SPIDER-MAN’S last outing on the PS3 was a distinctly average affair that was left in the shadows by far more accomplished next generation titles.

Three year’s later and it’s time for another effort with Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.

Unlike the film tie-in for Spider-Man 3 this latest title has no pre-ordained script to follow, leaving the developer, Beenox, with a pleasingly blank canvas to work from.

What they’ve come up with is a plotline that’s straight from the pages of the comics – fast paced, shallow and full of action.

Shattered Dimensions is about as simple as it gets. It opens with Spider-Man finding Mysterio (the one with a goldfish bowl for a head and a pretty daft looking cape) stealing an ancient tablet from a museum.

Good old Spidey manages to stop the heinous crime only for the tablet to disintegrate in the rough and tumble with the resulting pieces scattered across four dimensions. Unsurprisingly Spidey is soon informed that he’ll have to recover the pieces to prevent all kinds of world ending mayhem.

So, the actual game sees you take control of four different Spider-men across four different Dimensions. This means you get to play as The Amazing Spider-Man (the usual one), Spider-Man Noir (a 1930s version of the web-slinger), Spider-Man 2099 and Ultimate Spider-Man (complete with Venom suit).

What that means is the different levels can take on quite different approaches. The Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099 and Ultimate Spider-Man are all close to the traditional Spider-Man approach with plenty of swinging, head-breaking and item collecting. However, there are distinct differences in the moves available to the three versions and the graphical style varies between each.

The Noir Spider-Man levels take on a stealth approach with far less emphasis on combat, instead asking the player to sneak in the shadows silently removing his enemies.

While Beenox has managed to produce an entertaining and fast-paced game, what it lacks is depth, be that in combat, Spider-Man’s web-slinging abilities, the plot or the visuals.

Coupled with that there are many occasions where the controls are simply too clumsy and lacking precision.

Using the example of Batman: Arkham Asylum as the finest comic based title out there, Shattered Dimensions falls some way short. For a Playstation 3 game it pales in comparison to the visual riches and narrative offered by Read Dead Redemption, Unchartered 2, God of War 3, Grand Theft Auto, Fallout 3… I could go on.

The gameplay falls into a very similar category. While it’s fun, most gamers expect more from their games and particularly where Spider-Man is concerned. As a video –game character he’s perfect, sadly though as yet no game has managed to take advantage of the possibilities on offer.

It’s not to say that Shattered Dimensions is bad, it’s just not as good as it could have been. Younger gamers will probably enjoy it most and as a few quick hours of fun it’s perfectly passable just don’t expect anything groundbreaking.

RATING: 3/5