Your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man has become nothing if not a staple of the gaming landscape over the years. His more modern adventures kicked off with the PlayStation version of Spider-Man and Activision is continuing the tradition with Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. Without a Spidey film to tie the game to in 2008, Activision is freed of the movie tradition of featuring a few boss battles with on-screen protagonists and odd appearances from villains such as The Rhino, and has opted for a broader story that adheres more closely to the Webbed Wonder's comic book exploits. An army of symbiote clones, spawned from the insidious Venom has taken over New York, and it's up to Spidey to sort things out. Thing is, the appearance of symbiotes can provoke some less than desirable character traits in the Wall Crawler, so his black costume and all the nastiness that comes with it is out in full force. Players will get to choose between the brutal black suit and the more friendly red and blue with the tap of a button, gaining access to different moves and combos as they go. Spider-Man's joined by a cast drawn from the pages of the comics, with the likes of Nightcrawler and the Green Goblin making appearances. The action borrows from the likes of Castlevania and Metroid, giving players an expansive environment to explore as they side scroll their way through in classic beat 'em up style. It's up to you to decide whether you'll be a friendly or not-so friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. Watch out, New York!