[Reposting my old reviews from another site for archive, and updating them if needed]
This game a weird one for me because while I wanted more out of it, I also think that it already did many things in its compact frame to make it a great Spider-Man experience.
Going through Miles' story is just an absolute joy. It's so tied to his identity of being not only a Harlem kid, but also being in a family full of strong people, and dealing with the high expectations of being a worthy Spider-Man. While I wanted the game to go a bit deeper with presenting his troubles and personal feelings (I thought the quick pace of the story made it feel like they're glossing over a couple things and streamlining events too much), it's still a good story overall. The cast of characters are pretty solid, I like that Miles and the villain had personal ties to the overall plot, which makes the story have believable stakes.
Obviously a lot of the core gameplay is very similar to the 2018 Spider-Man game, but there are a couple things that separates it. I particularly like how the game accentuates Miles' character through various aspects of the game, such as incorporating his music production hobby to the soundtrack (great mix of orchestral instruments and hip hop beat), and his explosive energy through his Venom powers, which are very fun to use. I also like how the Friendly Neighborhood app makes Miles feel much closer to the people of NY, and it reflects his grassroots nature in the process, which also ties into the main story in a satisfying way.
With the combat, I wasn't really feeling it in the first 2-3 hours because I think a lot of the gadgets doesn't feel useful. But, as the game ramps up by adding more enemy types, you are pressured to utilize all your gadgets and powers against them, which is great. Also, the boss fights here are pretty fun. They're mostly for spectacle but they can get a bit messy if you let your guard down.
I think the way they handled the side objectives and collectibles is better than in the previous game, with each activity having some sort of connection to Miles as a character. I really like collecting the time capsules in particular, it feels nice to see Miles looking back and providing context to each item. They're also a bit more varied, and the game doesn't put too much attention to the repetitive random crime activities.
All in all, this is a very solid and compact game that reminds us all once again the innate joy of playing as a Spider-Man. I hope to see Insomniac experiment more with the gameplay in particular. I think we've yet to reach a peak with how great a Spider-Man game can truly be, and that's exciting to think about.
This game a weird one for me because while I wanted more out of it, I also think that it already did many things in its compact frame to make it a great Spider-Man experience.
Going through Miles' story is just an absolute joy. It's so tied to his identity of being not only a Harlem kid, but also being in a family full of strong people, and dealing with the high expectations of being a worthy Spider-Man. While I wanted the game to go a bit deeper with presenting his troubles and personal feelings (I thought the quick pace of the story made it feel like they're glossing over a couple things and streamlining events too much), it's still a good story overall. The cast of characters are pretty solid, I like that Miles and the villain had personal ties to the overall plot, which makes the story have believable stakes.
Obviously a lot of the core gameplay is very similar to the 2018 Spider-Man game, but there are a couple things that separates it. I particularly like how the game accentuates Miles' character through various aspects of the game, such as incorporating his music production hobby to the soundtrack (great mix of orchestral instruments and hip hop beat), and his explosive energy through his Venom powers, which are very fun to use. I also like how the Friendly Neighborhood app makes Miles feel much closer to the people of NY, and it reflects his grassroots nature in the process, which also ties into the main story in a satisfying way.
With the combat, I wasn't really feeling it in the first 2-3 hours because I think a lot of the gadgets doesn't feel useful. But, as the game ramps up by adding more enemy types, you are pressured to utilize all your gadgets and powers against them, which is great. Also, the boss fights here are pretty fun. They're mostly for spectacle but they can get a bit messy if you let your guard down.
I think the way they handled the side objectives and collectibles is better than in the previous game, with each activity having some sort of connection to Miles as a character. I really like collecting the time capsules in particular, it feels nice to see Miles looking back and providing context to each item. They're also a bit more varied, and the game doesn't put too much attention to the repetitive random crime activities.
All in all, this is a very solid and compact game that reminds us all once again the innate joy of playing as a Spider-Man. I hope to see Insomniac experiment more with the gameplay in particular. I think we've yet to reach a peak with how great a Spider-Man game can truly be, and that's exciting to think about.