There has been a long line of Spider-Man games throughout the 2000s, and while some have risen above others, none have really captured the feeling I got when I played Spider-Man 2 back in 2004. Luckily, Marvel’s Spider-Man by developer Insomniac Games delivers an experience that not only brought me back to those days as a kid swinging around New York City, but improved upon the formula in every way, while wielding an original story that stands on its own legs amongst the top installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
NARRATIVE
Taking a minute to highlight the narrative, it does a great job of testing both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Attaching conflict to two sides of the same coin made me resonate with Peter and Spider-Man on a human level. There are a few different storylines here, but they are weaved together in a way that keeps things well-paced and exciting up to the finale. It’s well thought out and engaging, using long-running series characters in new and effective ways by relying on your general knowledge of these characters; dropping them into the story without a prolonged introduction which gives time to develop new characters we haven’t seen before. The big thing here is balance and the developers nailed it on top of the great cinematic feel the story has to it in cutscenes as well as gameplay.
GAMEPLAY
Now, one of the most important aspects of a Spider-Man game is the web-swinging, and rest assured that here; it feels better than ever. It is incredibly smooth and for someone who hasn’t felt that feeling in over a decade, it is a great achievement in design for these developers. It’s as simple as a pull of the right trigger to send yourself swinging up into the air, and with the graphical prowess of the PS4/PS5 and the presentation of New York City, there were periods of time I got lost swinging between skyscrapers with no clear goal in mind.
Once you are looking for something to do in the open world, it’s easy to get started. Between the main story missions, you can complete side quests, collect various items, and even stumble upon crimes in progress. These in-progress crimes help breathe life into the world as they are introduced organically while free-roaming, and although completing them multiple times may get old for some players, the slow-mo animations of landing the final hit on a group of thugs or stopping a fleeing car on a dime help to keep that cinematic feel that the main story establishes so well.
Switching gears to customization, there is a plethora of suits and gadgets to unlock. Gadgets are unlocked as you level up and are vary up the combat, giving you new means to engage enemies. Unlocking the suits requires you to find collectibles and complete side activities around the map and while it sounds like a grind, the variety of things to do and items to collect helps break up the monotony as each suit is unlocked by completing a different set of these objectives. When you earn a new suit, a new suit power comes along with it, and you can mix and match them allowing you to use any of the powers you like; while still looking the way you want as you play.
One thing the game did from time to time in the story was drop the player into the role of a supporting character. While these sections varied up gameplay they came up a bit too much for me. There were moments when it was unique for storytelling, but one or two times it happened I found myself rushing to get it over with to get back into Peter’s shoes. This isn’t to say these sections are not fun I just think they could have been used a bit more sparingly.
WRAP-UP
Again, a big thing for me personally in this game was that nostalgic feeling I got when I first started swinging. Not to make the game sound like it is only nostalgic for fans of the old Spider-Man 2 game (because it is definitely not), it’s just a great thing when a game puts an actual smile on your face I really appreciate what the developers did with this project and can’t wait for wherever the series goes next.
Insomniac’s Spider-Man is a love letter to Spider-Man fans and superhero fans alike. The atmosphere of New York, the feeling of swinging through the air, and the cinematic feel and quality of the story all make for a package worth a playthrough, with enough content to jump back in to continue exploring beyond the finale even if things may get repetitive after a while.
Score: 8.5/10
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