Marvels Spider-Man

Greetings true believers! (Always wanted to say that) Welcome to my review of the Spider-man PS4 game (which I’ve been waiting for since it was announced). I have been busy playing it, and although I have yet to actually complete the story, I have played enough of it to be able to write about it by now. If anything changes my mind, I’ll update and re-post this review just like the Hogwarts Mystery mobile game.

Spider-Man was under a huge amount of pressure to succeed, the game was hyped up and the general gaming community were howling for it’s release. The game, back in the hands of Insomniac, had a huge expectation to succeed and if it did not it would possibly kill off any Spider-Man games in the works. Thankfully the game has become a massive success and after playing it, I can see why.

Firstly the graphics, the least important part of the game, are admittedly stunning. From the city of New York, to the character models themselves (boat people excluded) this is a gorgeous game. I can’t answer if it is prettier on the Playstation 4 Pro but on my regular machine it does run beautifully. There are also nice little moments where you can see the mask move during in-game dialogue which I really enjoy. The weather effects are done to a really nice standard (Puddlegate aside) and New York has been so faithfully recreated that New Yorkers have been able to find the buildings they live in! A neat little detail is that you can see inside windows to people’s apartments which give you a sense of illusion that New York is not just your playground but home to millions of people. I say recreated though they’ve added a few places that you’d love to find and see, Avengers Tower included. I was even impressed with the birds, where they react if you go near them as you bound upon the rooftops, which is a level of detail I appreciate. Speaking of the level of detail, you can see a reflection of whatever is in front of Spider-man in his eyes! I mean, Assassins Creed: Origins did it first with the horse’s eyes but this is still awesome. If I must point out one horrible flaw, it is the Playstation 1 character models of the people on the boats. If you get close enough to the boats, go into photo mode then prepare for polygon people.

With the graphics out the way, lets move onto the story. In this rendition of Spider-Man we have brand new refreshing takes on the characters in the Spider-man universe and the job that Insomniac have done with the side characters especially is impressive. These millennial young adults are completely modern and show the difficulties of modern life in a world of super powers and meta’s. Marry Jane is a reporter for a newspaper, Aunt May has evolved from forever grieving widow to humanitarian and Peter Parker is a struggling adult trying to balance work commitments, an ex you can’t get over or away from and being a superhero. My personal favourite is J.Jonah Jameson, who now runs a podcast rather than a newspaper, and his dynamic reactions to what you do are a fantastic part of the game that runs right through. I kind of wish all the villains get the same kind of build up as Doctor Octavious and Martin Li but these two are well developed. Doctor Octavious’ relationship with Peter is particularly engrossing.

Gameplay, the most important part of any game. I think it’s fair to say that with collectibles, random crimes, pigeons, challenges and other open world cliches that permeates through the game that I would be more critical, as would other people. Personally I believe that Insomniac put so much love into making Spider-Man fun to move and fight that these cliches are infinitely more enjoyable and is a good lesson for any open world contenders. Firstly the fighting, it looks simple but there is a subtle complexity to it. Many would argue that the fighting system is an Arkham copy but you soon realise that if you try to play like Batman, you will die. Repeatedly. Instead there is a fluidity required so there is a focus on mobility. Dodging and moving rather than countering is the only way to master the fighting mechanics. The difference is there and you pick up on it very quickly. You also have gadgets, all based on immobilising and webbing up your enemies and the progression is always worth sinking points into. Unlocking suits will not only give you a wicked look but also unlocks new suit powers which are fun to experiment with.

The next part is of the game is the best part, moving. Simply swinging is a pleasure, with a rather simple one button system to swing, web zip to keep your speed up and change direction (mapped to one button) and a way to bounce off roof tops. This system is simple to grasp but keeping your momentum and achieving a good speed requires a mastery, the timing of your swing, when to let go to get higher, faster and somewhere in-between. There is a fast travel option, but it isn’t needed considering how fun moving is. On that, the fast travel does make me chuckle, the first time was Spider-Man chatting with an impersonator and I am still unsure that the impersonator knew he was talking to the real Spider-Man. My favourite detail about movement is wall running, when you run into a fire escape, there is an animation that compensates for that and doesn’t interrupt your flow.

So in summary, this game is a fantastic exclusive and the best Spider-Man game since Spider-Man 2 back on Playstation 2. I’ve mentioned details a lot during this review, I suppose that is indicative to the amount of care and attention to detail that Insomniac have put into this game. From the upgrade tree that focuses on movement, combat and abilities to the suits pulled from across the Spider lore and the New Yorkers you can high five in the street. There is real love and attention poured into this game, that makes this game with all its open world cliches an absolute blast to play and a must have for any single player gamer.

How to do whatever a spider a can:

• Learn to use L2. This feature slows down the world and let’s you aim your gadgets in combat but more handily it can be used mid swing for precise change of direction.
• In stealth, the web strike () is a one hit ko from stealth and although it seems noisy it does count as a stealth move.
• Make use of enemy distractions with your Web, draw members away from groups and then pick them off.
• The starting suit power, Web blossom, is a fantastic starting power that in my opinion is only bettered by the electric punch that is great for stunning a group of enemies.
• When you get into suit mods, try and remember as you unlock them that you can chop and change on the situation. Spec for stealth, exploration or combat depending on the situation.
• Combat is tough at first but I’d prioritise upgrading the ability to get enemies in the air. Spidey is mobile and keeping him in the air with your enemies is a great way to build your combo without being hit from behind.
• Bear in mind that guns and rockets will follow you wherever unless you dodge. Make sure you dodge then jump back into your combo. The combo counter is forgiving in terms of time between hits.
• Upgrade your perfect dodge so that you web opponents. You will end up nailing the perfect dodge frequently, so webbing whoever was feeling brave is a great way to stun an enemy and give you breathing time.