Preview: 'Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions'

Ever since that radioactive bug took a bite out of Peter Parker in the early 1960s, Spider-Man has captured the imaginations of comic book fans the world over. Despite going on to become one of the most recognisable characters in popular culture, the web-slinger is a consistent underachiever in the world of video games. Previous efforts such as Ultimate Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2: The Game almost captured the essence of the property, but it's fair to say that fans are yet to be treated to the definitive wall-crawling experience.

Spidey has had more than his fair share of forgettable console outings, but his fortunes could be about to change. Case in point Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Activision and Beenox's attempt to deliver a game worthy of the superhero's legacy. While its release is still a month away, impressions from the latest preview showings promise a fan-pleasing offering faithful to its source material. DS swung by for some hands-on time with the title.

Written by acclaimed Marvel scribe Dan Slott, Shattered Dimensions follows the exploits of not one, but four Spider-Men. The storyline revolves around an artefact known as the 'Tablet of Order and Chaos', which is split into four segments during a battle between Spidey and Mysterio. The outcome spells disastrous consequences for multiple planes of the Marvel Universe, so the arcane Madame Webb calls upon four incarnations of our hero to set things right. Players will assume control of the classic Amazing Spider-Man, the 1930s Spider-Man Noir, the futuristic Spider-Man 2099 and Ultimate Spider-Man, who is currently bonded with a symbiote. With a fan favourite plotline at its core and an experienced comic book writer at the helm, things are looking good so far - but how does it play?

During the preview event that we attended, two of the four dimensions were playable - Ultimate and Noir. There's a stark contrast between both stages in terms of everything from appearance to gameplay. Noir is rendered in black and white with a spattering of yellow from the occasional source of light. It has the look and feel of something Frank Miller has dreamed up, though the dimension is inspired by a relatively unknown Marvel miniseries which ran last year. Gameplay is primarily stealth-based. Whether climbing up walls or creeping around in the dark, the element of surprise is your best option in these stages.

"Even though you can fight your enemies up close and personal if you wish, it's easier and safer to progress in the level by taking down your enemies from behind, from above or from the walls without being noticed," producer Stephan Gravel explained. "You will be able to progress more steadily this way. There's multiple ways of taking down your enemies, it just depends on where you are when you start that move."

Performing sneaky yet brutal takedowns from the shadows, the sequence that we played saw Spider-Man rescuing hostages from the mob. A Spider-Sense mode helps you pinpoint the location of enemies and civilians and allows you to see through walls. This function is reminiscent of Detective Mode from last year's Batman: Arkham Asylum and will no doubt prove just as essential. Ongoing battles with members of Spidey's old rogues gallery make up a significant portion of the game, and players can expect to encounter 1930s incarnations of Hammerhead, the Vulture and the Green Goblin in this dimension. "The game is all about villains, we have a total of 13 different villains and you meet them more than once in a level," Gravel added. "They are not end of the level villains, they are always there."

The Ultimate Spider-Man segments provide a radically different experience. The black and white tones make way for radiant hues and the stealth tactics are replaced by action-driven mechanics. In this world, players assume control of a teenage Spider-Man who has been possessed by the Venom symbiote, bestowing him with a range of special abilities. "With the symbiote suit you have brand new gameplay opportunities," said Gravel. "Its tendrils offer you more reach so you can attack your opponents from a further distance, you have more combat moves that will allow you to clear the areas and so forth."

"Ultimate Spider-Man has a unique feature because of the symbiote suit. We call it the Rage Mode. As you fight, as you hurt your opponent, as you get hurt you will fill up a meter and when it's full you can unleash the Rage Mode. By unleashing Spider-Man's rage, you get faster and stronger. In the Ultimate levels, we emphasise the gameplay on enemies that will swarm you so you will always get circles by enemies and it will be easier if you use your rage."

In the Ultimate stage that we sampled, Spidey locks horns with Carnage at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. After chasing the villain across the base, the final showdown ended with a first-person sequence reminiscent of the Punch-Out series. Using both analogue sticks, players deliver a combination of hooks and jabs to finish their opponent. According to the producer, there are over a dozen of these set-pieces in the game, and they promise to be a real treat for fans.

With four different worlds on offer, each delivering new gameplay opportunities, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions has immense potential and a lot of variety to offer. However, some of the segments that we saw had a number of creases that need ironing out, such as the unpredictable camera in the Noir levels. Furthermore, the departure from the sandbox layout of previous Spider-Man games might disappoint some players. Nevertheless, Noir and Ultimate are shaping up to be real fan-pleasers and we're betting that Amazing and 2099 will be equally true to Marvel Comics lore. Based on the evidence at hand, the game could potentially be Marvel's answer to Arkham Asylum and the Spider-Man title we've been waiting for since time immemorial.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimension arrives on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and DS on September 7. A PC port will arrive on a later date.