Spider-Man 3 - hands-on

Let's face it, games based on films usually range from mediocre to just plain crappy. But Spider-Man 2 excused itself from following in the steps of other toss-worthy titles clinging to the coattails of the big budget movies they were based on. Swinging through the streets of Manhattan in the free-roaming sandbox title felt great, and its ties to the film franchise felt more like icing on the cake than a crutch to hook you in with a stale game.

Fast forward to today, and publisher, Activision, seems eager to make history repeat itself again with Spider-Man 3 titles in the works for just about every system under the sun. We recently got some time with the Wii, PS3, 360, and of the game, and while fans of the series should be pleased with the direction it's taking, don't expect any major surprises.

What you can expect is another free-for-all adventure through the streets of Manhattan - with more buildings, more citizens, and more side missions. Following the plot of the upcoming film, Parker wrestles with the dark suit, the Green Goblin reincarnate, Venom, and Sandman. Other notable character cameos will include the Lizard, Scorpion, and Jean DaWolff - who will give you additional crime fighting side missions.

All versions of the game we saw will also feature interactive cut scenes of the Dragon's Lair/God of War variety. These mini-games make for some cinematic scenes and add flair to the action. While fighting Sandman, successfully following the button prompts resulted in a gruesome cut scene where Parker grabbed Sandman by the back of the head and began grinding his face against a passing subway train.