Simplay fantastic--a game for Spider-Fans and people new to the web-slinger alike.
Now that those are out of the way, let's get to the review of the game itself.
The storyline, I thought, was very good. Truly faithful to the source while giving the players something new (while I liked Spider-Man: The Movie 2, its retelling of the movie meant that not a whole lot was truly new to the player), it centers around Spider-Man, of course, while offering a few Venom missions. To me, it's the Venom missions that really make this a different game than the previous Spider-Man games. While, yes, in the first move-based Spider-Man game, you can play as Harry-as-Goblin, the storyline really wasn't all that different. In Ultimate Spider-Man, Venom's missions missions follow his unique perspective and goals.
The game play itself is, by and large, very fun and also adheres to the feel of the comics. Whether it was web-slinging through the city, chasing down the Rhino, or bouncing off walls to attack a group of thugs, I could definitely feel the comic inspiration. There are, however, a few drawbacks to the game play, most notably the web-slinging. It's lost the feel of speed that a player had from the previous game; this incarnation feels almost sluggish by comparison. Add to that the fact that timing is almost literally everything here. The "boost" button adds a modicum of speed, but to get its full potential, you have to time its use just right. I've logged over forty hours on the game, and I still haven't quite gotten it down. This will definitely cost you some time in some of the races, as well as many of the chases. In this, I feel that Treyarch, the company that created this game and its predecessor, definitely took a step in the wrong direction. Apparently, the web-slinging, as the combat, was redesigned this way as this Spider-Man is still new to his powers, so doesn't have as many of the tricks that his elder counterpart will have. This, in and of itself, I can understand and actually readily agree with. However, the lack of that feeling of real speed while web-slinging is a noticeable detracting element. It doesn't really hamper the game that much, but it's still a feeling that is missed.
The combat, as mentioned, has been redesigned as well. No more one-button attacking in this installment. You have separate buttons for punching and kicking, as well as a button for grabbing, which, like the last game, works also to adhere to a wall or some such. However, there are no web-rodeos, no web-fists, nor web-balls in your arsenal. This time, webbing is strictly used to tie up a foe or to swing around on. That, as well, I can understand, as, again, Peter is still new to everything so hasn't come up with many tricks for his webbing.
The storyline itself will last you all of ten hours on average. I've heard of some people beating it in far less, and others beating it in far more, but ten is about the average. However long it takes you, I feel confident in saying that you will enjoy it immensely, especially if you are an avid Spider-Fan. On the downside, once the storyline is completed, you may be left with wondering just what to do next. Like the previous game, there are tokens to collect, as well as races to complete. This time, you can also race Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four in five races around town. The last one will take you all around the island, while the others are usually centered to specific areas. The second one, for instance, starts at the Baxter Building, and you race from there to Times Square and back. The races go from Easy to Insane difficulty, with each successive difficulties unlocked when you beat Johnny Storm. These races and token-collecting do earn you some things besides bragging rights this time around. There are Cover Tokens, which unlock Ultimate Spider-Man covers, Landmark Tokens, which unlock pictures of landmarks such as the Baxter Building and the Daily Bugle, and Secret Tokens, which mainly add to your token collection statistics. Each chapter in the storyline will only be opened by certain requirements--how many tokens you've collected, races you've finished, and so on. Thankfully, no matter what, you don't need gold medals for the races; bronze will suffice. And the requirements are very easy to achieve. For the tokens, you can find more than enough just swinging around. Unlike the last game, there aren't many hidden in really out-of-the-way nooks or crannies. Most are right out in the open.
There is also one other reason to collect tokens and compete in races--costumes. While the costumes don't grant any powers or anything, they are still rewards. You can win the ArachnoMan costume (there was a movie to be made of Spider-Man, but due to rights issues they had to change the name and look of the costume), the Parker Hoodie costume (the outfit Parker wore when battling Venom at the end of the Venom arc in the comics), the Wrestler costume (like his Spider-Man costume, only minus the webs and spider emblem), the Symbiote costume (black with a white spider on the chest and back, a la Venom), and the Peter Parker costume (basically just normal Peter). The requirements for getting each costume are different; successive numbers of tokens collected and races completed get you different costumes.
In this, I have to say that unless you are either a die-hard gamer who likes to get every single thing in a game, or a die-hard Spider-Fan who wants to have everything this game can offer, you will likely give up before very long. The tokens aren't hard to find, all things considered, but the races can be very frustrating, especially the ones against Johnny Storm. Add to this the fact that, as mentioned, the costumes don't really add anything other than a different "skin" for your character model, and you might not see a point in working so hard for them. Quite frankly, as someone who is both a die-hard gamer and a die-hard Spider-Fan, I couldn't blame you. If the races were less difficult (having to time a swing, release, and double-jump just right to barely touch a marker is a bit much in a race that's set at a Medium difficulty--especially when the majority of the race is like that), I would have had more desire to work to get the rewards. Granted, hearing Spidey say to Johnny things like, "If you played more video games, you'd take those corners better," and, "Do you want me to swing back and pick you up?" definitely make the Johnny races fun--when his sudden speed boosts that leave you eating dust don't make you mutter in frustration, that is.
