Arguably one of the coolest things in Spider-Man 2 is seeing Spider-Man swing from building to building, using his web to make Manhattan his playground, all the while beating on baddies. Swinging high above the city streets and saving its citizens from evil is a tempting idea, and one that we would probably all try if we had our own webs.
However, we're mere humans, and so we must rely on video games to answer to all of our foolish desires! And with Spider-Man 2, we actually have one of the best movie-to-game adaptations to date. It's not that the game version of Spider-Man 2 follows the film exactly, but it does capture the feeling that makes everyone enjoy the character so much. Unlike the previous Spider-Man games, this one makes you feel like a superhero, and it's quite a feat.

Consider the fact that, much like The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, you're no longer bound to where you can go. Similar to the sailing and driving portions of the aforementioned games, Spider-Man 2 gives you a large amount of freedom. Do you want to check out Manhattan from the top of the Empire State Building or head to Liberty Island? No problem, and the trips to those locales are more fun than the destinations themselves.

The main mode of transport will be web slinging, which you control with the shoulder button and the joystick. It's easy once you get the hang of it, and it's pretty awesome to bust through a huge city block in one fell swoop. But Spider-Man isn't a tourist, so remember what Uncle Ben said! Something about responsibility and stuff, I forgot, but it was pretty darn important and it brings us to the action!

Spider-Man 2 loosely follows the movie's plotline, complete with Doc Ock, Mary Jane, and Peter Parker's ongoing problems. This plotline is the main part of the game, and it's split into chapters that you complete as you gain more "hero points" and accomplish certain tasks, like meeting Mary Jane at the theater or taking photos for the Daily Bugle.

To gain hero points, you have to succeed in those tasks, but that's usually not enough. As you make your way through the city, random people will call on your for help. You can decide to help them (and gain more points at the same time) or you can continue on your way. It's your choice, but you'll eventually have to help a number of New Yorkers with their troubles, which are as varied as helping the cops in a shootout to rescuing a little girl's balloon. The more people you help, the more hero points you gain, and the more the main story will progress.

These smaller events start out with some nice variety, with one person asking you to save someone who's about to fall from a building, or another person telling you about a carjacking. But eventually they can get repetitive. In one night, we foiled four separate armored car robberies. In real life, I've only seen three armored car robberies, and those spanned two nights, so there...

The plot events are kind of cool and they mix things up, especially when it comes to things that weren't in the movie. Once you start seeing aliens and UFOs controlled by a megalomaniacal Hollywood producer, you'll know the game takes some liberties. It does help keep things fresh and exciting, though.

How about the combat? It's actually a very intricate system. When you start the game, you have a pretty limited set of moves and combos, and Spider-Man makes fairly quick work of street thugs and robbers that way. As you get further into the game, you're allowed to upgrade your abilities, and that's when you start to see some really cool moves . A particular favorite is the three-punch midair combo finished off with a double stomp to the head, but I'm sure you'll find one that's right for you.

Speaking of the webs Spider-Man can tangle, he can also use them during fights, and they can be upgraded for speed and integrated into combos. Just wait until you're able to web a guy towards you, give him an uppercut, and as he's in the air web him again to knock him down one more time. Very satisfying after a long day at work!

Just like in the movie, New York City is a huge supporting star in the game. An in-game map zooms out to show the whole island, and while it doesn't cover all of Manhattan since it stops just north of Harlem, it's pretty huge nonetheless. Specific landmarks are recreated nicely, and we were even able to find the area where the GameDAILY NYC office does its business. One problem we had was the lack of action on the streets of New York, with a small number of pedestrians and cars about (particularly in Times Square), but you can't fault them for what is an overall class act.

The audio isn't as impressive, and it can get extremely tiresome after hearing the same loop twenty times in a row. It's very dramatic and i better than in most games, but a lot of the sound could have used a bit more work. Additionally, the voice work could have been a lot better. It's tough to have Tobey Maguire, Alfred Molina, and Kirsten Dunst in the game alongside the standard voice acting we're used to in video games because it does create a very audible second standard. And where's the real JK Simmons as The Daily Bugle's Editor-in-Chief? That man knows how to EIC!

Still, nothing can get in the way of the fun to be had with Spider-Man 2. Even if you didn't like the movie, the game is worth at least a rental, but if you're a Spider-Man fan you shouldn't even hesitate. This is one of the best movie-to-game translations, and definitely the most addictive. All it takes are a couple of swings around Manhattan and you'll fall in love with the idea of being a superhero.