Spider-Man has been my favourite superhero since a young age, as he was for many other youths. A broke, clever young man putting everything good in front of him before himself. Growing up it was inspiring, and when the games of his adventures feel into my lap, I was ecstatic; the first two games on the original Xbox still being a highpoint of my childhood, with Breaking and Entering being my top pick for "Love It But Hate It" level (seriously though, I still see those computers in my nightmares), and need I say anything about pizza deliveries? I'm listening to a loop of the theme as I write this intro!There has been plenty of buzz over this new addition in a long string of disappointing games, and some of you may be worried about the hype currently around it, or the extremely high ratings.
I am here to say this; Spider-Man deserves every drop of praise.
You play as a slightly older Peter Parker, shortly out of university and working with Doctor Octavius on limb replacements. But late as ever, Spider-Man is taking down Fisk and opening New York to a new wave of peace and safety...for a time.
The story is surprisingly well written, planned and thought out extensively, with a serious amount of plot correctional pivots; when one bad guy ends and just as you forget about the calm before the storm, Peter is brought back to reality that his work will never truly be done. There is one tiny plot hole when it comes to one of its antagonist (two significantly at that, one disappearing right near the end), but can be easily overlooked with all the happenings at the time. The game sets up so many different plot points that saying there's going to be a sequel would be an understatement. But I'll have to digress to avoid spoilers, but I will say; each Act left me in awe.
Gameplay wise, the game is phenomenal: the team behind Insomniac Games have clearly shown a level of love for this project as not only are the controls familiar to the old retro players of the movie era, but it also creates its own stance; web slinging and swinging is beautiful, and creates a realness to the physics and how Spider-Man traverses, but it doesn't end there. Stunts to perform, speed boosts by slinging yourself on anything that your web can cling to, using your enhanced strength to leap into the air, or simply taking the subway, every single way to get around is enticing each and every time. The combat is a fighters dream as combos and using every ability under your belt will become a necessity the further you progress. Gadgets you unlock along the way will also play a role in how you fight, both creatively and in desperation. While it can get repetitive once you figure out how to quickly defeat each style of opponent (flying, weapon based, shield based, tank, vehicle, etc), it no less detracts from how each fight can be similar or give you the opportunity to test your new play style. There are plenty of side missions and extra actives to take part in as well; disrupting Fisk operations, chasing pigeons, collecting smog reports, taking down criminal bases, not to mention Crime activities. Spider-Man hears a call for help on his on-board scanner and rushes to help; car jackings, robberies, police stand offs, hostage situations, bomb threats, the list of what you can do goes on, and all of it randomised.
All of this, every bit of it, built in a realistic, Marvel style New York world.
Voice acting was excellently done all around, even by background characters. Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker is something I never expected, but something I never wanted more until now. He absolutely nails the role in both the silliness, the quips and the serious moments. Nothing felt overdone, every single person helped immerse you into this world.
Every single supporting role was excellently done, and I must say, that Short Order Cook was by far my favourite cast role.
Sound effects were incredible, musical score was enchanting, the graphics were downright beautiful and lifelike, there is nothing more I can say on this game that can praise it enough.
I did come across a few bugs here and there; performing stunts and hitting the ground causes a slight delay in transition and can make for some awkward transitioning, and my personal favourite is performing into the water and rolling like Sonic across the waves. There has also been some cutscene awkwardness where character models haven't fully loaded their scripture, but I have no experienced them so I cannot put them into judgement.
While there can be some issues with the repetitive gameplay at times, if you've ever had a love of Spider-Man games, or superhero games in general, this is the time to come back. Even if you don't like superheros or fighter games, I implore you to give this game a try. It has small issues, but those issues are just that; small. After 30+ hours of the game, I am left wanting so much more, and even if you manage to not do everything in the world, you'll still get a chance after you complete the story.
As I said earlier, to expect a sequel after this game would be an understatement. There is a reason it is doing well in reviews, selling incredible amounts of copies, and showing gamers worldwide that a good story is still something to not turn your nose up at. Spider-Man is a must buy game for any PS4 owner and definitely a great starting point for those considering to get one. This is everything I've wanted in a Spider-Man game...although I do miss the pizza deliveries.
Insomniac, I eagerly await to see what you do next. Thank you, and all the kudos to your team.
Spider-Man: 9/10
