Spider-Man: Edge of Time is Better Than a 61 Metacritic Score

Written by Michael Rohde Tuesday, 11 October 2011 09:00

Spider-Man: Edge of Time is graphically superior to many other games that have recently released. The game really is beautiful to look at and play. And developer Beenox must have known they created an aesthetically pleasing game, with no frame rate drops, because of the way Edge of Time presents itself. Whether Spidey is in 2099 or the present time, whether he’s drawn at a distance or right up close, this game looks sharp. Spider-Man is a wall crawling, web slinging action hero, and that shines through here in Edge of Time. Be warned though, this is not your casual game for the laid back gamer. This is a hardcore game that requires a hardcore attitude.

GoozerNation was recently given the opportunity to play Spider-Man: Edge of Time on the Xbox 360. After recently reviewing X-Men: Destiny, another Marvel release, it’s clear these are very different games. Where Destiny is far easier to play, Edge of Time will have you on the edge of your seat. This Spider-Man game will not tell you where to go or how to get there or what to do. You will need to figure that out for yourself. The one crutch the game does provide is the ability to use spidey sense to find the key(s) that you need to unlock doors in order to proceed through the game.

The entire game takes place in the Alchemax building, both in the present time and in the year 2099. While Edge of Time is not a direct sequel to Beenox’s 2010 release Shattered Dimensions, the story does pick up with Miguel O’hara in 2099 and Peter Parker in the present day. The duo must work together to stop the villain Walker Sloan from taking over the world. Sloan has learned to use time travel to change history in his favor and it’s up to Parker and O’hara to stop him. And that’s where this review will stop in regards to the story. All you really need to know is that through some DNA samples the two characters are able to communicate with each other and the actions from one Spider-Man does affect the other. The gameplay switches back and forth between the two. Other than that, it’s time to hack n slash, sling webs and climb some walls.

The gameplay is pretty fun. Spider-Man has a heavy attack and a close-range attack. Spidey can also shoot balls of web to slow down the gun-toting bad guys. Spidey can also alter time to allow him to be in two places at once. After you alter time, the bad guys will target Spider-Man’s last known location while he maneuvers himself into a more strategic location. This comes in very handy when Spidey is surrounded by the bad guys. Gameplay also includes web slinging to get from Point A to Point B while collecting energy orbs. Yellow targets will appear to indicate where Spidey can shoot webs for quick travel. Spider-Man can obviously also climb walls and ceilings, which can get a little disorienting, but as mentioned before, the graphics capability and camera location can handle these vertical transitions with ease and you’re never left wondering if you are on the ceiling, wall or floor. It’s all rather impressive. As for abilities, Spider-Man has plenty of them and they can all be upgraded. Abilities include upgrading attacks and bending time.  

As the title to this article indicates, the critics have not been completely kind to Spider-Man: Edge of Time. Most of the reviews all point their frame of reference to Shattered Dimensions, which was a hit with the critics. If you’ve never played Shattered Dimensions, these negative reviews should not mean much to you. If you have played Shattered Dimensions, then it’s probably best to put any pre-conceived notions behind you and look at Edge of Time with fresh eyes.

Edge of Time provides a break from assault rifles and sniper scopes. This isn’t a long and tedious RPG. It’s some good, video game fun, and it’s not going to break the bank. Spider-Man: Edge of Time is now available on Amazon, brand new for the Xbox 360, for the low price of approximately $45. This might be a short-term deal, so if you’re going to buy it, you should do so today. The PS3 version is selling for roughly $54 and it’s available on the Wii for $50.