Here's a nice surprise. Spiderman 2, the XBox and PS2 game from Treyarch, is remarkably good. It's basically Grand Theft Auto with flying. Big city, lots of little missions to do, and the real fun in the game is exploring the city.

The reviews are a bit scattered. I tend to agree with the more negative ones; the core game story requires too many repetitive missions. But who cares? What's amazing is the recreation of Manhattan you play in.

The game experience is architectural. You'll be zipping around, then see a pretty skyscraper, then climb it for a breathtaking view of the virtual city. See another interesting building? Just jump off and swing over to it. Easy and very beautiful, particularly at sunset when the lighting is most dramatic.

Update: See the NYT on virtual Manhattan.
culturegames
  2004-07-06 15:31 Z