With the recent Spider-Man comics hitting an all time low due to a new character named Paul character assassinating a beloved fan-favorite and a controversial change in the PS5 remastered version and upcoming sequel. I felt it was time to try out Marvel’s Spider-Man by Insomniac. Been more than two decades of not playing any spidey games. The only ones I played back then were the Playstation One games. After twenty-six hours doing everything possible I must say. It is so amazing coming back to Insomniac's take on the Wall-crawler. Filled with enough uniqueness to feel fresh from the comics, TV shows and movies they garnered. First, let’s start with the good stuff.
Story actually surprised me a great deal. I expected an underwhelming one and instead received an almost spectacular and sinister plot. Keeping me interested as scenes pass by wondering what else is in store for our human arachnid. You play as none other than twenty-three year old Peter Benjamin Parker. A dude who still struggles to properly balance his workload as a lab assistant to Dr. Otto and stopping the next villain attack when the police can’t do it as his alter ego Spider-man, and helping the little guys of course. Still keeping his identity a secret to mostly everyone while spending time as a hero for the past eight years. All of this he has to juggle while internally dealing with the aftermath of breaking up with Mary Jane Watson. Close confidant, best-friend and at one time his girlfriend. Who is employed as a reporter for the Daily Bugle. Life ain't easy for the spider-menace! As one J. Jonah Jameson(JJJ) puts it. But the New Yorkers in the big apple appreciate his help, even if he’s battling a big corporate guy named Wilson Fisk with a contact in the police department named Yuri Watanabe. And oh boy do I get mixed up between the two since Yuri Lowenthal voices Peter Parker heh. You’ll see Pete struggling with his professional duties while dealing with the new villains popping up after Fisk is gone. It’s an engrossing tale I couldn’t stop playing to know what happens in the next scene. Where good o’l Parker luck strikes again leaving our webslinger hanging by the tightest of threads against past adversaries you can’t miss out on.
Gameplay is as satisfying as eating a pepperoni pizza from Eddie’s. Very tasteful. Although, best not to do Spidey tasks on a full stomach whilst swinging across the tall skyscrapers. I’ve never felt better swinging from street to street seeing iconic places like Hell’s Kitchen, Bar with no name, Avengers tower, Brooklyn bridge, Central Park and so many more. My nostalgia is getting to me from visiting the places back then in real life. Excusing the fictional areas. I had a lot of fun swinging and pushing myself to the limit in going faster, zipping across city buildings to reach my destination. So much so, I barely used fast traveling at all! And the amount of customization. Oh by the One Above all, it is freaking awesome! There’s a bunch of suits you can gain from the story and free updates the game has. A list of my favorites include: Scarlet, Raimi, Wrestler, classic, armor MK III, 2099 black, vintage comic book, last stand, spirit and cyborg. Other’s are good too, but these I spent the most of my time in. Interestingly some story suits/side activities you complete have suit powers. Think of these as ultimate abilities. Activating once you reach enough charge. You can web enemies quickly, charge focus(another bar to defeat enemies quickly and regain health), use iron tentacles, have a shield, gain massive strength, emit fire, summon holo decoys and even use an ability to quip enemies! Insulting their pride! Hah! These are not set in stone in various costumes to wear. You can assign whichever power suits your needs. Pun intended. Aside from these ultimate abilities you can also equip three passive skills. Like detecting enemies farther away using your radar. Earning more experience points from clashing with mobs, gaining more focus, not losing combo meter and I could say extra, but I’ll refrain. Sure I had to unlock them via tokens which are earned by side-activities you can do, but hey they’re pretty wicked! Speaking of experience. You can earn it by partaking in any activity, beating up goons, completing the optional content, continuing the main story etc. There is no shortage of points to earn, level up and gain skill points to spend on three skill trees. Adding new moves, passive abilities, and heck new traversal moves too. Seriously fella has a lot of tricks up his sleeve and experience under his belt. I bet he could teach new blood on the street how to be the next Web Menace! Oh boy better not to give JJJ any more fire.
Gadgets are also a nifty way to give players an edge in combat. Sticky bombs, electric bombs, gravity suspension bombs, drones etc. All help our webslinger have an ace up his sleeve and these can be replenished freely by eliminating foes. No need to constantly equip them. You have them all at your disposal during fights. Just make sure to unlock them first and upgrade them further if you constantly use them. Helps a bunch in beating countless mobs thinking they have a chance at defeating me? Honestly, after punching thug #65 to kingdom come these guys never quit huh.
Side activities I'm a bit mixed on, but I'll praise the ones worth doing. And discuss the downsides of some of them later on. First collecting backpacks throughout your playthrough is fabulous. The webhead will reminisce about the item in question upon finding backpacks of his youth. From Sandman in a vial, Lizard, Mysterio, Vulture, Shocker and even a very stinky gym t-shirt he forgot years to collect… God the smell. Suffice it to say all of these items are worth collecting, they inform the player on our protagonist's recent history and what he was doing at the time. Next, Research stations. A project conducted by Pete’s best friend Harry Osborn is a nice change of pace from protecting the citizens through science! Huh?! How?! Well, Harry’s stations all have different objectives to do. Usually related to pollution. Benjy gathers samples from contaminated air molecules, reducing pressure on pipes, finding bacteria samples, vaccinating fish etc. All these large scale labors are a disaster waiting to happen for the future ignorant citizens and my endeavors to prevent these future problems early on. Black Cat stakeouts have you finding a black cat plushie on rooftops as Felicia(who dated The P-man) gives off flirtatious “can you catch me spider” vibes. An alluring prospect to know some hidden details from Benjamin’s past during his tenure as his alter ego. Can you imagine how he would’ve reacted to meeting Felicia back when he was fifteen years old?! Bet the kid was stuttering like no tomorrow heh. Optional missions unlock as you progress through the story and most of them are worth completing. To aid citizens who ask our friendly neighborhood spider-man for assistance. One has a random upstanding citizen impersonating his hero persona to conduct helpful deeds to people in need. Another has you storming the castle, cooperating with a college fellow pinpoint missing people. There’s sixteen in total. Some of which chain together in multiple quest chains. Feels good helping out the little guy ya know? Taskmaster challenges provide an interesting challenge for those hoping to test an arachnid’s skills. Villain of the aforementioned name gives you a set of varied objectives ranging from combat, stealth, bomb, and drone. All of which you, my unlucky orphan, must try and solve each of them within a set amount of time. Do so, and you’re in for one hell of a surprise during your quest to finish them all. Really enjoyed these set of tasks mhhm.
Before I go into my final thoughts I have to talk about my mixed feelings. Not a positive or a negative, but for the sake of transparency I'll note them down below.
Conceptually I'm fine with the idea of the MJ stealth sections, but the execution seems lacking. Since it repeats a handful of times. With the same repetitive formula of evading enemies and moving forward with some changes here and there. Like more stealth variety than having to play spy. Like going in vents, investigating clues by interviewing people, assisting Peter like misdirecting a crowd so he can evade them and find a hidden spot to change into his alter-ego safely, asking questions a reporter does, she does some investigating regarding particular topics of interest near her, but I believe this was lacking. Needs lively substance not only in writing and in the gameplay design. As a character I think the writers made her out decently well. Although I would’ve liked her presence displayed beyond phone calls to Pete and vice-versa. Outside of some cutscenes Peter shares with her, MJ’s presence isn’t given enough attention to make me say she’s fantastic. Only decently above average performance in her sections of the game. Not horrible or bad, but in the good category. She’s there when he struggles and helps him out the most when he needs it. Personally I think some more scenes with her beyond stealth like healing Peter, going on dates, flashbacks of their past, aiding May. Him supporting her. All of these instances could’ve elevated her further and by extension the protagonist. And as a result make her sections more fleshed out, instead of repeating again for yet another spy section.
Repetitive open world structure akin to Ubisoft tasks. Insomniac’s other side-activities I felt were lacking and made me weary. Clearing out districts, hideouts, warehouses and outposts. They do not offer much to extend worldbuilding and lore. Take for example: More than a dozen hideouts to clear out. With six waves of enemies coming at me. As if an army has a chance of defeating me. Lacking banter from the fighting wall-crawler or many phone calls to update him on life outside of being a protector and sure. It is turbulent with barely any balance between managing his personal, job and hero duties. But I would’ve appreciated a different quest. Give me quests in F.E.A.S.T. to help Aunt May around. While sprinkling internal monologues like how collecting backpacks were done. Indirectly help Miles while he’s at school. Imagine Miles Morales slowly becoming a real friend to the person behind the mask by helping him with needing supplies, fending off some thugs by distracting or rallying his classmates to cheer him on. Slam a wrench in the combat systems by making all his gadgets inoperable or disabling his suit powers. Transforming him to become our marvel Jason Bourne/Jackie Chan/John Wick dude in a pinch using items around the environment to wack enemies. Yes he can use throwable items, but the man can’t wield any of them preferring to knock, punch and kick enemies to KO status.
Tired of beating thugs in waves? Then go on patrol and eliminate forty-plus each of thugs, demons, [redacted] & Sa%^* crimes spread throughout each district. I had to finish more than 120 of those to clear out the streets. And this was initially a nice way for patrol and having something to do when someone calls me or I listen to a JJJ podcast, yet these seem like padding. I did complete them all certainly, but comparable to my time in Ghost of Tsushima where clearing out camps and mongols felt like a tedious activity while not rewarding me the player enough with enough incentive to complete. Like better rewards, extend the worldbuilding, lore. Drop a minor villain here and there. Drop tombstone, chameleon, spot, hydro-man etc. encounters. Even worse to think about are these crimes will only pop-up if you swing a certain distance. They’re not displayed on the map at all times. You have to idly swing waiting for crimes to happen. Honestly, give me a notification from an app to let me know about crimes happening. This could be an easy fix by reducing the filler and adding plenty more unique encounters. Make me believe New York is threatened by these villains than some schmuck or goon being told to fight the resident superguy who webs enemies up on buildings. Come on man. What am I some dude with nothing better to do than fight petty burglaries with a ridiculous spider costume? Oh wait…
Might be a controversial take, but I think the relationship Peter has with Doc, while excellent throughout, perhaps avenues were feasible in regards to their segments. Implementing organic gameplay tasks than constant spectrograph and line mini-puzzles to do. Why can’t I complete some projects using artisal science? Combine their talents together with him building parts using different puzzles than resorting to the same ones again. These become egregious as I progressed further in the main story and optional content requiring Parker to once again complete these mini-games repeatedly. Sure there is an option in the settings to excuse them, a feature I never expected but came to rely on during the endgame. Yet this doesn’t alleviate the problem altogether, rather it is more of a band-aid than a proper solution. I think more unique segments had potential to bear fruit. Its why I credit Atomic Heart a lot by providing variety in the same category to keep the gameplay fresh and exciting. Not re-using the same formula again for the sake of consistency. If anything I’m more astonished that goons resort to similar practices to conduct their nefarious deeds. And while there are several outside the norm. These ultimately were outliers. I also think some more flashbacks between the two instead of me seeking dialogue points as I perused the lab for points of interest regarding their friendship/professional relationship. Bringing a more emotional weight than ever before. Adding more show, don’t tell.
