worked on the well-receivedSpider-Man: The Animated Series onFox Kids before working on the game. Some of the concepts from the TV show influenced the game, including the use of multiple versions of Spider-Man (as seen on the show) and the concept of the Tablet of Order and Chaos. Another writer forShattered Dimensions,Dan Slott, later worked on the 2014 comic book storyline, "Spider-Verse", which was influenced by the game and, in turn, inspired the animatedSpider-Verse film franchise.
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is alevel-basedthird-person action-adventure video game, where the player assumes the role of four different versions of Spider-Man, spanning across theAmazing,Noir,2099, andUltimate universes.[5][6] Gameplay revolves around each Spider-Man's unique superhuman abilities; players are able to web swing, web zip, crawl walls, and use the 'spider-sense' to identify enemies or objects of interest. The combat of the game offers a large variety of fighting moves, and each Spider-Man has his own fighting style. The points necessary for buying upgrades and new fighting moves are earned from defeating enemies or completing various challenges in the "Web of Destiny." The points earned can also be used to purchase 16 alternate costumes (four for each Spider-Man), which do not provide any gameplay advantages and are purely cosmetic.
The game features numerous supervillains from classic Spider-Man comics asbosses; some of the villains are created exclusively for the game, such as the 2099 versions ofHobgoblin andDoctor Octopus, and the Noir version ofHammerhead. All bosses are usually fought twice in a level, and during the second battle, they possess a new series of powers, granted to them by the Tablet of Order and Chaos, requiring players to change their strategy. During specific parts of the boss battles,Shattered Dimensions switches to afirst-person perspective, where the player can use the analog sticks (or theWii Remote and Nunchuk in the Wii version) to control Spider-Man's arms, punching their opponent and dodging their attacks. Three different types of punches are available.
While all four Spider-Men control identically, they each feature a different gameplay style. For example, the Spider-Man Noir levels require players to hide in the shadows and take down enemies stealthily, while Spider-Man 2099 features unique free falling segments. Some of the Spider-Men also feature unique abilities, such as Spider-Man 2099 being able to slow down time to dodge incoming attacks, and Ultimate Spider-Man being able to use hissymbiote tendrils to take on large groups of enemies at once.[6][7]
TheNintendo DS version ofShattered Dimensions is a side-scrollingbrawler with little gameplay difference between the multiple iterations of Spider-Man. This version also omits Ultimate Spider-Man, and features fewer villains:Electro and theTinkerer for the Amazing Spider-Man;Boomerang andCalypso for Spider-Man Noir; andVulture andSilvermane for Spider-Man 2099. Not all the moves are available at the beginning, and can be unlocked as players progress through the game.[8] While most of the action is played with pad and button controls, thetouchscreen is used to play a mini-game in between levels to help Spider-Man use the Tablet to travel between dimensions.[9]
OnEarth-616, theAmazing Spider-Man accidentally shatters an artifact called the Tablet of Order and Chaos while trying to preventMysterio from stealing it. While Mysterio escapes with one Tablet fragment, Spider-Man is approached byMadame Web, who reveals that the others have been scattered across this and three other realities across themultiverse. To restore balance, Madame Web recruits him,Spider-Man Noir,Spider-Man 2099, and theVenomsymbiote-empoweredUltimate Spider-Man to retrieve the fragments from their native dimensions. After the Spider-Men each collect their first fragment with no difficulty, Madame Web warns them that the fragments can grant incredible powers and must not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands.
While searching for their second fragment, the Spider-Men discover that they have already been found by supervillains. The Amazing Spider-Man is captured byKraven the Hunter and taken to a jungle, where he is forced to overcome a series of trials for a fragment. However, Kraven reneges on their deal and uses it to gain superpowers. Spider-Man Noir pursuesHammerhead, who is driven mad with power after using a fragment he had found to fuse his arms with his guns and plots to overthrow his boss,Norman "The Goblin" Osborn. Spider-Man 2099 is attacked by theHobgoblin, acyborg mercenary who uses his fragment to increase his psy-powers and create illusions to torment the hero. The Ultimate Spider-Man battlesElectro to prevent him from destroying a hydro-electricdam, where the latter uses his fragment to grow larger and more powerful as he absorbs more energy. Eventually, the Spider-Men are able to defeat the villains and claim their fragments before heading off to find more.
