That guy in the skin tight lycra bodysuit is back once again, this time in Spider Man: Web of Shadows which is a fast paced action adventure title from the Treyarch development studio.

Over the past few years there has been quite a few Spider Man titles released on us – and sadly the vast majority of them have been largely disappointing for one reason or another. More often than not the main reason for the downfall of a Spider Man game has been the story line – and that is not what you would expect from one of the world’s most popular comic book stars.

Not only have they been disappointing in terms of plot, but the actual game play itself in most of the recent Spider Man titles has left a lot to be desired, and the appears to be the opinion of most gamers who go into the game with an open mind as well as those who go into them as die-hard Spider Man and it’s those people who are demanding much, much more this time around, and given the size of the Spider Man brand you would rightly expect the developers to deliver a top notch title for a change.

Fortunately that is exactly what has happened this time around with Spider Man Web of Shadows – from start to finish it is an enthralling action adventure title that will satisfy gamers of all preferences, even those who claim to dislike action hero games simply because it is not considered the done thing amongst ’cool’ people. Though not without a few problems which you imagine could have been avoided quite easily, it remains a fun title full of variety and game play that will keep you immersed within the game rather than frustrating you to the point of throwing it at the closest wall.

The game captivates you from the beginning where a frantic introduction sets the scene for the rest of the game perfectly. The forces of Shield have taken over New York City and are struggling to contain a huge Symbiote invasion. In the middle of the chaos Spider Man, that’s you, is eager to track down Mary Jane. The tutorial will kick in which does not take long at all, and once that is over you will have a good grasp of the controls that will serve you well throughout the rest of the game.

The control system is more or less as perfect as you could wish for it to be. The commands you will use time and time again are easily accessible, and our friend Spidy responds flawlessly throughout the game. A few commands are a little more tricky, but when you are used to the game and the control settings you will soon pick those up too allowing you to dispose of enemies in no time with some great looking but lethal attacks.

The level of detail that has been given to New York City in Spider Man Web of Shadows is fantastic. It is so impressive that you will find yourself swinging around the city from roof top to roof top if only to admire the views that surround you from great heights – and you truly feel like you are high up yourself which gives the game a dramatic touch which you experience in very few other titles. The attention to detail is great, as you will even notice your reflection is the buildings windows at times which makes you feel like you are right in the centre of the action.

Though there is a decent story line in Spider Man Web of Shadows, unlike in other Spider Man titles in recent years, it managed to take a back seat whilst the game plays out in front of you and everything seems nicely tied together without too much interference from the story line. You will feel as if you have a free reign at times, whilst not wanting to stray too far from the tasks in hand as the campaign is truly enjoyable from beginning to end.

Spider Man Web of Shadows is the game that all action hero fans have been waiting for, as it sets a great standard for future super hero games to aim for. Whilst not being a classic by any means, Spider Man Web of Shadows  is certainly the best title of it’s kind for many years and it makes the future of similar games look bright once again after a dull, gloomy outlook has been predicted time and time again in the wake of numorous lacklustre releases featuring the likes of Spider Man himself along with Batman and even Ironman more recently.