Last critique I think some more time to develop villains/characters would’ve been better. We get to know plenty of a certain N$%&*%^(E Man which has interesting developments as we progress further into the game, yet others are left to the side-street in favor of giving other villains more screen time. I get it, I really do. To focus on these important characters than other adversaries lending more focus, yet I feel this could’ve been tweaked to give us more scenes perhaps to humanize them. Granted I haven’t delved deep into the comics to know their full interactions to go beyond one note villains into the complex categories, but still an attempt is possible to make them more of a threat and memorable than being used as tools then discarded. May, Miles, Harry, MJ by extension needed a bit more time in the oven to cook. Sure they have scenes in the game, but some of them perhaps needed supplementary scenes to push their characterization further.
Before I finish, I have to talk about the DLC’s. A solid return to the main game after seeing the mid-credits and post credit scene. Called the City That Never Sleeps. Taking place after the main story is done. Three episodes. For players hungry for more web-slinging and web-menacing action. The first, The Heist deals with a Black Cat’s troubles which your resident friendly neighborhood arachnid will have no choice but to assist, the second Turf Wars, occurs after the events of the Heist. Providing a decent filler, backed by the nice development of Yuri Watanabe. And third the final dlc begins Silver Lining stars none other than Silver Sable returning, giving trouble to our main character once again. Yet good guy Spidey is up for the challenge. Each DLC occurs chronologically. So best to go in release order or else you will be confused. By the end, I believe the post game content is a good conclusion to tie everything together before we depart into Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The episodes provide new enemy types, side-content and slightly new gameplay segments for fans after the ending. Worth completing to see what Peter after the base game. Seeing him assume another role and reinvigorating his friendship with one friend are a must see after learning his relationship with one female friend. The phone calls he has with a certain student provide wonderful if not humorous conversations to witness. And the side-quests, well most of them excusing Screwball because she’s pretty cringe. Have interesting lore/worldbuilding to eat up. Man my stomach was so full devouring the paintings in episode one, and the Symkaria hideouts, mystery crime investigations in episode three.
Moving on, If there are some last notable things to say before I head out. I would say Peter’s relationship with Doc. is a breathtaking fresh take on his character and their relationship with one another. I've seen other iterations in films and tv shows and I’m quite frankly shocked by how well Insomniac incorporates theirs. I enjoyed coming back to the lab and cooperating with his employer, took my sweet time scouring new points of interest to hear and have Pete reminisce on the fond memories he shared with him to create a better world. To help those in need and despite many hurdles and setbacks. The outcome of their efforts is so beautiful. It is such a joy and pleasure to witness the super bond they share. Sure it could be improved like I said earlier, but the base foundation the dev’s have created is nothing short of extraordinary. I am greatly looking forward to the potential of what’s to come. And if he does return. Oh man we're in for one hell of a superior storyline.
Sure I did experience some mixed feelings, yet this doesn’t detract much from the sheer strengths the game envisions and strides for. I am impressed by how engrossed I was by the storyline, how satisfying it was to sling and slap, kick, punch my enemies to victory. Even quipping and insulting a core part of Parker to whittle enemies pride, taunting them is a core tactic I’ll never get tired of seeing again and again. Hell JJJ’s podcast once again putting the web- warrior down, I actually can’t help but admire the sheer guts to do so. Curbing public perception against the masked menace sure takes dedication to keep going for over eight years huh Jonah. Never gets tiring hearing some trashy entertainment while defeating countless thugs. Kinda like listening to a podcast at work ya know. Except our webspinner is listening to JJJ while multitasking eh. “Dude is a masochist” - As one Brooklyn kid says.
Overall, I think I can safely say Marvel’s Spider-Man have done the impossible by reinvigorating my superhero inner childhood I’ve sorely missed ever since the Raimi trilogy ended, ever since the Webb (I just realized we had a director with Web in his name. Nice.) films were gutted and only until the Watts and Spider-verse have kept my love for the genre going instead of resorting back to cynicism as I grew older. It is heartening witnessing such an endearing videogame calling back to what I love since my childhood. The insecurity our Webhead undergoes, the sheer struggle in managing a proper life from his alter-ego, work and personal intertwining and intersecting at times when he least expects it, the sheer weight of responsibility and power he beholds to share with others in need is both incredibly admiring and awe-inspiring. Again and again he continues to become the Hero everyone needs yet does not seek the glamor or reward. He simply does. And this entry only solidifies his excellent qualities while taking adequate time to showcase he too is flawed just as the rest of us. Making him instantly relatable and personable to nearly everyone. The Amazing Spider-Man continues to be my favorite superhero of all time and while this entry is a spectacular return to form embodying all his greatest triumphs, a careful balance emerges to display his greatest hardships too. And these two in tandem create one hell of hook to watch out for in future installments. I can only expect we will dive into marvelous troubles and epic adventures. To any Spidey fan out there, this is a title that cannot be missed. And for any newcomer, I envy you greatly with one of the best stories I’ve ever seen in Spider-Man media.
8/10
Additional Material:
Marvel Spider-Man Ending thoughts - Spoiler thoughts + DLC included.
Story actually surprised me a great deal. I expected an underwhelming one and instead received an almost spectacular and sinister plot. Keeping me interested as scenes pass by wondering what else is in store for our human arachnid. You play as none other than twenty-three year old Peter Benjamin Parker. A dude who still struggles to properly balance his workload as a lab assistant to Dr. Otto and stopping the next villain attack when the police can’t do it as his alter ego Spider-man, and helping the little guys of course. Still keeping his identity a secret to mostly everyone while spending time as a hero for the past eight years. All of this he has to juggle while internally dealing with the aftermath of breaking up with Mary Jane Watson. Close confidant, best-friend and at one time his girlfriend. Who is employed as a reporter for the Daily Bugle. Life ain't easy for the spider-menace! As one J. Jonah Jameson(JJJ) puts it. But the New Yorkers in the big apple appreciate his help, even if he’s battling a big corporate guy named Wilson Fisk with a contact in the police department named Yuri Watanabe. And oh boy do I get mixed up between the two since Yuri Lowenthal voices Peter Parker heh. You’ll see Pete struggling with his professional duties while dealing with the new villains popping up after Fisk is gone. It’s an engrossing tale I couldn’t stop playing to know what happens in the next scene. Where good o’l Parker luck strikes again leaving our webslinger hanging by the tightest of threads against past adversaries you can’t miss out on.
Gameplay is as satisfying as eating a pepperoni pizza from Eddie’s. Very tasteful. Although, best not to do Spidey tasks on a full stomach whilst swinging across the tall skyscrapers. I’ve never felt better swinging from street to street seeing iconic places like Hell’s Kitchen, Bar with no name, Avengers tower, Brooklyn bridge, Central Park and so many more. My nostalgia is getting to me from visiting the places back then in real life. Excusing the fictional areas. I had a lot of fun swinging and pushing myself to the limit in going faster, zipping across city buildings to reach my destination. So much so, I barely used fast traveling at all! And the amount of customization. Oh by the One Above all, it is freaking awesome! There’s a bunch of suits you can gain from the story and free updates the game has. A list of my favorites include: Scarlet, Raimi, Wrestler, classic, armor MK III, 2099 black, vintage comic book, last stand, spirit and cyborg. Other’s are good too, but these I spent the most of my time in. Interestingly some story suits/side activities you complete have suit powers. Think of these as ultimate abilities. Activating once you reach enough charge. You can web enemies quickly, charge focus(another bar to defeat enemies quickly and regain health), use iron tentacles, have a shield, gain massive strength, emit fire, summon holo decoys and even use an ability to quip enemies! Insulting their pride! Hah! These are not set in stone in various costumes to wear. You can assign whichever power suits your needs. Pun intended. Aside from these ultimate abilities you can also equip three passive skills. Like detecting enemies farther away using your radar. Earning more experience points from clashing with mobs, gaining more focus, not losing combo meter and I could say extra, but I’ll refrain. Sure I had to unlock them via tokens which are earned by side-activities you can do, but hey they’re pretty wicked! Speaking of experience. You can earn it by partaking in any activity, beating up goons, completing the optional content, continuing the main story etc. There is no shortage of points to earn, level up and gain skill points to spend on three skill trees. Adding new moves, passive abilities, and heck new traversal moves too. Seriously fella has a lot of tricks up his sleeve and experience under his belt. I bet he could teach new blood on the street how to be the next Web Menace! Oh boy better not to give JJJ any more fire.
Gadgets are also a nifty way to give players an edge in combat. Sticky bombs, electric bombs, gravity suspension bombs, drones etc. All help our webslinger have an ace up his sleeve and these can be replenished freely by eliminating foes. No need to constantly equip them. You have them all at your disposal during fights. Just make sure to unlock them first and upgrade them further if you constantly use them. Helps a bunch in beating countless mobs thinking they have a chance at defeating me? Honestly, after punching thug #65 to kingdom come these guys never quit huh.
Side activities I'm a bit mixed on, but I'll praise the ones worth doing. And discuss the downsides of some of them later on. First collecting backpacks throughout your playthrough is fabulous. The webhead will reminisce about the item in question upon finding backpacks of his youth. From Sandman in a vial, Lizard, Mysterio, Vulture, Shocker and even a very stinky gym t-shirt he forgot years to collect… God the smell. Suffice it to say all of these items are worth collecting, they inform the player on our protagonist's recent history and what he was doing at the time. Next, Research stations. A project conducted by Pete’s best friend Harry Osborn is a nice change of pace from protecting the citizens through science! Huh?! How?! Well, Harry’s stations all have different objectives to do. Usually related to pollution. Benjy gathers samples from contaminated air molecules, reducing pressure on pipes, finding bacteria samples, vaccinating fish etc. All these large scale labors are a disaster waiting to happen for the future ignorant citizens and my endeavors to prevent these future problems early on. Black Cat stakeouts have you finding a black cat plushie on rooftops as Felicia(who dated The P-man) gives off flirtatious “can you catch me spider” vibes. An alluring prospect to know some hidden details from Benjamin’s past during his tenure as his alter ego. Can you imagine how he would’ve reacted to meeting Felicia back when he was fifteen years old?! Bet the kid was stuttering like no tomorrow heh. Optional missions unlock as you progress through the story and most of them are worth completing. To aid citizens who ask our friendly neighborhood spider-man for assistance. One has a random upstanding citizen impersonating his hero persona to conduct helpful deeds to people in need. Another has you storming the castle, cooperating with a college fellow pinpoint missing people. There’s sixteen in total. Some of which chain together in multiple quest chains. Feels good helping out the little guy ya know? Taskmaster challenges provide an interesting challenge for those hoping to test an arachnid’s skills. Villain of the aforementioned name gives you a set of varied objectives ranging from combat, stealth, bomb, and drone. All of which you, my unlucky orphan, must try and solve each of them within a set amount of time. Do so, and you’re in for one hell of a surprise during your quest to finish them all. Really enjoyed these set of tasks mhhm.
