Arguably the most successful comic book super-hero to emerge on the big screen, Marvel’s Spider-Man also saw a welcome appearance in video games in 2002. Two years on, and to coincide with the massively hyped Spider-Man 2 film, Activision and developer Treyarch have teamed up to bring players a brand new game in the series that is every bit as faithful to the film sequel as its predecessor was to the original Hollywood blockbuster. Effectively starting from scratch, developer Treyarch has ridden Spider-Man 2 of the bugs and glitches that sometimes plagued the series’ immediate predecessor, both in a visual sense and in terms of gameplay. Spider-Man 2 again sees players assuming control of Peter Parker’s alter-ego as he fights for the cause of good yet again, but this time there are several fundamental changes, the most important of which lies in the game’s free-roaming approach. Where the previous Spider-Man outing was linear beyond belief, Spider-Man 2 adapts a feel more reminiscent of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto. If they so wish, players can forget super-hero missions for while, instead choosing to potter around the virtual city of Manhattan, in order to get familiar with New York City. It’s a nice option to have, but players wanting to progress through the adventure are charged with completing an array of missions in order to reach deeper stages of the game. These generally comprise of cliched ‘end a police shoot-out’ or ‘save the damsel in distress’ tasks, but its typical Spider-Man gameplay that’s thoroughly enjoyable. Completing these crucial missions and a variety of side-quests earns players Hero Points, which can then be used to ultimately reach the end of the game. Additionally, missions are now predominantly outdoors, ridding Spider-Man 2 of claustrophobic environments and a clunky in-game camera. This is a good thing, and makes combat much more enjoyable. Combat hasn’t changed a great deal, and players will still be faced with the usual plethora of gang fights and boss battles, but this aspect can be made easier through a levelling up system that sees Spider-Man grow in strength and agility as he defeats more enemies. Overall, Spider-Man 2 is a vast improvement on a successful predecessor. Roll on Spider-man 3.