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Spider-Man: Web of Shadows Swings Onto Consoles

When Activision touted the reveal of a new Marvel Comics game at the third annual New York Comic Con, speculation ran rampant as to what it would be, covering the gamut from the presumed-defunct Marvel Universe Online (and who better to take on City of Heroes than the Vivendi/Activision/Blizzard juggernaut?) to a truck driving sim featuring Marvel's eary-80s property US-1, the reality seemed a bit underwhelming at first – another open-world Spider-Man game: Web of Shadows.

And then the trailer hit the Web and the whelming began. Produced by the same team behind the successful Spidey movie tie-ins, Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is the first game using the familiar engine to be set in the familiar '616', or mainstream, Marvel Universe, meaning that comics fans won't have to deal with the New Goblin this time around. And without a related movie to tie down the plot, the open world of web-slinging has open consequences – Peter Parker can choose to side with New York's heroes – or with its villains – to save the city. That choice is the defining element of Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, and it alters the game's ending and the player's path through the game.

Perennial Web-Head baddie Venom is tough enough on his own, but in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, an entire army of his symbiote pals invade New York City. Spidey's teammates in the Avengers are uptown fighting the menace head-on, but downtown Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime, and other members of Spider-Man's rogues' gallery try to handle the invasion in their own way. The game's tagline – Seize Control – plays up the increased element of player choice in the game. Of course, it wouldn't be a symbiote story without a return to the classic black costume, and changing between Spidey's traditional red and blue togs and the superpowered black costume is one of the main ways the game tracks your alignment. Another fresh introduction to the game is borrowed from the ever-expanding MMO gaming space – quests and experience points exist as another way for players to empower themselves.

While the full cast appearing in the game is still tightly under wraps, fellow Avengers Luke Cage and Wolverine are confirmed as are threats (or menaces) like Venom and the Vulture. If the entire roster of the underground New Avengers shows up, expect to fight back-to-back with Iron Fist, Ronin and Echo as well.

Further grounding Spider-man: Web of Shadows in the Marvel U, the mind behind the story, Brian Reed, is the writer of the comic giant's Ms. Marvel ongoing and the Secret Invasion: Frontline miniseries.

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows swings into stores in time for the holidays, but you can beat the Black Friday rush by webbing up your copy at GameQuest Direct!