The Amazing Spider-Man finds another fragment at an abandonedRoxxon Industries quarry, but it is stolen bySandman, who uses it to increase his powers and take over the quarry. Spider-Man Noir pursues theVulture, Osborn's right-hand man and hisUncle Ben's killer, for a fragment, which granted the villain teleportation powers. Spider-Man 2099 faces his half-brotherKron Stone / Scorpion, who has stolen a fragment for a contractor in exchange for reversing his mutation, gaining the ability to create numerous offspring in the process. The Ultimate Spider-Man competes inDeadpool's reality TV show,Pain Factor, for a fragment, which the latter eventually uses to clone himself. Meanwhile, Mysterio discovers his fragment granted him magic powers and seeks out the rest. When the Spider-Men return to Madame Web with the fragments they collected, Mysterio attacks, threatening to kill Madame Web if they do not deliver the remaining fragments to him.
The Amazing Spider-Man finds his final fragment at a construction yard, but is forced to intervene inSilver Sable and theWild Pack's chase of theJuggernaut after the latter unknowingly picks it up. Spider-Man Noir faces Osborn for his final fragment, which the latter used to mutate himself into agoblin-like creature and take over acarnival. Spider-Man 2099 breaks intoAlchemax, where he finds his final fragment in the hands ofDr. Serena Patel /Doctor Octopus, Hobgoblin's creator and Scorpion's contractor. The Ultimate Spider-Man finds his final fragment at the Triskelion, whereS.H.I.E.L.D. unwittingly combined it withCarnage, giving the creature the ability to resurrect its victims intozombie-like minions and allowing it to break free and take over the base.
After retrieving the final set of fragments, the Spider-Men return to Mysterio, who absorbs the complete Tablet after a brief struggle and becomes agod. He shatters the borders between realities, seeking to create a new one under his rule. However, this allows Madame Web to summon the four Spider-Men to fight Mysterio together. After defeating Mysterio and separating him from the Tablet, the multiverse is restored and the multiversal Spider-Men return to their native realities while the Amazing Spider-Man takes Mysterio to prison.
In apost-credits scene, Madame Web is visited bySpider-Ham, who had also hoped to help save the multiverse, but arrived too late.
Each of the different Spider-Men is portrayed by an actor who voiced Spider-Man in a prior animated series:
Several actors return to reprise roles from elsewhere in Spider-Man and Marvel Comics media:
Other cast members includeDavid Kaye as Mysterio,Susanne Blakeslee as Madame Web,Dimitri Diatchenko as Sandman, andMatt Willig as Juggernaut.[11]Peter Porker / Spider-Ham, an alternatetalking animal version of Spider-Man, also makes a brief appearance at the end of the game, voiced by Kevin Umbricht, who was uncredited for the role; this marks the first time Spider-Ham was seen outside of comics. Spider-Man co-creatorStan Lee narrates the game's story.[2]
Jamie Thomson served as voice director, having previously directedThe Spectacular Spider-Man.[13]Jim Dooley composed the game's orchestral score.[2]
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions was unveiled on March 30, 2010, where two of the universes, Amazing and Noir, were revealed.[14] The third universe, 2099, was revealed on June 8.[15] The final universe, Ultimate, was first shown to players atSan Diego Comic-Con in 2010.[16] DeveloperBeenox sought to make each universe feel unique by creating an individual art style for each universe and giving each Spider-Man different gameplay mechanics.[16] For example, the Amazing and Ultimate universes are rendered with bright colors and tones ofcel shading, with the Amazing universe given a traditional comic feel based on those of 1960s classic comic book art styles, while the Ultimate universe was meant to evoke more modern comics from the early 2000s. In contrast, the Noir and 2099 universes are rendered with realistic graphics, with the 2099 universe given a futuristic feel while the Noir universe was given a "very dark, very gritty"[17] appearance. The developers also worked closely withMarvel Comics to create new versions of characters not seen before in a particular universe, such asHobgoblin 2099,Hammerhead Noir, andDoctor Octopus 2099.[16] The story for the game was written byAmazing Spider-Man writerDan Slott[14] and later provided him with an inspiration for theSpider-Verse comic book crossover event, which saw dozens of Spider-Men from alternate realities teaming up.
Several pre-order bonuses were offered for thePlayStation 3 andXbox 360 versions prior to release. Players who pre-ordered atGameStop received a Cosmic Spider-Man pack, which provided a Cosmic Spider-Man outfit for each Spider-Man.[18] It was later included as a free bonus on the PC version, along with some minor fixes, which were not patched on the console versions. The Cosmic Spider-Man pack was later publicly released as downloadable content for the Xbox 360 on October 28,[19] and for the PlayStation 3 on November 2, 2010.[20][21]Pre-orders viaAmazon.com included early access to Spider-Man 2099's Iron Spider costume and a book containing concept art for the game.[22]Kmart pre-orders offered early access to Amazing Spider-Man'sScarlet Spider costume, whileBest Buy included early access to theNegative Zone costume for Spider-Man Noir.[23]Wal-Mart offered a 20-page comic book for online pre-orders of the game.[24] All the three costumes can otherwise be unlocked withcheat codes on copies of the non-DS versions of the game.[25]
Shattered Dimensions was de-listed from the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live marketplaces in 2014 following the expiration of Activision's existing licensing deal with Marvel. The game was re-released via Steam on October 24, 2015, but was later removed on April 1, 2017.
