Marvel's Spider-Man Review

We've all had those feelings going into a new Spider-Man video game - some of us are excited as can be while others are hesitant, but both groups are interested in the potential. I was the former for Marvel's Spider-Man. Needless to say, my expectations were high for an engaging story, stellar combat, the best swinging in a Spider-Man game yet, and most importantly, to feel like Spider-Man. Not only were these expectations met, but they were exceeded. Insomniac Games, PlayStation, and Marvel delivered the absolute definitive Spider-Man game in the character's long history with the medium and the best superhero video game since Batman: Arkham City.

Story:

Marvel's Spider-Man takes us 8 years after the dorky, but charming Peter Parker has been bitten by the radioactive spider. By this time, Peter is an experienced superhero that has had his fair share of villains and knows the tricks of the trade. It's a relief to see that Peter has found a balance between his superhero duties and his personal life. While Insomniac stays true to the quip-master and extremely relatable Spider-Man/Peter Parker, they take a risky chance with other characters in the Spider-Man universe. Mary Jane Watson is now a hardcore journalist as opposed to her comic-book counterpart, Miles Morales is featured in the game in an interesting way, while the main villain, Mr. Negative, is not really known among casual fans.

With all of that said, Insomniac knocks it out of the park and their risks pay off immensely. Marvel's Spider-Man is essentially an exciting and heartfelt story about the worlds of Spider-Man and Peter Parker clashing, but it's also much more than that. You'll get to experience meaningful characters arcs for Mary Jane, Miles, and even Aunt May. Peter/Spider-Man is the catalyst for a, if you will, web of interconnected stories that just strengthen the main narrative.

Over the course of the game, you'll come across some of Spider-Man's most popular villains including Shocker, the Kingpin, and many others. Since Peter Parker has been donning the mask for 8 years now, players would have to assume that the past villains you come across already had their story told, which is fed to the player in bits and pieces from open-world collectables. I personally loved that there was already history between Spider-Man and his foes because it felt like jumping into a comic book. Spider-Man fans know who these villains are and want to see them at their best against the web swinger, and Insomniac delivers on that with flying colors.

From the side missions to open-world collectables to J. Jonah Jameson's "Just the Facts" auditory podcast, I've never been so immersed in a superhero world before. Marvel's Spider-Man contains a masterful level of story threads connecting back to the principal story, and I was completely amazed and engaged by most of what it had to offer. Unfortunately, there are more than a few forgettable side missions because of how insignificant they seemed in the grand plot. While they do relate to the "friendly neighborhood Spider-Man" phrase, they were quite shallow. Nonetheless, everything leads into an epic conclusion you would want from a Spider-Man tale and I can't wait to see where Insomniac takes our hero next in a potential sequel.

Gameplay:

Marvel's Spider-Man sticks to the kind of Spider-Man game we all love - an action open-world game. I mean, what True Believer doesn't fantasize about swinging around New York City in style and speed? Thankfully, you do exactly that in this game,

The swinging is quite simple - holding the R2 button has Spider-Man parkour around obstacles and running on the side of buildings, while pressing R2 mid-air releases a web that sticks to the nearest building. Pressing X mid-air allows you to web zip, and pressing X at the peak of your swing gives you speed. Lastly, pressing the R2 + L+2 buttons has Spider-Man zip to a targeted point from which he can perch and survey the area or keep the momentum going and jump forward. Once you get the rhythm, it becomes unconscious button presses to move around the city in exhilarating style. Insomniac has created the seamless swinging fun we all remember from the Spider-Man 2 video game, but so much better. It never gets old to jumping off a building, dive down towards the busy streets, then shooting a web at the last second to catch your fall.

At face value, many gamers have understandably associated Marvel's Spider-Man's combat to that of the popular Batman Arkham games. However, both of the heroes fighting styles in their games are more distinctive than you think. Fighting segments in the Arkham games are great because you feel like you're kicking ass like Batman would: methodical, boots-on-the-ground, and a total powerhouse. Spider-Man on the other hand is an acrobatic innovator that uses air combos, agility, some fun tech dazzled in, and a spider-sense that acts as your indicator to dodge enemy attacks. When you prioritize style and air combos, Spider-Man's Focus meter fills up at a quicker rate, which when filled can be used to heal yourself or unleash a cinematic finisher move.

Rather than having a plan of action, you can just jump into a group of criminals and start fighting like you think Spider-Man would, and that includes using your environment and the various gadgets you unlock and upgrade. Spider-Man is able to pull boxes, trash cans, and even small bombs with his webs and throw them at enemies. My favorite gadget has to be the web ball, which is an explosive device that webs up a group of bad guys that I then can follow up with a combo, stick them to a surface, or a shoot an electric web to stun multiple enemies at once. It's this interaction between the environment and Spider-Man's "on the fly" fighting style that makes the combat a blast to play and a worthy reflection of his character. This method of combat also carries into boss fights, to which a majority are exciting and fun while others are just fine.

One of the best features of the game are the different kinds of suits Spider-Man can unlock. The more open-world side activities you complete, the more tokens you obtain which can be used to purchase the 25+ different costumes. Insomniac could have just made it so that the suits only changed Spidey's appearance, but they took it a step further by adding unique abilities for each one. I absolutely loved this mechanic since it gave me more of an incentive to go out of my way to get a particular suit I needed for a fight or wanted because it looks cool. Thankfully, the suit you choose to wear is not locked to the ability it comes with, adding in even more customization. Having the Scarlet Spider outfit, a personal favorite of mine, paired with the power to sends out waves of righteous rock (an ability from the Spider Punk suit) is nothing short of awesome. Overall, I was satisfied with suit selection in the game.

