Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions returns to the best Spidey experience.
After witnessing Insomniac’s Spider-Man game preview at E3, I was immediately hyped about pretty much everything except the costume. I really, really hoped that white spot was just someone forgetting to add blue. As the OCD gamer that I am, this urged me to look through my collection of Spider-Man games, where I settled on Beenox’s first venture into the Spider-Verse.
I am glad I did.
Beenox did a very smart thing in bringing aboard Dan Slott, a longtime Spider-Man writer, to pen the game’s story — a strategy Rocksteady would later ape by getting Paul Dini for the Batman games, and a smart one it is. I think Beenox helped start a trend of actually good licensed games, and Shattered Dimensions is a lot more than “good.”
Story and Narrative: A Multiverse Done Right
Dan Slott delivers a great story anchored around the Tablet of Order and Chaos, as it has shattered across numerous dimensions. Madame Web recruits four different Spider-Men to retrieve the fragments and restore balance.
Stan Lee narrates the whole game, introducing:
Spider-Man 2099
Ultimate Spider-Man
Spider-Man Noir
The Amazing Spiderman
Each Spider-Man brings unique gameplay mechanics and level design, keeping things fresh throughout. You’re never stuck to just one version of Spidey; constant shifts in dimensions keep this game from feeling same-old, same-old
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Gameplay Variety: Four Spider-Men, Four Ways
I usually don’t like stealth games-patience was never my virtue-but Spider-Man Noir’s levels won me over. Those stages are heavily stealth-based and very well executed at the same time. Unless I got caught, I could just swing away, sneak somewhere into the shadows, and regenerate health, which made it quite forgiving rather than frustrating.
The other Spider-Men likewise show very distinct styles:
In the actual combat, Ultimate Spider-Man builds and uses Venom power.
The Amazing Spider-Man plays similarly but without the Venom mechanics.
Spider-Man 2099 is all about pace, escape sequences, and high-octane action moments.
Throughout the levels, you complete challenges that open up points on The Spider’s Web, awarding Spider Emblems. You can even unlock an achievement by collecting them all.
Controls and Combats: Easy to Learn – Hard to Forget
The controls are intuitive and, for the most part, really easy to remember even after five years away from the game. Basic movement and traversal feel natural:
A makes Spidey jump
RT is used for web-swinging.
RB fires quick web shots to escape dangerous situations
Pressing A twice lets Spidey pull himself forward with his webs for faster travel.
Pressing up on the D-pad activates Spider-Sense if you get lost or are hunting for the hidden Spider Emblems, particularly useful during Noir’s stealth-heavy levels.
Combat is straight forward, but satisfying:
B grabs enemies, allowing you to either punch or toss them
X does regular punches
Y does more significant damage and breaks the enemy’s defense.
Beat down enemies and you acquire Spider Emblems, which you can spend on new combos, health upgrades, and special moves.
Voice Acting and Sound: A Standout Performance
Beenox assembled a pretty good voice cast:
Neil Patrick Harris as The Amazing Spider-Man
Christopher Daniel Barnes as Spider-Man Noir
Josh Keaton as Ultimate Spider-Man
Dan Gilvezan as Spider-Man 2099
Each actor brings a different personality into his version of Spider-Man. My personal favorite was Spider-Man 2099, whose banter just felt perfectly on point. Stan Lee’s narration is, as always, a joy-he should honestly be allowed to narrate everything. The music, however, is largely forgettable. While writing this, I couldn’t remember a single track, so if you’re buying the game purely for its soundtrack, this isn’t the title for you. Rather, buy it for the smorgasbord of Spider-Men and the great voice work.