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | DS: 73/100[26] PS3: 74/100[27] WII: 75/100[28] X360: 76/100[29] PC: 68/100[30] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 6/10[31] |
| Eurogamer | 7/10[32] |
| Game Informer | 8.5/10[33] |
| GamePro |   [34] |
| GameRevolution | B[35] |
| GameSpot | 7.5/10[36][37] |
| GameTrailers | 7/10[38] |
| GameZone | 8/10[39] DS: 7.5/10[40] |
| IGN | 8/10[41] DS/WII: 7.5/10[42][43] |
| Joystiq |  [44] |
| Nintendo Power | WII: 8/10 DS: 7/10[45] |
| Official Xbox Magazine (US) | 7.5/10[46] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 50%[47] |
| The A.V. Club | B+[48] |
| The Escapist | [49] |
The game received mostly positive reviews from critics.Metacritic gave it a score of 73 out of 100 for the DS version;[26] 74 out of 100 for the PlayStation 3 version;[27] 76 out of 100 for the Xbox 360 version;[29] 75 out of 100 for the Wii version;[28] and 68 out of 100 for the PC version.[30]
IGN gave the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions eight out of ten and said, "Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions has a lot of great things going for it",[41] but scored the Wii version half a point lower despite being nearly identical to these two versions due to that version lacking a button to center thecamera.[43]Game Informer awarded it 8.5 out of 10 and said it "delivers a non-stop action ride with something new around every corner".[33]GamesRadar gave it three-and-a-half stars out of five and said "Shattered Dimensions is a good game, but it fell short of an Ultimate Marvel Team-Up".[50]GamePro gave the Xbox 360 version four and a half out of five stars and said, "thankfully, [Spider-Man's] latest adventure, Shattered Dimensions, is one of his best yet, offering four unique worlds, classic Spidey action, and an engaging story that puts it near the top of the franchise both in terms of quality and impact".[34]X-Play gave the game four stars out of five and said it "streamlines the usual trappings of the genre to focus on combat and personality. It's true that the linear gameplay and old-school combat sensibilities don't put it on par with Arkham Asylum, but the game succeeds regardless. It's fun, fast-paced, and long enough to make it well worth checking out".[51]1UP.com gave it a B and stated, "the change in combat options is a welcome addition, I just wish that the story had delivered on the comic legacy of one of Marvel's more enduring heroes".[52]
Non-video-game publications gave some strong praise for the game.The A.V. Club gave the Xbox 360 version a B+ and stated: "Filled with countless remember-when moments—as in Remember when you outran that wave of sand?— Shattered Dimensions is less literary and artful thanBatman: Arkham Asylum, but it's far more fun".[48]The Daily Telegraph gave it seven out of ten and stated, "the combat, and it's worth noting that this makes up the majority of the game, is superb. It's not particularly deep nor clever, but it's immensely rewarding, as too are the scripted first person sections which exist purely to, yes, let you punch things in the face".[53] However,The Escapist gave the Xbox 360 version three stars out of five and said, "creative set-pieces and an awesome concept can only hide a repetitious game structure for so long - and the stealth sections that mix it up are just frustrating".[49]
TheNintendo DS version of the game drew mixed reviews.IGN praised the visuals, feeling that they stayed true to the comics.[42] Reviewers felt that overall the2.5DMetroid-style gameplay was enjoyable, and fit the DS well.[42][54] Sounds and voice acting were also praised.[42] Some reviewers felt the game was too short, and that not enough emphasis was put on exploring the open world.[42][54]
The premise of a crossover between different versions of Spider-Man that was used inShattered Dimensions became the inspiration for the 2014 comic book storylineSpider-Verse (the main story of which was also scripted by Dan Slott), which would go on to become one of the most popular and media adapted Spider-Man story arcs, including a 2018animatedfilm titledSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which was later used as the starting point for theSpider-Verse animated franchise.[55] Despite the film borrowing no inspiration fromShattered Dimensions itself, all four playable Spider-Men from the game appear inInto the Spider-Verse, in varying capacities.
The plot sets up a game that is heavily inspired by past 'Metroidvania' titles, complete with a slick presentation.