Before I go into my final thoughts I have to talk about my mixed feelings. Not a positive or a negative, but for the sake of transparency I'll note them down below.
Conceptually I'm fine with the idea of the MJ stealth sections, but the execution seems lacking. Since it repeats a handful of times. With the same repetitive formula of evading enemies and moving forward with some changes here and there. Like more stealth variety than having to play spy. Like going in vents, investigating clues by interviewing people, assisting Peter like misdirecting a crowd so he can evade them and find a hidden spot to change into his alter-ego safely, asking questions a reporter does, she does some investigating regarding particular topics of interest near her, but I believe this was lacking. Needs lively substance not only in writing and in the gameplay design. As a character I think the writers made her out decently well. Although I would’ve liked her presence displayed beyond phone calls to Pete and vice-versa. Outside of some cutscenes Peter shares with her, MJ’s presence isn’t given enough attention to make me say she’s fantastic. Only decently above average performance in her sections of the game. Not horrible or bad, but in the good category. She’s there when he struggles and helps him out the most when he needs it. Personally I think some more scenes with her beyond stealth like healing Peter, going on dates, flashbacks of their past, aiding May. Him supporting her. All of these instances could’ve elevated her further and by extension the protagonist. And as a result make her sections more fleshed out, instead of repeating again for yet another spy section.
Repetitive open world structure akin to Ubisoft tasks. Insomniac’s other side-activities I felt were lacking and made me weary. Clearing out districts, hideouts, warehouses and outposts. They do not offer much to extend worldbuilding and lore. Take for example: More than a dozen hideouts to clear out. With six waves of enemies coming at me. As if an army has a chance of defeating me. Lacking banter from the fighting wall-crawler or many phone calls to update him on life outside of being a protector and sure. It is turbulent with barely any balance between managing his personal, job and hero duties. But I would’ve appreciated a different quest. Give me quests in F.E.A.S.T. to help Aunt May around. While sprinkling internal monologues like how collecting backpacks were done. Indirectly help Miles while he’s at school. Imagine Miles Morales slowly becoming a real friend to the person behind the mask by helping him with needing supplies, fending off some thugs by distracting or rallying his classmates to cheer him on. Slam a wrench in the combat systems by making all his gadgets inoperable or disabling his suit powers. Transforming him to become our marvel Jason Bourne/Jackie Chan/John Wick dude in a pinch using items around the environment to wack enemies. Yes he can use throwable items, but the man can’t wield any of them preferring to knock, punch and kick enemies to KO status.
Tired of beating thugs in waves? Then go on patrol and eliminate forty-plus each of thugs, demons, [redacted] & Sa%^* crimes spread throughout each district. I had to finish more than 120 of those to clear out the streets. And this was initially a nice way for patrol and having something to do when someone calls me or I listen to a JJJ podcast, yet these seem like padding. I did complete them all certainly, but comparable to my time in Ghost of Tsushima where clearing out camps and mongols felt like a tedious activity while not rewarding me the player enough with enough incentive to complete. Like better rewards, extend the worldbuilding, lore. Drop a minor villain here and there. Drop tombstone, chameleon, spot, hydro-man etc. encounters. Even worse to think about are these crimes will only pop-up if you swing a certain distance. They’re not displayed on the map at all times. You have to idly swing waiting for crimes to happen. Honestly, give me a notification from an app to let me know about crimes happening. This could be an easy fix by reducing the filler and adding plenty more unique encounters. Make me believe New York is threatened by these villains than some schmuck or goon being told to fight the resident superguy who webs enemies up on buildings. Come on man. What am I some dude with nothing better to do than fight petty burglaries with a ridiculous spider costume? Oh wait…
Might be a controversial take, but I think the relationship Peter has with Doc, while excellent throughout, perhaps avenues were feasible in regards to their segments. Implementing organic gameplay tasks than constant spectrograph and line mini-puzzles to do. Why can’t I complete some projects using artisal science? Combine their talents together with him building parts using different puzzles than resorting to the same ones again. These become egregious as I progressed further in the main story and optional content requiring Parker to once again complete these mini-games repeatedly. Sure there is an option in the settings to excuse them, a feature I never expected but came to rely on during the endgame. Yet this doesn’t alleviate the problem altogether, rather it is more of a band-aid than a proper solution. I think more unique segments had potential to bear fruit. Its why I credit Atomic Heart a lot by providing variety in the same category to keep the gameplay fresh and exciting. Not re-using the same formula again for the sake of consistency. If anything I’m more astonished that goons resort to similar practices to conduct their nefarious deeds. And while there are several outside the norm. These ultimately were outliers. I also think some more flashbacks between the two instead of me seeking dialogue points as I perused the lab for points of interest regarding their friendship/professional relationship. Bringing a more emotional weight than ever before. Adding more show, don’t tell.
Last critique I think some more time to develop villains/characters would’ve been better. We get to know plenty of a certain N$%&*%^(E Man which has interesting developments as we progress further into the game, yet others are left to the side-street in favor of giving other villains more screen time. I get it, I really do. To focus on these important characters than other adversaries lending more focus, yet I feel this could’ve been tweaked to give us more scenes perhaps to humanize them. Granted I haven’t delved deep into the comics to know their full interactions to go beyond one note villains into the complex categories, but still an attempt is possible to make them more of a threat and memorable than being used as tools then discarded. May, Miles, Harry, MJ by extension needed a bit more time in the oven to cook. Sure they have scenes in the game, but some of them perhaps needed supplementary scenes to push their characterization further.
Before I finish, I have to talk about the DLC’s. A solid return to the main game after seeing the mid-credits and post credit scene. Called the City That Never Sleeps. Taking place after the main story is done. Three episodes. For players hungry for more web-slinging and web-menacing action. The first, The Heist deals with a Black Cat’s troubles which your resident friendly neighborhood arachnid will have no choice but to assist, the second Turf Wars, occurs after the events of the Heist. Providing a decent filler, backed by the nice development of Yuri Watanabe. And third the final dlc begins Silver Lining stars none other than Silver Sable returning, giving trouble to our main character once again. Yet good guy Spidey is up for the challenge. Each DLC occurs chronologically. So best to go in release order or else you will be confused. By the end, I believe the post game content is a good conclusion to tie everything together before we depart into Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The episodes provide new enemy types, side-content and slightly new gameplay segments for fans after the ending. Worth completing to see what Peter after the base game. Seeing him assume another role and reinvigorating his friendship with one friend are a must see after learning his relationship with one female friend. The phone calls he has with a certain student provide wonderful if not humorous conversations to witness. And the side-quests, well most of them excusing Screwball because she’s pretty cringe. Have interesting lore/worldbuilding to eat up. Man my stomach was so full devouring the paintings in episode one, and the Symkaria hideouts, mystery crime investigations in episode three.
Moving on, If there are some last notable things to say before I head out. I would say Peter’s relationship with Doc. is a breathtaking fresh take on his character and their relationship with one another. I've seen other iterations in films and tv shows and I’m quite frankly shocked by how well Insomniac incorporates theirs. I enjoyed coming back to the lab and cooperating with his employer, took my sweet time scouring new points of interest to hear and have Pete reminisce on the fond memories he shared with him to create a better world. To help those in need and despite many hurdles and setbacks. The outcome of their efforts is so beautiful. It is such a joy and pleasure to witness the super bond they share. Sure it could be improved like I said earlier, but the base foundation the dev’s have created is nothing short of extraordinary. I am greatly looking forward to the potential of what’s to come. And if he does return. Oh man we're in for one hell of a superior storyline.
Sure I did experience some mixed feelings, yet this doesn’t detract much from the sheer strengths the game envisions and strides for. I am impressed by how engrossed I was by the storyline, how satisfying it was to sling and slap, kick, punch my enemies to victory. Even quipping and insulting a core part of Parker to whittle enemies pride, taunting them is a core tactic I’ll never get tired of seeing again and again. Hell JJJ’s podcast once again putting the web- warrior down, I actually can’t help but admire the sheer guts to do so. Curbing public perception against the masked menace sure takes dedication to keep going for over eight years huh Jonah. Never gets tiring hearing some trashy entertainment while defeating countless thugs. Kinda like listening to a podcast at work ya know. Except our webspinner is listening to JJJ while multitasking eh. “Dude is a masochist” - As one Brooklyn kid says.
Overall, I think I can safely say Marvel’s Spider-Man have done the impossible by reinvigorating my superhero inner childhood I’ve sorely missed ever since the Raimi trilogy ended, ever since the Webb (I just realized we had a director with Web in his name. Nice.) films were gutted and only until the Watts and Spider-verse have kept my love for the genre going instead of resorting back to cynicism as I grew older. It is heartening witnessing such an endearing videogame calling back to what I love since my childhood. The insecurity our Webhead undergoes, the sheer struggle in managing a proper life from his alter-ego, work and personal intertwining and intersecting at times when he least expects it, the sheer weight of responsibility and power he beholds to share with others in need is both incredibly admiring and awe-inspiring. Again and again he continues to become the Hero everyone needs yet does not seek the glamor or reward. He simply does. And this entry only solidifies his excellent qualities while taking adequate time to showcase he too is flawed just as the rest of us. Making him instantly relatable and personable to nearly everyone. The Amazing Spider-Man continues to be my favorite superhero of all time and while this entry is a spectacular return to form embodying all his greatest triumphs, a careful balance emerges to display his greatest hardships too. And these two in tandem create one hell of hook to watch out for in future installments. I can only expect we will dive into marvelous troubles and epic adventures. To any Spidey fan out there, this is a title that cannot be missed. And for any newcomer, I envy you greatly with one of the best stories I’ve ever seen in Spider-Man media.
8/10
Additional Material:
Marvel Spider-Man Ending thoughts - Spoiler thoughts + DLC included.
