E3 07: Spider-Man: Friend or Foe - first look

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Spidey joins forces with his worst enemies for "family-friendly combat." Hilarity ensues

What's more, each villain will come equipped with combo attacks that'll complement Spidey's abilities. Green Goblin, for example, can paralyze nearby enemies, enabling Spider-Man to jump over and beat the tar out of them. They'll also take verbal jabs at Spidey the whole time, reminding us that - even though the two have decided to momentarily put aside their differences - they're not entirely happy about working with each other.

What's more, each villain will come equipped with combo attacks that'll complement Spidey's abilities. Green Goblin, for example, can paralyze nearby enemies, enabling Spider-Man to jump over and beat the tar out of them. They'll also take verbal jabs at Spidey the whole time, reminding us that - even though the two have decided to momentarily put aside their differences - they're not entirely happy about working with each other.

While the prospect of playing as villains is cool - as is the idea of pitting them against each other in the game's versus mode - Spider-Man: Friend or Foe's linear brawling honestly looks like a huge step back for a franchise that made its name by offering a constant rush of web-slinging freedom. Still, this is a kids' game - Activision reps went so far as to use the words "family-friendly combat" while showing it - and judged on its own merits, it could turn out to be fun. We'll know for sure when we actually get to play it.

While the prospect of playing as villains is cool - as is the idea of pitting them against each other in the game's versus mode - Spider-Man: Friend or Foe's linear brawling honestly looks like a huge step back for a franchise that made its name by offering a constant rush of web-slinging freedom. Still, this is a kids' game - Activision reps went so far as to use the words "family-friendly combat" while showing it - and judged on its own merits, it could turn out to be fun. We'll know for sure when we actually get to play it.

Mikel Reparaz
Mikel Reparaz
After graduating from college in 2000 with a BA in journalism, I worked for five years as a copy editor, page designer and videogame-review columnist at a couple of mid-sized newspapers you've never heard of. My column eventually got me a freelancing gig with GMR magazine, which folded a few months later. I was hired on full-time by GamesRadar in late 2005, and have since been paid actual money to write silly articles about lovable blobs.
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