Activision: Action-Adventure
PC version in stores:  Dec. 30
In stores now for PS3, Wii, X360, DS

In Spider-Man's latest virtual outing, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Activision tweaks the typical "beat up the bad guys and save the city" superhero storyline to spin a tale that spans four dimensions. But are four different Spideys really better than one? Sit tight, true believers. As Nexus leader Wade Barrett can attest, there's power in numbers.

High Spots

• Spidey must prevent devious illusionist Mysterio (the dome-headed dude, not Rey) from getting his hands on a tablet that's been split across four alternate realities based on different comic book universes: "Amazing Spider-Man," "Spider-Man 2099," "Ultimate Spider-Man" and "Spider-Man Noir." Each dimension has a unique visual style and seeing different versions of Spidey's allies and adversaries is a real treat for hardcore Marvel Comics fans.
• "With great power comes great responsibility," and Spidey's legendary motto rings true across all four "shattered" dimensions in this game. Spider-Man's various powers are great, keeping the gameplay fresh throughout.
• Each dimension houses several bonus challenges that allow you to upgrade Spidey's attributes and unlock bonus costumes, including his Spider-Armor (introduced in issue #100 of Web of Spider-Man for you geeks out there) and his anime-inspired look from the Marvel Mangaverse.

Hard Bumps

• As cool as it is to do "whatever a spider can" across alternate realities, there's not much of a plot to keep the player engaged. Spidey goes after the tablet pieces to thwart Mysterio, fighting bad guys along the way, and that's about it. As The Miz might ask, "Really!?"
• Pitted against the likes of Kraven the Hunter, the Vulture and Carnage, we also found ourselves all too frequently battling Shattered Dimensions' awkward, buggy camera. "You can't see me" is John Cena's catchphrase: Not Spidey's.
• Shattered Dimensions has variety, from the different incarnations of Spider-Man to the varied environments to the impressive number of villains and supporting characters that make their way into the game. That said, the core beat-em-up combat tends to get a little stale during long play sessions.