If I had to give one big gripe that isn't about graphics or the like, it would definitely be Venom. Now, mind you, I truly love the fact that you can free-roam with Venom. As an avid Spider-Fan, I can honestly say that this made me squee in delight. However--there isn't much for you to do. Sure he has a smattering of races, but for one thing races do get old after a while (though, granted, they do add having to incapacitate people in them), and the only other thing to really do is run from people. You see, when you start, well, doing what Venom does, first the N.Y.P.D. gets after you, then S.H.I.E.L.D comes after you, all while you rack up points. Granted, now and then, this is rather fun. I mean, come on--dodging hordes of bullets/lasers and running from helicopters while trying to feed? Yeah, that is some serious fun right there. On the other hand, that and the races are really all there is for Venom. Spidey has races and City Events, the latter offering different types--save the person about to fall, rush someone to a hospital, et cetera, et cetera. Venom has only races or run away. A definite fumble on Treyarch's part, in my opinion.
Now for graphics. While I definitely am of the school of thought that graphics do not a good game necessarily make, they can of course help or hinder a game. To me, what makes graphics "good" or "bad" is primarily how well they fit the game. Cell-shading, for example, would have hampered Spider-Man: The Movie 2, but they fit just perfectly for Ultimate Spider-Man. They truly bring the game all the more comic feel. Also, Spider-Man's seemingly deformed body is perfect once one realizes that that costume is covering the body of a sixteen-year-old young man, going through the last stages of puberty. (And for the record, for people who think his head is too big as Spider-Man, that hood is covering a lot of poofy hair. I'm surprised more people haven't realized this, but that's another gripe.) The swinging animation, to me, perfectly captures what I'd imagine a boy his age, at that age where they're still trying to get used to their bodies, to look like endowed with super agility and swinging through the city.
Speaking of animation, I do have one nit-pick. When webbing a foe, for example a gang member, a noticeable glitch can be seen. While looping (where a segment of animation is repeated over and over again) is to be expected, I expect looping to be less noticeable. Here, however, you can clearly see his hands move down as if back to a relaxed position then jerk back up to continue webbing the foe. While nothing that truly detracts from the game, it does leap out from time to time.
And speaking of foes, this time around the random villains look more distinct from each other than in the last game. While you had "kid with sunglasses" and "tall guy" et al., the main cosmetic differences didn't really distinguish one "tall guy" from another. In this game, there are more distinguishing characteristics. While you can still pick out model types, it's pleasant to see a bit more work done to make them different.
The voice acting in the game is, in my opinion, vastly superior to the previous game. While I do think that Tobey Maguire's voice acting was rather good, over all I felt that game lacked in this department. However, Ultimate Spider-Man boasts plenty of top-notch acting, both in principle cast and random civilians. While I could certainly offer a few nit-picks, that's all they'd be--nit-picks and nothing more. I cannot think of a single instance where the voice acting is less than very good. Usually, it is by far excellent. You have the teenage voice of Peter, the young adult voice of Eddie, the wise but takes-no-guff voice of Fury; every role was cast perfectly, in my rarely-humble opinion.
If there is one real downside to the sound of the game, it's the music. The electronica style seems too uninspired and too repetitive. While I don't think an orchestral sound would have worked, and while I do think the electronica style would have been very good, I just don't think it was realized nearly as well as it could have been. Really, however, it doesn't tend to jar one from what is happening on the screen.
All in all, I rate this game just a few notches above the previous one. Specifically, however, in many ways this game far, far exceeds the previous one, and in some cases is vastly superseded. New York is noticeably smaller in this one, for instance, the merits of that reduction in size is mainly up to the individual player. While they do give you a good portion of Queens, they took out Roosevelt and Liberty islands. Again, if that's good or bad is best left up to the individual. Myself, I find that I prefer the size of the previous one. It really made me appreciate, for instance, how large Central Park really is. On the other hand, you didn't get nearly any of the things in Central Park that you do in this game. So, really, it's almost a toss-up. All around, I would say to wait for the price to drop a bit before purchasing. If you aren't interested in getting every single costume and aren't a huge Spider-Fan, I would possibly even suggest to rent it.
And now for my ratings based on IGN's Ratings Guide:
Presentation: 8.5
The use of comic book-like panels in the cut-scenes was perfect. Not over-done in in the least. The menus are easily navigated. I do wish that you could alter the button uses, but that's neither here nor there.
Graphics: 9.0
Nearly perfect. From the cell-shaded comic feel of the city or characters to the animation, the game looks rather stunning. Definitely what a comic game could (and rather should) be.
Sound: 8.5
The music doesn't "do" very much, but the stellar cast of voice actors more than makes up for it. You'll at least grin when Spidey asks a goon if they can do lunch later.
Game Play: 8.5
While a couple of story missions will make you rather frustrated beyond belief, over all the storyline missions earn incredibly high marks. The City Events, while very similar to the previous game's free-roam missions, are mixed up well (you can find thugs taunting someone who's hanging from the edge of a building, for instance), and the addition of random burglaries by the Shocker or Boomerang are good pluses.
Lasting Appeal: 7.5
The storyline itself is very short, though if you want to get every single thing in the game that can take a while. Beyond that, if you don't want to do City Events or races, there really isn't much to do; there's even less to do as Venom.
Overall (not an average): 9.0 if you're a definite Spider-Fan, 8.0 if you aren't.
You'll definitely like this game more if you're a Spider-Fan, but even if you aren't, it's a solid game that boasts great voice acting, and a coherent and thrilling story.