Back to the open-world element, New York is its own character in Marvel's Spider-Man. Insomniac did an incredible job with creating the look, feel, and sounds of New York with plenty to do in it. While the game doesn't reinvent the genre, it sure does make a majority of the content worth doing with some nice touches here and there. You do have your standard collectible hunting and Assassin's Creed-like topographical-unlocking towers here, but most of the open-world activities are layered with narrative - even the odd pigeon catching side mission. Random street crimes eventually feel repetitive, but you barely notice because of how polished and addictive the gameplay loop is. Nothing feels too much or too little, but rather just enough which is a testament to outstanding game design.

Marvel's Spider-Man also includes short puzzles similar to Bioshock's turret brain teasers that you can do as Peter Parker when he works at his job in the science lab. Again, it's a portion of the game that doesn't overstay its welcome and is a nice way to diversify the gameplay.

Last point to mention on the gameplay are the stealth sections. A handful of missions and challenges require a more sly and crafty approach to be used not only for Spider-Man, but for when you play as Mary Jane. These parts of the game were the easiest to complete and could have used a little more challenge, but fun nonetheless. Perhaps one less Mary Jane stealth bit would have been the sweet spot for pacing, but I never felt like I was wasting time or in one stealth section for too long before I got back to controlling Spider-Man.

With all of that said, is it fun? Hell yeah it is! Every piece of gameplay in Spider-Man is like a slice of chocolate frosted yellow cake - sure, it may look basic on the outside, but one bite of its warm, delicious goodness will sing a symphony in your mouth. However in this case, it's the complete joy and thrill of being our favorite web head for the day. It's the best Spider-Man experience you will have and the one fans always wanted.

Visuals:

Following the current trend of PlayStation exclusives like Uncharted 4, God of War, and Horizon Zero Dawn, Spider-Man is one of the best-looking games of the generation. New York City is fully-realized with its skyscrapers, unique shops and cafes, graffiti art, populated streets and parks, and a predetermined weather system that shifts the tone and character of the city. You'll be able to swing through and traverse the city under a bright sun, in the majestic night time, and even in the rain, to which all show off just how gorgeous this game is.

Whether you have a PS4 Pro or regular PS4, you can't help but stop and stare at the level of detail on Spider-Man's suits and the facial animations on characters. While some suits look better than others, all seem to be made with an incredible attention to detail and love for the character - ranging from original suits made by the dev team to outfits inspired by the comics and movies. The Stark Suit in particular still blows my mind on how real it looks, down to the very lining of the fabric.

For the sheer size of the city, one would expect the game to take a graphical hit. In actuality, the game is visually stunning, making me believe the development team is not only talented at what they do, but are technical wizards at least. Spider-Man also comes packed with a fantastic photo mode from which players can capture some of their favorite moments and create a fun and silly photo or a more dramatic screenshot. I created over 200+ photos from the feature because every frame of Spider-Man is so photogenic - the distinctive oranges and reds of the sunset reflecting off the city, the classic swinging poses from Spider-Man, tight action shots with little to no blur, and yes, mid-air selfies.

Sound:

Sound is a vital component to any video game, especially in the open-world genre. Since we're dealing with New York in Marvel's Spider-Man, Insomniac made sure to the stick to "the city that never sleeps" mantra. The visuals paired with the natural sound of cars honking and the chatter and banter of pedestrians will completely immerse you in the game.

Sounds cues are well-thought out and distinctive enough to tell the difference between shooting a web to swing from a building or throwing out web pellets at an enemy to immobilize them. To see how well natural sound, combat sound cues, and voice lines work perfectly with one another is great work on the sound team's part.

Similarly, voice actors in Spider-Man did a fantastic job with making conversations between characters and big moments feel real, impactful, and even live action movie-like. There are even a few funny lines from Spider-Man where he references a quote from the Marvel movies. Yuri Lowenthal plays the perfect Spider-Man/Peter Parker, and now I will always associate his voice with the character just as I do Kevin Conroy with Batman. Insomniac chose a knock-out cast to represent some of Marvel's most famous characters.

Lastly, the musical score is akin to the Marvel movies in its scope and heart. Composed by John Paesano (who also did the music for Netflix's Daredevil TV series and some work in Detroit: Become Human), he's the one to blame for those memorable gaming moments in Marvel's Spider-Man. It's pure music magic when the song builds up and follows through as you swing in the city.

Conclusion:

Marvel's Spider-Man is not a perfect game by any means, but it is the best Spider-Man game ever made. It leaves enough bread crumbs to wonder what could be next for Spidey while also delivering an original, riveting story. Combat and swinging around New York just scream Spider-Man's quippy and confident attitude, making you feel more like the hero than ever before. There are tons of great callbacks, references, and even shot-for-shot moments from the comics and movies represented in this game. At times, Marvel's Spider-Man was just as much a celebration of the character as it was a unique take on his universe. While there is room for improvement in its open-world activities, Insomniac, Marvel, and PlayStation built a redefining foundation here for Spider-Man video games. With new game+ mode and DLC on the horizon, players have a lot to look forward to on top of a spectacular video game that is worth money and time.

9.5/10