Even if the player could see everything clearly, they might not like the view. Visual glitches pop up throughout the PS3 version of the game, with building textures that jump in and out quickly and character models that look laughably bad. Other characters, such as the lizard men and the Sandman's larger forms look decent, but NYC pedestrians look like an art student's worst nightmare. The game also has problems with slow down on occasion, especially inside buildings. The Xbox 360 version looks considerably better, which doesn't make much sense considering the PS3's power.
In-game audio also needs more work. Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man), Topher Grace (Eddie Brock/Venom), Thomas Haden Church (Sandman) and the energetic J.K. Simmons (Jameson) lent their voices to the game, some with more energy than others. Bruce Campbell shines as the game's narrator (as he did on the two previous movie-based games), giving players tips while insulting their play style. The soundtrack, as inconsistent as some of the voice-overs, features a bizarre mix of sweeping cinematic scores and droning rock music. The game also misses that New York ambience, with no honking horns or talking citizens in earshot.
The special Collector's Edition of the game -- available for PS3 only -- doesn't manage to add many bells and whistles to the so-so experience. For an extra $10, players can watch exclusive Webisodes that tie into the movie and an interview with the film's producer, Avi Arad. Players can also take on NYC as The New Goblin. Crusing the city on a Back To the Future-style hoverboard and dropping bombs sounds terrific in theory, but gets old in a matter of minutes. Overall, the $70 price tag just doesn't seem justified.
A sad truth lingers about the Spider-Man 3: Collector's Edition -- it's a wasted opportunity. Treyarch put a lot of work into the game but not enough to give the web-slinger the current generation debut he deserves. "True believers" would be better off using the system's backwards compatibility to play the first two Spider-Man games instead.
Final Score: 5 (out of 10)
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