Nossa, esse jogo é sem dúvida nenhuma um dos melhores jogos que eu já joguei em toda a minha vida. Sempre fui um enorme fã do homem aranha desde pequeno, a ponto de sempre estar falando sobre o quão forte e incrível ele é. Quando descobri a existência desse jogo eu basicamente surtei e decidi que precisaria jogar essa obra prima. Quando tive a oportunidade me diverti tanto e fiquei tão feliz que acabei zerando ele mais de 2 vezes e zerei todas as DLCS. No final de 2023 descobri a existência das platinas e me senti obrigado a platina-lo e faze-lo minha primeira platina da vida. Platinado com orgulho, assim como todas as DLCS. Com certeza um dos meus jogos favoritos de todos os tempos. Super recomendo!
Playing this again for the second time - and especially right after GOD OF WAR: RAGNAROK - I think I'd say now that this is actually a fair bit below what the floor of our expectations should be for a mega-Triple A event game nowadays. Not a bad game in any functional sense, and its best feature (the truly excellent traversal system) almost guarantees it a thumbs-up all by itself, but it is nevertheless riddled with flaws, shortcuts, lazy design elements, and baffling / oversights, and I'm going to go ahead and complain about them in a bulleted list here:
- Number one, it really is SPIDER-MAN: ARKHAM CITY, down to the littlest design elements. And while it's no crime to take inspiration from an excellent game, a lot of the smaller details cribbed from it do come off as quite lazy in their reuse. There are a lot of "oh, come on" moments
- Although it must be said, there's one big thing they didn't lift from ARKHAM. That game took place in a fantastical crime-nightmare world packed with easter eggs and references and impressive details around every corner - this one takes place in a rigorously realistic facsimile of New York City packed with absolutely nothing of any interest at all
- The scale of everything is all over the place - doors, fuseboxes, items, wildlife (pigeons the size of dogs), even characters - here's Spider-Man fighting villain The Scorpion, listed in-game as 6' 3"
- The music is straight up bad. Like, I don't even have the vocabulary to criticize orchestral score, and I don't think I've ever been in this position with a big-budget full-orchestra movie-like OST, but yeah, it sucks, it's bad
- The writing is pretty poor on a macro- and micro-level. Big story stuff like Dr. Octavius' heel turn - which is foreshadowed for SO long but then feels absurdly rushed and unbelievable when it finally does happens - is inexcusably clumsy and more or less breaks the game's story in two, but also just character dialogue is dopey and unrealistic
- Taken as an overall thing, both plot and story are laughably pedestrian and cartoonish and just nothing in the end. It's actually kind of surprising how basic it is. Sub-MCU stuff. Like, there are three-episode arcs of the '90s cartoon that look like The Wire compared to this
- combat's fine, but it doesn't match ARKHAM at all. In those games, you press a button at the correct time, and you can bet your life that what you want to happen is going to happen, it's so tight it's like a math problem. Here, a little loosey-goosey, delay-y, systems tripping over each other-y. Overall not nearly as satisfying
- There are a lot of villains present, which is awesome and necessary, but good God, their designs are hideous, just terrible. Almost seems a few years out of date with how ugly and tech-y everyone is. Greebled nonsense, feels like getting stabbed in the eyes
- this is a Remaster-specific gripe, but having played both, the new face model for Peter sucks. He looks wooden and unexpressive and has this very punchable constant smirking, looking-down-his-nose thing going on. I actually quite liked the original guy. Not sure that I buy Insomniac's reasoning for replacing him, either - he just looks like Tom Holland and it's hard to believe that's a coincidence
So, I played this again to prepare for MILES MORALES and 2, and I'm hoping that those are stronger. The fact that I've 100%ed it twice should and does say something about this game's baseline playablility and value, but again, I think we should be expecting quite a bit more from the mega-prestige hyper-realistic performance-capture-ass industry-shaking titles. So what I'm saying is .... triple-A Games Awards bait ......... Be Greater
- Number one, it really is SPIDER-MAN: ARKHAM CITY, down to the littlest design elements. And while it's no crime to take inspiration from an excellent game, a lot of the smaller details cribbed from it do come off as quite lazy in their reuse. There are a lot of "oh, come on" moments
- Although it must be said, there's one big thing they didn't lift from ARKHAM. That game took place in a fantastical crime-nightmare world packed with easter eggs and references and impressive details around every corner - this one takes place in a rigorously realistic facsimile of New York City packed with absolutely nothing of any interest at all
- The scale of everything is all over the place - doors, fuseboxes, items, wildlife (pigeons the size of dogs), even characters - here's Spider-Man fighting villain The Scorpion, listed in-game as 6' 3"
- The music is straight up bad. Like, I don't even have the vocabulary to criticize orchestral score, and I don't think I've ever been in this position with a big-budget full-orchestra movie-like OST, but yeah, it sucks, it's bad
- The writing is pretty poor on a macro- and micro-level. Big story stuff like Dr. Octavius' heel turn - which is foreshadowed for SO long but then feels absurdly rushed and unbelievable when it finally does happens - is inexcusably clumsy and more or less breaks the game's story in two, but also just character dialogue is dopey and unrealistic
- Taken as an overall thing, both plot and story are laughably pedestrian and cartoonish and just nothing in the end. It's actually kind of surprising how basic it is. Sub-MCU stuff. Like, there are three-episode arcs of the '90s cartoon that look like The Wire compared to this
- combat's fine, but it doesn't match ARKHAM at all. In those games, you press a button at the correct time, and you can bet your life that what you want to happen is going to happen, it's so tight it's like a math problem. Here, a little loosey-goosey, delay-y, systems tripping over each other-y. Overall not nearly as satisfying
- There are a lot of villains present, which is awesome and necessary, but good God, their designs are hideous, just terrible. Almost seems a few years out of date with how ugly and tech-y everyone is. Greebled nonsense, feels like getting stabbed in the eyes
- this is a Remaster-specific gripe, but having played both, the new face model for Peter sucks. He looks wooden and unexpressive and has this very punchable constant smirking, looking-down-his-nose thing going on. I actually quite liked the original guy. Not sure that I buy Insomniac's reasoning for replacing him, either - he just looks like Tom Holland and it's hard to believe that's a coincidence
So, I played this again to prepare for MILES MORALES and 2, and I'm hoping that those are stronger. The fact that I've 100%ed it twice should and does say something about this game's baseline playablility and value, but again, I think we should be expecting quite a bit more from the mega-prestige hyper-realistic performance-capture-ass industry-shaking titles. So what I'm saying is .... triple-A Games Awards bait ......... Be Greater
I like swinging around as spider guy, that is pretty fun and the story is really good. Main drawback is the side content is extremely repetitive and uninspired. Insomniac pls get better at side content.
The game that'll make you feel like the web-headed.
Everyone was waiting for a good game of the web-headed as TASM 1 and 2 we're both kinda shit, until in 2018 Sony gave us this masterpiece of a game that will really make you feel like you're the legend of Spiderman, the combat is really satisfying, many times I found myself just swinging around the city forgetting about any problem I could have. Or replaying the main story as even tho its not the best story given to us about spiderman is still a really solid and more importantly a fun one, a really must play if you're a fan of the character.
Everyone was waiting for a good game of the web-headed as TASM 1 and 2 we're both kinda shit, until in 2018 Sony gave us this masterpiece of a game that will really make you feel like you're the legend of Spiderman, the combat is really satisfying, many times I found myself just swinging around the city forgetting about any problem I could have. Or replaying the main story as even tho its not the best story given to us about spiderman is still a really solid and more importantly a fun one, a really must play if you're a fan of the character.
Marvel's Spider-Man stands as a remarkable achievement even five years after its release, capturing the essence of Spider-Man as a character and delivering a compelling narrative centered around the destructive nature of revenge. With its exhilarating and powerful web-slinging mechanics, captivating narrative, and top-tier action combat, this exceptional and immersive superhero game surpasses expectations, and stands firm in being the standard for the superhero genre.
Firstly I need to talk about arguably the most important aspect that continues to impress today: the web swinging. Despite the passage of time, the thrill of swinging through the city never wanes. I found myself continuously pushing the boundaries of my web-slinging abilities, executing daring dives from towering buildings and seamlessly transitioning between parkour-like wall runs and swift web maneuvers. The numerous outposts scattered throughout New York, where I was able to engage in intense combat against hordes of enemies, also remains as satisfying as ever. Additionally, the inclusion of activities like collecting backpacks and capturing snapshots of landmarks during swinging sessions adds enjoyable pit stops along the way. Even the spontaneous crimes that arise, allowing me to swiftly intervene and then move on, reinforce the feeling of being the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. The game's focus on being a local hero, protecting one's own city, rather than jetting off to far-flung locations for various missions, further solidifies this sense of grounded heroism. In this regard, it evokes a similar feeling to that of Arkham Knight, where the game centers around defending the streets of Gotham City.
It also goes without saying that Marvel's Spider-Man is a visual and auditory delight all these years later. The attention to detail in the character models, animations, and environmental design is remarkable. The city of New York is a vibrant and living backdrop, complemented by stunning lighting and weather effects that further enhance the immersion. The musical score, composed by the talented John Paesano, perfectly captures the essence of Spider-Man, evoking a sense of adventure, heroism, and emotional resonance, especially when it comes to the main theme.
Another standout feature of Marvel's Spider-Man, however, lies in its captivating storytelling. I believe it surpasses most of the movies in terms of crafting an engaging narrative that feels fresh and innovative. Witnessing the transformation of Otto Octavius into the legendary Doc Ock throughout the course of the game is heartbreaking and deep. Uncovering the tragic backstory of Martin Li intertwining with his alter ego, Mr. Negative, is just something you can't help but feel empathy towards. These two characters showcase the complex nature and destructive power of their revenge-driven motivation.
Another shoutout goes to the game's exceptional portrayal of beloved characters like Peter Parker, MJ, and Miles Morales. The writing and voice acting bring these characters to life, showcasing their distinct personalities, strengths, and vulnerabilities. The relationships between the characters are explored with care and nuance, adding emotional depth to the narrative. The inclusion of Miles Morales as a central figure is a welcome addition, as his unique abilities and perspective provide a fresh dynamic to the gameplay and story. Despite some minor shortcomings in the missions involving MJ and Miles, they do not detract significantly from the overall experience, and I found myself fully invested in the journey and development of these iconic characters.
When it comes to the actual combat, I couldn't get enough of the satisfying combos. It is absolutely peak action. The fluidity and responsiveness of the controls make it a joy to execute sequences like a devastating punch followed by a graceful dodge, an uppercut from behind, a quick two-hit combo, a swing kick, and finally, a web toss to dispatch another enemy. This level of versatility in Spider-Man's attacks and gadgets truly rivals the combat mechanics of the Arkhamverse, which undoubtedly served as a significant inspiration for this creative decision. In fact, I found myself enjoying the combat in this game even more than in Miles Morales' standalone title, especially once the upgrades for Spider-Man's gadgets are unlocked, resulting in truly exhilarating battles. Another thing to give props to is the stealth. Despite my general disinterest in stealth mechanics in games, this title manages to infuse enjoyable elements of stealth, allowing me to creatively incapacitate enemies with webbing or perform powerful kicks to the head for swift takedowns. Experimenting with gadgets like impact webs and trip mines adds another layer of strategy, and it allowed me to maintain distance while having fun effectively neutralizing adversaries.
