I can’t recall if there’s any other comic titles for Spidey.
‘Web Of’ or ‘Team-Up’ don’t have the same ring to it as the above adjectives.
But they’re the only ones I need to describe the time I had with Insomniac Games version of Spider-Man. Being offered any IP they wanted to work on by Marvel, the creators of Spyro, Ratchet & Clank, Resistance and Sunset Overdrive jumped at the chance to take on one of the world’s most recognisable and popular icons.
With the nostalgia of 2004’s Spider-Man 2 still at the forefront, have Insomniac created an adventure that will surpass it and take him to a brand new day? (this is a comic pun btw)
It was ‘Peter Parker smart‘ for Insomniac to create a whole new world for their Spider-Man. Removing the shackles of his 616, Ultimate, movie universes and more, sees a whole new mythos created.
And holy bloody heck do I love it.
If you’re fan of Spidey, then you’ll love this new, relatable world where Peter is just Spider-Man.
That’s it.
He’s Spider-Man, he knows what his whole shtick is, and he’s very good at it. Which translates to the wide range of moves you get at the start. Zip-lining and point launching join the swing, with combat that makes the game FEEL like Spider-Man from the start.
While very similar to the chaos mechanic from Spider-Man 2, it has an even more natural flow. Likely due to technology, it’s dynamic in the way Spidey flies across the city. Fire escape in your way? You’ll either slink through it, or parkour past it vertically. About to run into a building corner? Hold circle and you’ll web-zip around it. Losing speed on your swing? Hold X to jump at the top of your swing as the game adds flourish at its peak.
And what could make swinging that little bit better?
How about a soundtrack which activates whenever you swing? A bombastic intro and soft-fade when your movement fully comes to a halt was something I didn’t know I needed. But once noticed, I could hear how the devs were giving my movement meaning by dramatizing my movement across New York.
The game starts on an internal level to keep players on a linear path and run them through the gameplay. You’re then thrown into a very open New York which becomes your main playground. While the technology is there to produce incredible spider-manning throughout the world, load screens still exist for any switches to internal areas. It doesn’t takeaway from the experience, but will likely become a talking point with that dream of the living city experience.
The internal and external level argument does have some merit to it.
But it diminishes in the wake of the activities you’ll take on throughout the game. RPG-lite with reward system on-hand, I quickly hoarded tokens you receive for collectibles, challenges and more. These activities are spread out across the island, where you can either take them on as you go, or be a mad-lad like myself and do them in one hit.
For the most part, they’re your standard-fare. But crime is sure to provide both excitement through repetition. Spawning randomly across the city, they range from horde-like combat to chasing down vehicles and HOH-BOY, your first vehicle take-down is AMAZING. But the repetition? While fun at first, they continue to occur with the only real variation being the villains you engage. While I don’t mind this because I just love being Spider-Man. But the general audience could get tired of it quickly.
The aforementioned tokens are used for a skill system which improves gadgets and combat. They also allow Peter to purchase which can come with their own skills. And these suits aren’t locked behind DLC! The 3 bonus suits which the Deluxe and Collector’s Edition owners receive on Day 1 can be earned by everyone. Whether or not you’ll switch from the original PS4 design is up to you, but know that it is INSTANT when you do so and even the Loading Screen reflects this change!
Its story weaves itself over this sprawling city and is something marvelous.
As I said previously, resetting everything for their own universe was smart. They get to plant little cameos and clues as to the state of Peter’s world. This builds and builds over the course of the story, culminating in a resulting collision of so many different plot-lines from multiple universes.
Lovingly portrayed by a cast of some of the best voice actors in the biz right now, Yuri Lowenthal and Laura Bailey lead at the front as Peter and MJ. Lowenthal really gets to shine, as the well-known quippy Spider-Man gets to do all that and more, with banter dropping left, right and center regularly.
This creation of Spider-Man by Insomniac is amazing. It is spectacular. And it is the ultimate version we have so far. It’s not just technology that allows this Spider-Man to soar higher than his predecessors, but it’s the heart they’ve put into the characters who work together to make the hero of New York City.
Spider-Man can be anyone, because anyone can be a hero. And that’s what this game captures effortlessly.
I am Spider-Man 2 no more.
Insomniac Game's Spider-Man leaps to the top as the new go-to for Spider-Man gaming glory, capturing the web-slinger and his world beautifully with a wonderful story offset by fun gameplay.
While it can tiptoe along the line of repetition, it provides a wide amount of variety that makes playthroughs of the game fresh, and you can bet on your spider-butt that I'm ready for NG+.
And this game, like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has post-credit scenes that you'll DEFINITELY want to hang around for.
