The newest of the four worlds, Noir re-imagines Spider-Man in the ‘30s and ‘40s, tackling crime with stealth and smarts instead of head-on brawling. The area we played had five civilians trapped inside of cages strewn about a train yard, and unlike the other dimensions we had to sneak around using the rafters and the ultra-quick zipline to get in and out before the baddies spotted us.
Noir is already an interesting take on Spidey, but the visual effects really help sell the experience. As you slink through the shadows, the world is mostly presented in black and white, with just a few bits of color to signify objects of interest. Should the thugs spot you, color jumps onto the screen and alerts all the other hoods in the area to your presence. But, being Spider-Man, you can zip right outta there and come back from another angle for a web-heavy takedown attack. Offing these guys one at a time is key, as you’re not quite the damage-resistant Spider-Man from the other worlds.
Gah! Noir Vulture is still an ugly old mess of a man, especially in one of Shattered Dimension’s up-close quick time events. We also saw one with Carnage in which you use the two analog sticks as your fists and pummel him until he breaks away. Willing to bet other situations, like this one with Vulture, unfold similarly.
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
Finally, there’s the regular Marvel Universe, here called the Amazing Spider-Man dimension. Combat is what you’d expect, though this Spidey gets a lot more creative with his webs than the others. It also has a slight cel-shaded look to it, but more like Borderlands than an outright cartoon look.
We also have the new Comic-Con trailer. Take a peek below, and look for Shattered Dimensions on September 7. We’ll have a review up right around then, no doubt.
Jul 22, 2010