Marvel's Spider-Man represents the quintessential superhero game, a remarkable and effective ending of the hit-or-miss Spider-Man titles of the past that were often tied to movie releases. Yuri Lowenthal's portrayal of Spider-Man is, in my opinion, the definitive interpretation of the character to date, imbuing him with both terrifying strength and combat reflexes that rival those of Batman in the Arkhamverse. I even find myself reading the actual comics with his voice in my mind, because it's just so perfectly fitting. The exceptional musical score, top-tier voice acting, and seamless controls further enhance the overall experience. Without a doubt, this game has secured its position as my favorite superhero title and one of my all-time favorite games, leaving me eagerly anticipating the release of its sequel.
Firstly I need to talk about arguably the most important aspect that continues to impress today: the web swinging. Despite the passage of time, the thrill of swinging through the city never wanes. I found myself continuously pushing the boundaries of my web-slinging abilities, executing daring dives from towering buildings and seamlessly transitioning between parkour-like wall runs and swift web maneuvers. The numerous outposts scattered throughout New York, where I was able to engage in intense combat against hordes of enemies, also remains as satisfying as ever. Additionally, the inclusion of activities like collecting backpacks and capturing snapshots of landmarks during swinging sessions adds enjoyable pit stops along the way. Even the spontaneous crimes that arise, allowing me to swiftly intervene and then move on, reinforce the feeling of being the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. The game's focus on being a local hero, protecting one's own city, rather than jetting off to far-flung locations for various missions, further solidifies this sense of grounded heroism. In this regard, it evokes a similar feeling to that of Arkham Knight, where the game centers around defending the streets of Gotham City.
It also goes without saying that Marvel's Spider-Man is a visual and auditory delight all these years later. The attention to detail in the character models, animations, and environmental design is remarkable. The city of New York is a vibrant and living backdrop, complemented by stunning lighting and weather effects that further enhance the immersion. The musical score, composed by the talented John Paesano, perfectly captures the essence of Spider-Man, evoking a sense of adventure, heroism, and emotional resonance, especially when it comes to the main theme.
Another standout feature of Marvel's Spider-Man, however, lies in its captivating storytelling. I believe it surpasses most of the movies in terms of crafting an engaging narrative that feels fresh and innovative. Witnessing the transformation of Otto Octavius into the legendary Doc Ock throughout the course of the game is heartbreaking and deep. Uncovering the tragic backstory of Martin Li intertwining with his alter ego, Mr. Negative, is just something you can't help but feel empathy towards. These two characters showcase the complex nature and destructive power of their revenge-driven motivation.
Another shoutout goes to the game's exceptional portrayal of beloved characters like Peter Parker, MJ, and Miles Morales. The writing and voice acting bring these characters to life, showcasing their distinct personalities, strengths, and vulnerabilities. The relationships between the characters are explored with care and nuance, adding emotional depth to the narrative. The inclusion of Miles Morales as a central figure is a welcome addition, as his unique abilities and perspective provide a fresh dynamic to the gameplay and story. Despite some minor shortcomings in the missions involving MJ and Miles, they do not detract significantly from the overall experience, and I found myself fully invested in the journey and development of these iconic characters.
When it comes to the actual combat, I couldn't get enough of the satisfying combos. It is absolutely peak action. The fluidity and responsiveness of the controls make it a joy to execute sequences like a devastating punch followed by a graceful dodge, an uppercut from behind, a quick two-hit combo, a swing kick, and finally, a web toss to dispatch another enemy. This level of versatility in Spider-Man's attacks and gadgets truly rivals the combat mechanics of the Arkhamverse, which undoubtedly served as a significant inspiration for this creative decision. In fact, I found myself enjoying the combat in this game even more than in Miles Morales' standalone title, especially once the upgrades for Spider-Man's gadgets are unlocked, resulting in truly exhilarating battles. Another thing to give props to is the stealth. Despite my general disinterest in stealth mechanics in games, this title manages to infuse enjoyable elements of stealth, allowing me to creatively incapacitate enemies with webbing or perform powerful kicks to the head for swift takedowns. Experimenting with gadgets like impact webs and trip mines adds another layer of strategy, and it allowed me to maintain distance while having fun effectively neutralizing adversaries.
Marvel's Spider-Man represents the quintessential superhero game, a remarkable and effective ending of the hit-or-miss Spider-Man titles of the past that were often tied to movie releases. Yuri Lowenthal's portrayal of Spider-Man is, in my opinion, the definitive interpretation of the character to date, imbuing him with both terrifying strength and combat reflexes that rival those of Batman in the Arkhamverse. I even find myself reading the actual comics with his voice in my mind, because it's just so perfectly fitting. The exceptional musical score, top-tier voice acting, and seamless controls further enhance the overall experience. Without a doubt, this game has secured its position as my favorite superhero title and one of my all-time favorite games, leaving me eagerly anticipating the release of its sequel.
Spider-Man gotta be the only superhero I can actually tolerate, so he's the only superhero that will convince me to play a cape shit video game.
No one in this game ever shuts the fuck up. There is always a person speaking. Please shut the fuck up. Aside from that, the combat is mostly fun but stealth missions are kinda icky. It was hard for me to take it seriously but I'm not a comic book fan so boo me, I guess.
Everyone is right when they say the navigation is the best part of the game, but it would be so much cooler if it wasn't riddled with random people getting shot the fuck up all the time. I don't got time for that, man, so I guess my Spider-Man just does not care about the lives of the citizens of NY.
It's short and that's good. It's cinematic and kinda cool. But, you will not convince me to get all the random as shit collectibles in this game even if you put a gun to my head.
I also played with the original Peter Parker and all I could think about was how this dude does not exist anymore, and it was funny as Hell.
No one in this game ever shuts the fuck up. There is always a person speaking. Please shut the fuck up. Aside from that, the combat is mostly fun but stealth missions are kinda icky. It was hard for me to take it seriously but I'm not a comic book fan so boo me, I guess.
Everyone is right when they say the navigation is the best part of the game, but it would be so much cooler if it wasn't riddled with random people getting shot the fuck up all the time. I don't got time for that, man, so I guess my Spider-Man just does not care about the lives of the citizens of NY.
It's short and that's good. It's cinematic and kinda cool. But, you will not convince me to get all the random as shit collectibles in this game even if you put a gun to my head.
I also played with the original Peter Parker and all I could think about was how this dude does not exist anymore, and it was funny as Hell.
Slowly coming back to new games after taking a break for a few months.
What can I say? It's repetitious, trite, and thematically impoverished. But what else could one expect from a AAA game adapted from a billion dollar property designed, in the 21st century, to be a milquetoast 'everything to everyone' consumable? Not everything can be Across The Spider-verse.
What can I say? It's repetitious, trite, and thematically impoverished. But what else could one expect from a AAA game adapted from a billion dollar property designed, in the 21st century, to be a milquetoast 'everything to everyone' consumable? Not everything can be Across The Spider-verse.
Marvel's Spider-Man was special to play, one of the reasons being there's genuinely nothing like web-swinging around New York; I remember loving the older Spider-Man games for this reason too. This time around it wasn't the only impressive thing about the game, though, as it kept me on my toes with a compelling story and epic scenes. I was in a state of awe a lot of the time as everything just became more crazy. The combat was also extremely enjoyable, the freedom to move around with ease making it all the more fun.
Other than that, there was a lot to do—side activities and things to collect. Thankfully, its Open World Syndrome wasn't the most egregious.
Other than that, there was a lot to do—side activities and things to collect. Thankfully, its Open World Syndrome wasn't the most egregious.
So good I platinumed it. The combat is fast, more hack-and-slash than in the Arkham games. Swinging around the city is fun and you can play around to get some good momentum or go slower to jump over buildings. Very fun.
i 100% this game 4 days after it’s first release - I love spider-man with a huge bias, this game felt great and I loved the web slinging - when you’re playing anybody not Spider-man it’s kinda stinky — but overall great Spider-Man story with flashy combat
Creatively there's nothing exceptional or special about this game. It follows the same layout and design of every modern AAA open world game, and the story's obsession with militarised tech and police surveillance feels so very detached from the tone I'd associate with the humble Queens-native.
But what sets it apart is that its one of the absolute best cases of a modern AAA open world game I've ever seen. The combat is simple but so cool and exciting. Movement is fast and flashy but so easy to control. While a lot of the side content is very repetitive, its organised to effectively that its hard to resist chugging through it all. The NYC we're given to explore is potentially one of the most true to life examples of a game map based on a real location. New York is one of my favourite places and having played this right after a trip there I had so much fun just exploring and noticing all the real-life landmarks and details.
It's not at all a unique or groundbreaking game, but its one that I found super hard to put down. Spiderman delivers on almost everything it sets out to achieve and does nothing more than simply be an exceptionally fun game.
But what sets it apart is that its one of the absolute best cases of a modern AAA open world game I've ever seen. The combat is simple but so cool and exciting. Movement is fast and flashy but so easy to control. While a lot of the side content is very repetitive, its organised to effectively that its hard to resist chugging through it all. The NYC we're given to explore is potentially one of the most true to life examples of a game map based on a real location. New York is one of my favourite places and having played this right after a trip there I had so much fun just exploring and noticing all the real-life landmarks and details.
It's not at all a unique or groundbreaking game, but its one that I found super hard to put down. Spiderman delivers on almost everything it sets out to achieve and does nothing more than simply be an exceptionally fun game.
hypin for Spidey 2
man i love this game. i could play it a million bajillion times and always have a blast swinging around the city in my undies. i love the story a lot too but i don’t like how we’re doin sinister six-ish in like every property now. i know it sells but we CAN just make a new team guys
very excited for all 19 inches of venom later this week yessirr
man i love this game. i could play it a million bajillion times and always have a blast swinging around the city in my undies. i love the story a lot too but i don’t like how we’re doin sinister six-ish in like every property now. i know it sells but we CAN just make a new team guys
very excited for all 19 inches of venom later this week yessirr
This took me 6 months to beat
great time revisiting a classic. great storyline to the graphics. beautiful cant wait to see what the sequel has to offer
Should have taken inspiration from actually good Spiderman storylines like One More Day, The Clones Saga, and Spiderman: Reign
Assim como os jogos da série Arkham que eram a experiência definitiva com um jogo do morcego, Marvel's Spiderman entrega tudo que poderia se esperar de um jogo do teioso, sendo uma experiência definitiva, em todos os aspectos que se poderia esperar num jogo dele.
