Tremendously fun, it's a casual weekend-rental candidate. Also, it's one of the best Spiderman games to date
The basic setup of the game is that there are four different Spider-Mans working in their own dimensions to secure fragments of a powerful artifact. The real joy in this premise is that each version of the web crawler controls nearly identically, but they each have fundamental differences in strengths and weaknesses. Also, each dimension has its own look and feel, which goes a long way to make gamers feel that they are not just playing a re-skinned Spidey model on a different level than the last. The visual styles are really clever, as the "616" or normal Spider-man looks pretty much like previous games have. Switching to the Noir version offers striking Cepia-based visuals, while the 2099 version offers insanely detailed and "futuristic" overtones. The Ultimate-based world is cel-shaded, and delivers vibrant colors that pop out of the screen, especially in Deadpool's level.
All of the visuals add up to a good looking title, but the core gameplay sets this game apart as a real winner. Much to the dismay of some players, it's less about swinging around, and more about getting down to some serious fisticuffs. Make no mistake, this whole affair is simply an excuse to get you into boss fights with Spidey's rogue's gallery. There are some surprises along the way (Deadpool and Juggernaut?,) but all of the usual suspect are in there in some form. Each level gives you a few rounds to duke it out with the bad guy du jour, and a bit of button mashing against henchmen of varying difficulty. There are some exploration-based decisions, but for the most part, what you see is what you get - very linear, very similar level to level, and still, the game is a blast.
Each character version relies on a different style/bag of tricks, and this goes a long way to ensure that the game will not bore you. Of particular note are the Noir levels, as Spider-Man cannot take more than a few punches before going down for the count. It may not be Splinter Cell, but the shadow play and stealth elements are well done and engaging. The "616" levels will leave you feeling the most like Spider-Man, with all the one-liners and web-based attacks that one would expect. The 2099 levels seem the weakest, tacking on rail-based flying sections, that feel cheap and thrown in to add depth. Basically, the2099 version gets limited bullet time to play with, and otherwise feels identical to the "616" version. The Ultimate version offers a very fluid and fun symbiote suit to play with. In fact, all of the black suit attacks are visually amazing, reminding me of the gross organic tendrils of the Tetsuo scenes toward the end of Akira.
The main complaint that I have is with camera control (surprise, surprise,) and nowhere will it be more annoying than while crawling along the walls to stay in the shadows on the Noir levels. It seems that every Spider-Man game suffers from this, as Shattered Dimensions has that same old cringe-inducing habit of placing the camera at the worst spot while approaching wall/ceiling transitions. It's not a deal-breaker, but it's not fun, either.
One more thing to note is the top-notch voice acting in the game. The developers have gone the extra mile to please junkies of the franchise, as each version is voiced by an actor that has done time portraying Spidey in some animated form. It adds another subtle difference in the feel of each version. My favorite would have to be Neil Patrick Harris, who voiced Spider-Man in Spider-Man: The New Animated Series on MTV for a brief while. Maybe I have a soft spot because I loved that show, however briefly it aired. It's pretty cool that they also have the guy that voiced him in the early '80s in Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends. Also of note is that Stan Lee provides the narration as only he can. It really is an A-1 package in the voice acting department.
Overall, due to the short playtime and repetitive nature, I would say that this game should be a rental or bargain-bin purchase at best. It will provide a few nights of distraction, and gives out achievements like a burst pinata drops candy. I know that some have criticized the fact that it is so linear, and does not allow for much web swinging, but if you really want to experience that side of the Spider-Man experience, the movie tie-in games excel at that. The boss fights never seem outlandishly hard, and there are enough collectibles to merit at least some incentive to slow down and not zoom through each level.