Episode 014
A Review
2017-2018 were years of plenty when it comes to open world, sandbox-y, AAA action adventure games. Amidst this sea of excellence, we were hit with Insomniac Game’s take on Spider-Man. A game I didn’t know how much I needed until I finally got my hands on it.
Much like the Arkham series before it, and from which many of it’s designs cues are taken, you are granted the experience of being Spider-Man. I mean, in the Arkham games you are Batman but in Marvel’s Spider-Man, you feel like New York’s friendly neighborhood do-gooder.
Spider-Man is a game that feels like something new, even though it’s filled with mechanics and set pieces that we have been playing with for a few years now. How it achieves this for me is through polish and pacing. Polish in the views of the city, the ease at which you can swing around building, toss bad-guys in combat, web darn near anything and transition from roof top to black top without breaking a sweat. Pacing in story beats, combat encounters, and character perspective swaps all working in concert to tie you the player to the great characters in Spider-Man’s world.
What rocks
- You feel like Spider-Man.
- Swinging through Manhattan is fun and kinetic. Easy to pick up but takes some practice to master.
- Unlock-able costumes add a real motivation to collect all of Peters junk.
- Script, story, and voice cast/performance was amazingly top notch.
- The music in the game feels so full and connected to your actions. Everything feels connected and cohesive.
- Good re-writes or re-working of core characters to make them more believable and engaging.
What fell flat for me
- In lower difficulty, the gadgets feel like insta-wins.
- The DNA puzzles.
Based on my notes, the game earns a solid 3 out of 3 stars. Which means you should go and get it ASAP. As open-world games go, Spiderman synthesizes all the great things from its Arkham parents, and then adds a levity and charm that only one web head can. If you want to really enjoy yourself when sitting down to your PS4 you really can’t pass this adventure up.
This is Zach, keep playing.
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Special Thanks
Guest – Danh Hoang
Original Score – Artist: John Paesano
Music & Audio Consulting – Josh Hunt
Illustration – Evan McIntyre