Esse jogo é lindo de morrer, poderia parar por aqui mas vou continuar. Eu desfrutei muito do que a oitava geração de consoles tinha a oferecer (exceto os exclusivos da Sony, coisa que estou fazendo agora), e ainda fiquei espantado, Nova Iorque é simplesmente maravilhosa nesse jogo, o design e modelos dos personagens beiram o insano, é absurdo. O combate apesar de ser bem simples e um tanto confuso de início, passa muito bem a sensação de estarmos controlando o Homem-Aranha, com muitos movimentos e acrobacias insanas, e claro tendo um web swinging absolutamente impecável e divertido. As boss battles não são necessariamente desafiadoras, mas todas são incríveis pelo espetáculo visual, simplesmente adorei todas, em especial as duas útlimas. Os personagens são incríveis, muitos dizem que o Peter desse jogo é a melhor incarnação que o personagem já teve fora dos quadrinhos, seu desenvolvimento é brilhante e tudo que fizeram com ele aqui foi simplesmente impecável. Os vilões... uau, só de ter vários vilões do Spidey na tela já é algo que enche os olhos, mas conseguiram fazer um capricho absurdo com eles, o Octavius foi simplesmente brilhante e fizeram um trabalho excelente com o Senhor Negativo, introduzindo um vilão pouco conhecido pra muita gente. A história é boa, não é um plot profundo ou mirabolante, mas algo que é regido por seus acontecimentos mais que qualquer outra coisa, tendo um baita mix de empolgação, alívio cômico e claro, ser emocionante.
Fico muito feliz de poder ter jogado esse jogo depois de todo esse tempo, as cegas sem ter tomado algum spoiler, e no fim sai mais do que satisfeito. O que poderia dizer de negativo é que os trechos em stealth foram, na falta de outra palavra, um saco. Agora é partir pro ''Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales'', e chorar por não ter um PS5 pra jogar o próximo jogo.
Esse jogo é lindo de morrer, poderia parar por aqui mas vou continuar. Eu desfrutei muito do que a oitava geração de consoles tinha a oferecer (exceto os exclusivos da Sony, coisa que estou fazendo agora), e ainda fiquei espantado, Nova Iorque é simplesmente maravilhosa nesse jogo, o design e modelos dos personagens beiram o insano, é absurdo. O combate apesar de ser bem simples e um tanto confuso de início, passa muito bem a sensação de estarmos controlando o Homem-Aranha, com muitos movimentos e acrobacias insanas, e claro tendo um web swinging absolutamente impecável e divertido. As boss battles não são necessariamente desafiadoras, mas todas são incríveis pelo espetáculo visual, simplesmente adorei todas, em especial as duas útlimas. Os personagens são incríveis, muitos dizem que o Peter desse jogo é a melhor incarnação que o personagem já teve fora dos quadrinhos, seu desenvolvimento é brilhante e tudo que fizeram com ele aqui foi simplesmente impecável. Os vilões... uau, só de ter vários vilões do Spidey na tela já é algo que enche os olhos, mas conseguiram fazer um capricho absurdo com eles, o Octavius foi simplesmente brilhante e fizeram um trabalho excelente com o Senhor Negativo, introduzindo um vilão pouco conhecido pra muita gente. A história é boa, não é um plot profundo ou mirabolante, mas algo que é regido por seus acontecimentos mais que qualquer outra coisa, tendo um baita mix de empolgação, alívio cômico e claro, ser emocionante.
Fico muito feliz de poder ter jogado esse jogo depois de todo esse tempo, as cegas sem ter tomado algum spoiler, e no fim sai mais do que satisfeito. O que poderia dizer de negativo é que os trechos em stealth foram, na falta de outra palavra, um saco. Agora é partir pro ''Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales'', e chorar por não ter um PS5 pra jogar o próximo jogo.
This is my favorite game of all time and my most played single player game. I've played through the original about 10+ times and the remaster about 5.
There's not really anything I can say about this game that hasn't been said already. Insomniac made something truly amazing here. The best version of Spider-Man/Peter Parker we've gotten since the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon in 2008.
As a massive Spider-Man fan this game means a lot to me. It's a love letter to the character and I can't wait for the sequel.
There's not really anything I can say about this game that hasn't been said already. Insomniac made something truly amazing here. The best version of Spider-Man/Peter Parker we've gotten since the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon in 2008.
As a massive Spider-Man fan this game means a lot to me. It's a love letter to the character and I can't wait for the sequel.
If you ask me if I liked this game, Yes! I did. I had a enough fun with it. It's certainly a polished product with lots of content to enjoy for spiderman fans. But also it tries too hard to be likeable for everyone and in the end becomes an another spiderman game rather than "The" Spider man game. At least for me.
For example let's start with the gameplay. It does have it's web shooting, traversal abilities, combat abilities etc. They also feel nice enough to carry the game with their undeniable polished animations. But they also feel samey from products that came before it. There is nothing new in it other than more refinement and polish.
Feels like every idea in it, I played somewhere else already. That's not a bad thing if your priority is to become likeable for everyone. But also means it's not unique enough to pinpoint why this game is special then others other than it's high budget polished animations and refined gameplay.
For example let's look at the traversal, it uses a little bit momentum based web traversal system with heavily assisted webs that removes the error from the casual user, but also feels like spiderman 2's more casual friendly traversal system.
Or the combo system, it uses sliding auto lock on that slides you into the enemies when attacking, also uses the the dodge signal to use against incoming danger, it also have some combos at the ground and at the air combos. Also the gadgets of course. If this isn't your first super hero game you can see that sliding lock on and dodge signal comes from Batman Arkham games, gadgets on the other hand comes from their own Ratched and Clank games. Yes, combat is certainly fun but still that samey feeling doesn't disappear.
We can even look to open world and see... ubisoft like garbage objectives actually... Wait maybe I should take this game into my "Ubisoft Open Worlds" list? Eh...
Anyway my point is can be seen right?
We can look at story too. It's certainly a fun campaign with it's ups and downs and of course the emotional moments. I won't go in too much detail but it's about how Peter and Dr. Octa Octavius's relationships grow and break. It's certainly a fun story that feels impactful. But also somewhere in my mind feels like I had already seen this before... A Dr Octopus that is on the line between kind and evil... A Spider-man that have difficulties at balancing his relationships... Again it reminds me a lot of spiderman 2's movie story...
Yes it's much more varied with more characters, events and emotional up and downs but still it makes me feel like I am just experiencing the spiderman 2's expanded story script, or something like a director's cut version of it. Even It's suppossed suprises felt already seen to me.
This feeling permeates the entire game for me unfortunately. It's a fun time there is no doubt about that but also it doesn't have the rock energy of the first ps1 game of spiderman nor it does have the unique world of arkham games for me. So it's somewhere in between, it certainly isn't mediocre with it's high polish but it's not something spectacular either. It does it's job, gives you fun then disappears it.
So yeah, this is Marvel's Spiderman. Parts of it you already experienced, but if you want to see it on higher budget again, here it is. Have fun as long as you want like you always did. But I wonder if it's enough to make players want for the second time? For a second game?
For example let's start with the gameplay. It does have it's web shooting, traversal abilities, combat abilities etc. They also feel nice enough to carry the game with their undeniable polished animations. But they also feel samey from products that came before it. There is nothing new in it other than more refinement and polish.
Feels like every idea in it, I played somewhere else already. That's not a bad thing if your priority is to become likeable for everyone. But also means it's not unique enough to pinpoint why this game is special then others other than it's high budget polished animations and refined gameplay.
For example let's look at the traversal, it uses a little bit momentum based web traversal system with heavily assisted webs that removes the error from the casual user, but also feels like spiderman 2's more casual friendly traversal system.
Or the combo system, it uses sliding auto lock on that slides you into the enemies when attacking, also uses the the dodge signal to use against incoming danger, it also have some combos at the ground and at the air combos. Also the gadgets of course. If this isn't your first super hero game you can see that sliding lock on and dodge signal comes from Batman Arkham games, gadgets on the other hand comes from their own Ratched and Clank games. Yes, combat is certainly fun but still that samey feeling doesn't disappear.
We can even look to open world and see... ubisoft like garbage objectives actually... Wait maybe I should take this game into my "Ubisoft Open Worlds" list? Eh...
Anyway my point is can be seen right?
We can look at story too. It's certainly a fun campaign with it's ups and downs and of course the emotional moments. I won't go in too much detail but it's about how Peter and Dr. Octa Octavius's relationships grow and break. It's certainly a fun story that feels impactful. But also somewhere in my mind feels like I had already seen this before... A Dr Octopus that is on the line between kind and evil... A Spider-man that have difficulties at balancing his relationships... Again it reminds me a lot of spiderman 2's movie story...
Yes it's much more varied with more characters, events and emotional up and downs but still it makes me feel like I am just experiencing the spiderman 2's expanded story script, or something like a director's cut version of it. Even It's suppossed suprises felt already seen to me.
This feeling permeates the entire game for me unfortunately. It's a fun time there is no doubt about that but also it doesn't have the rock energy of the first ps1 game of spiderman nor it does have the unique world of arkham games for me. So it's somewhere in between, it certainly isn't mediocre with it's high polish but it's not something spectacular either. It does it's job, gives you fun then disappears it.
So yeah, this is Marvel's Spiderman. Parts of it you already experienced, but if you want to see it on higher budget again, here it is. Have fun as long as you want like you always did. But I wonder if it's enough to make players want for the second time? For a second game?
THE best Spiderman Video game,gameplay is amazing and the story is better than the most of spiderman films,lookin forward to Spiderman 2:).
An excellent open-world superhero game that boasts addicting gameplay and an exciting comic book style storyline. The borough of Manhattan is filled with a broad range of side-missions and collectibles, and getting through the city is sublime with Spider-Man's iconic traversal methods.
Impressionante como fizeram a proeza de transformar a história de um jogo tão boa ou até melhor do que a de um filme.
Combate bom, Exploração legal, História excelente.
Sem duvida nenhuma é o melhor jogo de herói que existe
Combate bom, Exploração legal, História excelente.
Sem duvida nenhuma é o melhor jogo de herói que existe
Sadly, this game just isn't for me. The movement is smooth and satisfying when traversing the city overall, but I often got frustrated when trying to navigate to a specific part of an enclosed space. The combat is a real highlight, as there are a lot of options for dealing with various enemy types and Spidey really feels super-heroic without being overpowered; however, there are so many options that I often felt overwhelmed by choice.
What killed this game for me is how samey each element becomes. Yes, there are an enormous number of options for combat and movement, but I found myself relying on tried and true tactics too often after attempting some unsatisfying variation. The collectibles and side missions are largely just traversal busywork, but they are mandatory to unlock more powers, gadgets, and suits.
What really saves this game is the impeccable graphics, story, and overall tone. Insomniac really nailed the Spider-Man feel, so if that's your thing you will probably breeze right past my issues and love every second of this immaculately crafted experience. Content junkies will also love ticking off the plethora of open-world checkboxes. To me, so much of the presented content felt so generic it could have been procedurally generated, and the story missions didn't strike me as particularly interesting any more than the superhero blockbusters they are based on.
What killed this game for me is how samey each element becomes. Yes, there are an enormous number of options for combat and movement, but I found myself relying on tried and true tactics too often after attempting some unsatisfying variation. The collectibles and side missions are largely just traversal busywork, but they are mandatory to unlock more powers, gadgets, and suits.
What really saves this game is the impeccable graphics, story, and overall tone. Insomniac really nailed the Spider-Man feel, so if that's your thing you will probably breeze right past my issues and love every second of this immaculately crafted experience. Content junkies will also love ticking off the plethora of open-world checkboxes. To me, so much of the presented content felt so generic it could have been procedurally generated, and the story missions didn't strike me as particularly interesting any more than the superhero blockbusters they are based on.
I won't be the first in line to praise the Batman Arkham series as the pinnacle of the medium or anything, but there's something to be said about how they do seem to hone in on some specific ideas. I can feel a genuine respect for Batman as a character, attention paid to how his gadgets work, interesting scenarios with his enemies and at least very competent combat.
I say all this to say that Spider-Man doesn't really have this feeling at all. I don't mean to say that it's the worst game ever, but it also feels like Insomniac lacked any spark of creativity or even the will to at least make something thrilling and fun. Not every part is bad, but the sheer amount of parts of this game that feel mediocre reflect the worst aspects of AAA development.
I haven't played one of these big budget Sony games in a while, so I was immediately taken aback by the frustrating handholding and lack of trust in the player to do anything on their own. Once I pushed past all of the obnoxious tutorializing, I did make a genuine effort to dig into the gameplay, yet I still find it pretty unrewarding. Spider-Man's combat is just plain uninteresting most of the time. His basic 4 hit combo feeling gross on it's own is one thing, so it's clear the gadgets are the emphasis, right? It seems like Insomniac thought that this was their way to add depth, but it also fails. The gadgets are all very similar to each other, some felt like they should only be used on a whim like the drone or tripwire ones which still end up being used identically to the other ones. More enemy varieties that need different gadgets to be taken down would help, but this won't mesh with the progression system (I'll get back to this). The funniest part is how missions will just tell you to use a certain gadget to fulfill a condition as if just bothering to dust off the drones for once is some kind of challenge run lmao.
Even past all of this, some of it just doesn't function very well. The dodge system isn't broken, but it also isn't polished at all. Enemy wind-ups are made fairly obvious, but the weird timing particularly on melee attacks makes just spamming dodge the ideal option. Melee enemies will often change speeds between their wind-up and attack, which can be pretty confusing and defeats the point of Spidey's agility and senses.
This emphasis on breadth of mechanics rather than depth of mechanics rears its head even more in other ways. The aforementioned progression reeks of AAA broad-appeal approach. "We can't design enemies around gadgets, because players may not care to get those gadgets. But we also want people who do want them to get them, so put activities that give you crafting points everywhere. But we also still want everyone to be able to just run into them so make it really easy to just naturally get the materials to get upgrades."
A few conflicts of interest there huh?
Getting a bit all over the place here but the point is that these activities are simultaneously unrewarding while also hurting other parts of the game. There's 30 different varieties of open world check box things to do, yet they rarely feel unique from one another. Either chase a thing or fight some guys or both, usually in the same arena every time for the same rewards. The backpacks are the closest to providing some real value, which is probably why I got all of them while also Petering out after my 5th fight with convicts or demons or sable or whatever. Credit where credit is due, the swinging makes these more fun than they should be. It was probably the area of the game with the most focus, and while it probably isn't the best Spider-Man traversal it does make taking detours something that feels quite natural and enjoyable. I also appreciate how many of the combat encounters are just naturally in the open world even though they don't make for the best arenas.
The mostly decent plot is decent but can't escape from the AAA "overload of things" in a few ways. I appreciate a lot of aspects of it, Martin Li is an interesting character and Peter's relationship with Doc Ock works quite well. Obviously the May scene at the end is great. Yet the AAA rushjob yet again permeates throughout with how choppy the pacing is. So much time is spent on Mister Negative and the demons, but it leads to a weak twist and weak conclusion as he ends up getting backseated for Doc Ock. Otto forming the Sinister 6 feels like something that happens on a whim more than anything, with like one scene before this happens. It feels like Insomniac figured we already know these characters are villains and didn't bother to explore the setup as much as they should. It ends up feeling pretty disjointed. I don't think it helps that the spectacle itself is a lot weaker than I expected. Getting back to gameplay here but the same spam web shots then press square loop for every boss feels like it undermines their uniqueness, and the flat boring arenas don't help either.
Much has been made of this game's worship of the NYPD. I don't really have anything interesting to add, but I will say that it was more eye-rolling to me than a dealbreaker. It's bad but at the same time it's nothing out of the ordinary for comics. However the odiously liberal worldview does make Spider-Man a lot less likable in that regard too. He feels less like a "neighborhood" hero than ever, just like another Batman type who flies around beating up criminals except with epic funny quips about how they should try getting real jobs. Like everything you do in this game is dealing with some sort of criminal attack and not the fun everyday stuff that comes with a more grounded hero like Spider-Man. JJJ and Silver Sable are also examples of why this portrayal is so annoying. JJJ is supposed to be some sort of right-wing crank podcast host, and Sable runs an authoritarian militia, but the game kinda operates that these people are only bad once they start hating on Spider-Man and what they do is pretty much okay otherwise. It's a shame because I really think Yuri Lowenthal's performance would've fit a more fun and grounded Spider-Man a lot more but he's constantly forced to just tell criminals that they should love jail and hate drugs. I'm not saying he hasn't been portrayed like that plenty of times but I still feel like this game chose the wrong direction.
I've written a more rambling negative review than I intended for a game I described to people as the "textbook definition of mid" but I've also expunged all of my thoughts about why this game makes me kinda sad now. I quite like Spider-Man and yet this just completely lacked his appeal for me for the most part. I really question if Insomniac ever will understand that, and even if they did, would the suits even let it happen?
The Arkham games are alright I guess.
I say all this to say that Spider-Man doesn't really have this feeling at all. I don't mean to say that it's the worst game ever, but it also feels like Insomniac lacked any spark of creativity or even the will to at least make something thrilling and fun. Not every part is bad, but the sheer amount of parts of this game that feel mediocre reflect the worst aspects of AAA development.
I haven't played one of these big budget Sony games in a while, so I was immediately taken aback by the frustrating handholding and lack of trust in the player to do anything on their own. Once I pushed past all of the obnoxious tutorializing, I did make a genuine effort to dig into the gameplay, yet I still find it pretty unrewarding. Spider-Man's combat is just plain uninteresting most of the time. His basic 4 hit combo feeling gross on it's own is one thing, so it's clear the gadgets are the emphasis, right? It seems like Insomniac thought that this was their way to add depth, but it also fails. The gadgets are all very similar to each other, some felt like they should only be used on a whim like the drone or tripwire ones which still end up being used identically to the other ones. More enemy varieties that need different gadgets to be taken down would help, but this won't mesh with the progression system (I'll get back to this). The funniest part is how missions will just tell you to use a certain gadget to fulfill a condition as if just bothering to dust off the drones for once is some kind of challenge run lmao.
Even past all of this, some of it just doesn't function very well. The dodge system isn't broken, but it also isn't polished at all. Enemy wind-ups are made fairly obvious, but the weird timing particularly on melee attacks makes just spamming dodge the ideal option. Melee enemies will often change speeds between their wind-up and attack, which can be pretty confusing and defeats the point of Spidey's agility and senses.
This emphasis on breadth of mechanics rather than depth of mechanics rears its head even more in other ways. The aforementioned progression reeks of AAA broad-appeal approach. "We can't design enemies around gadgets, because players may not care to get those gadgets. But we also want people who do want them to get them, so put activities that give you crafting points everywhere. But we also still want everyone to be able to just run into them so make it really easy to just naturally get the materials to get upgrades."
A few conflicts of interest there huh?
Getting a bit all over the place here but the point is that these activities are simultaneously unrewarding while also hurting other parts of the game. There's 30 different varieties of open world check box things to do, yet they rarely feel unique from one another. Either chase a thing or fight some guys or both, usually in the same arena every time for the same rewards. The backpacks are the closest to providing some real value, which is probably why I got all of them while also Petering out after my 5th fight with convicts or demons or sable or whatever. Credit where credit is due, the swinging makes these more fun than they should be. It was probably the area of the game with the most focus, and while it probably isn't the best Spider-Man traversal it does make taking detours something that feels quite natural and enjoyable. I also appreciate how many of the combat encounters are just naturally in the open world even though they don't make for the best arenas.
The mostly decent plot is decent but can't escape from the AAA "overload of things" in a few ways. I appreciate a lot of aspects of it, Martin Li is an interesting character and Peter's relationship with Doc Ock works quite well. Obviously the May scene at the end is great. Yet the AAA rushjob yet again permeates throughout with how choppy the pacing is. So much time is spent on Mister Negative and the demons, but it leads to a weak twist and weak conclusion as he ends up getting backseated for Doc Ock. Otto forming the Sinister 6 feels like something that happens on a whim more than anything, with like one scene before this happens. It feels like Insomniac figured we already know these characters are villains and didn't bother to explore the setup as much as they should. It ends up feeling pretty disjointed. I don't think it helps that the spectacle itself is a lot weaker than I expected. Getting back to gameplay here but the same spam web shots then press square loop for every boss feels like it undermines their uniqueness, and the flat boring arenas don't help either.
Much has been made of this game's worship of the NYPD. I don't really have anything interesting to add, but I will say that it was more eye-rolling to me than a dealbreaker. It's bad but at the same time it's nothing out of the ordinary for comics. However the odiously liberal worldview does make Spider-Man a lot less likable in that regard too. He feels less like a "neighborhood" hero than ever, just like another Batman type who flies around beating up criminals except with epic funny quips about how they should try getting real jobs. Like everything you do in this game is dealing with some sort of criminal attack and not the fun everyday stuff that comes with a more grounded hero like Spider-Man. JJJ and Silver Sable are also examples of why this portrayal is so annoying. JJJ is supposed to be some sort of right-wing crank podcast host, and Sable runs an authoritarian militia, but the game kinda operates that these people are only bad once they start hating on Spider-Man and what they do is pretty much okay otherwise. It's a shame because I really think Yuri Lowenthal's performance would've fit a more fun and grounded Spider-Man a lot more but he's constantly forced to just tell criminals that they should love jail and hate drugs. I'm not saying he hasn't been portrayed like that plenty of times but I still feel like this game chose the wrong direction.
I've written a more rambling negative review than I intended for a game I described to people as the "textbook definition of mid" but I've also expunged all of my thoughts about why this game makes me kinda sad now. I quite like Spider-Man and yet this just completely lacked his appeal for me for the most part. I really question if Insomniac ever will understand that, and even if they did, would the suits even let it happen?
The Arkham games are alright I guess.
>Be open-world video game based on a wildly popular character
>Have fairly standard world design that is elevated by the amazing controls based around speed and maintaining momentum
>Have a progression system based around doing easy tasks in the world to earn collectibles that make the player stronger/upgrade abilities
>Said easy tasks are boring but are over with so fast its not a huge issue, they're made more fun by the controls
>Have simple but fun combat
>Have controversial pace-breaking missions that interrupt the flow of the open-world gameplay that are much slower in comparison
>Have great boss fights with incredible spectacle
>Have a protagonist with a character model that sparks Twitter discourse for unimportant reasons
>Be Sonic Frontiers, pic unrelated
>Have fairly standard world design that is elevated by the amazing controls based around speed and maintaining momentum
>Have a progression system based around doing easy tasks in the world to earn collectibles that make the player stronger/upgrade abilities
>Said easy tasks are boring but are over with so fast its not a huge issue, they're made more fun by the controls
>Have simple but fun combat
>Have controversial pace-breaking missions that interrupt the flow of the open-world gameplay that are much slower in comparison
>Have great boss fights with incredible spectacle
>Have a protagonist with a character model that sparks Twitter discourse for unimportant reasons
>Be Sonic Frontiers, pic unrelated
This review contains spoilers
ive been on a hot streak recently(not counting midcode which has been dropped for the forseeable future lol).
been itching to play this game and dlc + miles again for a while, only compounded by spiderverse. sadly i dont have a ps5 so spiderman 2 will need to wait a while, but anyway.
5 or so years ago when this game came out i played it religiously, this is either my 5th or 6th full playthrough of the game. two of those were on the hardest difficulty, and i also 100%ed the game on two different occasions. i hadnt played the game since december 2019 but it still felt fresh in my head, remembering all the setpieces, predicting dialogue that ive heard many times before. all very nostalgic.
this playthrough was played on hard, and i died very few times. i struggle to say that the game is too easy, considering my history with it and how i have at least 80 hours with this combat already(not counting miles which adds another 20 to total...) but even with it being "easy" for me, the gameplay loop is way too fun. i remember this was my favorite action combat system, and im glad to say it still holds up. the quick thinking, dodging, combos, finishers, webs, gadgets, it all comes together for this perfect flow of combat. you get lost in the swing of things(heh).
there are a lot of little nitpicks i have. major one being the bosses are underwhelming and dont play to the strengths of the combat system. it's just "web/throw thing at boss, go in for finisher." repeat 3 or 4 times. the doc ock boss ive never been a fan of, i always died to it a lot in the past, but here well it still pissed me off a bit i realized it was more of the same and the only reason i died back then was wanting it to be over. its a pretty big flaw when your player wants to skip one of the highlights of your game to get back to the fun part. as much as i love the combat it's kinda clunky in some areas, at least the auto lock on is. i found myself swing kicking to the wrong enemy(in some cases no enemy at all) because the soft lock on system was really fucky. speaking of swinging, as fun as it is, its really clunky. all you really do is hold r2 and because thats the only button for swinging you can easily get stuck on buildings or do the wrong animation unintentionally. it feels very auto pilot, and while i cant deny how slick the animations are and the overall flow, it does leave a bit to be desired. this game's version of miles pales to the spiderverse counterpart, and the miles' game story felt like it was trying to retread spidervere's success with a shittier miles but ill save all that until i replay miles lol.
miles and mj missions get harped on a lot but honestly they arent that bad. i found it fun to try and speedrun them, which probably wasn't the intended way to play them but it does add some spice to what would be boring pace killers. if you got the mj stun gun, hacking app and the lures for all of them theyd be a lot more fun probably.
as for the story, i really liked it. i was always a fan of it when i was younger, but being like, 13 or 14 i didnt pick up on why i liked it. ive always liked double life/vigilante shit, as a kid i didnt pick up on that stuff, i just thought spiderman was "cool". now that im older and have a grasp on why stuff connects with me i have a better idea of why i like this story. all spider man stories revolve around growing up and being the best version of yourself, doing the right thing because you can, even with superpowers you still have human struggles, swallowing your pride... i could go on and on but they resonate with me x10 nowadays beyond the cool factor of beating up bad guys. this game's story is no exception, and while some might not like it's simplistic/ "by the books" nature, i find it really good. it had a simple vision and it got all the parts of what makes a spider man story to work together, oozing with a bunch of passion.
yuri did a great job as spiderman and the advanced suit is probably my favorite spiderman suit. i touched on how great the animations and combat were already. the music swelling as you swing is a great touch, i love the game's main theme as well. the og face model is amazing, i def prefer it to the hollandized remaster model... it looks so much older and fits this game's peter way more.
i would say it doesnt reach the heights of either spiderverse movie, but comparing them feels wrong. they had different visions and succeeded in their own ways. i remember playing miles and thinking the story was mid, so im curious how the replay for that will go. first i gotta get through the dlc though.
im glad to say i liked the game as much as i did when i was a kid, maybe even more now that im older. a great spider man game and story.
been itching to play this game and dlc + miles again for a while, only compounded by spiderverse. sadly i dont have a ps5 so spiderman 2 will need to wait a while, but anyway.
5 or so years ago when this game came out i played it religiously, this is either my 5th or 6th full playthrough of the game. two of those were on the hardest difficulty, and i also 100%ed the game on two different occasions. i hadnt played the game since december 2019 but it still felt fresh in my head, remembering all the setpieces, predicting dialogue that ive heard many times before. all very nostalgic.
this playthrough was played on hard, and i died very few times. i struggle to say that the game is too easy, considering my history with it and how i have at least 80 hours with this combat already(not counting miles which adds another 20 to total...) but even with it being "easy" for me, the gameplay loop is way too fun. i remember this was my favorite action combat system, and im glad to say it still holds up. the quick thinking, dodging, combos, finishers, webs, gadgets, it all comes together for this perfect flow of combat. you get lost in the swing of things(heh).
there are a lot of little nitpicks i have. major one being the bosses are underwhelming and dont play to the strengths of the combat system. it's just "web/throw thing at boss, go in for finisher." repeat 3 or 4 times. the doc ock boss ive never been a fan of, i always died to it a lot in the past, but here well it still pissed me off a bit i realized it was more of the same and the only reason i died back then was wanting it to be over. its a pretty big flaw when your player wants to skip one of the highlights of your game to get back to the fun part. as much as i love the combat it's kinda clunky in some areas, at least the auto lock on is. i found myself swing kicking to the wrong enemy(in some cases no enemy at all) because the soft lock on system was really fucky. speaking of swinging, as fun as it is, its really clunky. all you really do is hold r2 and because thats the only button for swinging you can easily get stuck on buildings or do the wrong animation unintentionally. it feels very auto pilot, and while i cant deny how slick the animations are and the overall flow, it does leave a bit to be desired. this game's version of miles pales to the spiderverse counterpart, and the miles' game story felt like it was trying to retread spidervere's success with a shittier miles but ill save all that until i replay miles lol.
miles and mj missions get harped on a lot but honestly they arent that bad. i found it fun to try and speedrun them, which probably wasn't the intended way to play them but it does add some spice to what would be boring pace killers. if you got the mj stun gun, hacking app and the lures for all of them theyd be a lot more fun probably.
as for the story, i really liked it. i was always a fan of it when i was younger, but being like, 13 or 14 i didnt pick up on why i liked it. ive always liked double life/vigilante shit, as a kid i didnt pick up on that stuff, i just thought spiderman was "cool". now that im older and have a grasp on why stuff connects with me i have a better idea of why i like this story. all spider man stories revolve around growing up and being the best version of yourself, doing the right thing because you can, even with superpowers you still have human struggles, swallowing your pride... i could go on and on but they resonate with me x10 nowadays beyond the cool factor of beating up bad guys. this game's story is no exception, and while some might not like it's simplistic/ "by the books" nature, i find it really good. it had a simple vision and it got all the parts of what makes a spider man story to work together, oozing with a bunch of passion.
yuri did a great job as spiderman and the advanced suit is probably my favorite spiderman suit. i touched on how great the animations and combat were already. the music swelling as you swing is a great touch, i love the game's main theme as well. the og face model is amazing, i def prefer it to the hollandized remaster model... it looks so much older and fits this game's peter way more.
i would say it doesnt reach the heights of either spiderverse movie, but comparing them feels wrong. they had different visions and succeeded in their own ways. i remember playing miles and thinking the story was mid, so im curious how the replay for that will go. first i gotta get through the dlc though.
im glad to say i liked the game as much as i did when i was a kid, maybe even more now that im older. a great spider man game and story.
Although great fun. It felt like I had already played the game. The story was good. But sometimes the gameplay left me wanting. The webslinging was wonderful but heading to markers just felt like a routine. Particularly with side quests feeling very disappointing, with rarely any worthwhile content involved. Only the two main villains felt like a worthwhile threat, leaving the others to get easily beaten, even when outnumbering you.
I feel like there was a lot of work put into some areas, and not a lot into others, which left me ignoring side content after a point and just cruising through the main story. I enjoyed my time with the game and will be happy to see how the inevitable sequel improves on it but I don't think I'll be back to clean up the city's postgame.
I feel like there was a lot of work put into some areas, and not a lot into others, which left me ignoring side content after a point and just cruising through the main story. I enjoyed my time with the game and will be happy to see how the inevitable sequel improves on it but I don't think I'll be back to clean up the city's postgame.
Absolutely loved this game. Had so much fun swinging around the city. Some side stuff, puzzles, and certain missions were a little repetitive and boring but otherwise, this game is near perfect. Definitely recommend and definitely would replay 😁
As someone who is absolutely in love with everything spider-man, is this biased? Absolutely.
Do I care? No. This game is everything I could've wanted
Do I care? No. This game is everything I could've wanted
The best superhero game since Arkham City. The web swinging is phenomonal and makes traversal a joy. Story is amazing. Great selection of villains and enough variation to keep missions from feeling repetitive. The combat clearly takes inspiration from the Arkham games but improves on it in many ways. Great side content and amazing suit selection