Marvel’s Spider-Man is an open-world adventure from the studio that brought you games such as the Infamous and Spyro the Dragon franchises. Now they are back, with a one-of-a-kind experience with their take on the adventures of our favorite neighborhood Spider-Man. Now, here’s our review for the recently released PS4 exclusive.
Pros:
+Absolutely gorgeous graphics that really bring the Marvel universe to life
+Combat is easy and rather fun to learn for gamers both new and old
+Tons of classic Spider-Man references from Peter Parker’s adventures in the Spider-Man universe
+Voice acting is spot-on, delivering a rather authentic experience
Cons:
-The web-slinger escaped without a single con
If you thought I called out of work since the early release of NBA 2K18, you were sadly mistaken. Marvel’s Spider-Man came out during the same day, if I’m not at work then I have been glued to the screen ever since. From knocking around the Demon thugs in Hell’s Kitchen to Freefalling from the Avenger’s Tower in the city; this game is astonishing. I can’t think of a game that is in the same league as Spider-Man at the moment.
The story in this game is absolutely a breathtaking experience. From Aunt May helping you out because you got evicted from your apartment to the heart beating chemistry romance that Peter and MJ try to deny; but we all weren’t born yesterday, we know they really love each other and are destined to be soulmates; Spider-Man is an absolute comic book to a game experience.
The villains in the game also play an amazing role not just for Spider-Man to take someone down but for backstory, the build each main villain has in the game is awesome. My personal favorite is working side by side with Dr. Octavius and building that bond with him and being there when he’s lower than low and watching it all crumble and see him from the ashes, it’s just pure gold.
Another part of the story I really like is the Miles, I don’t want to spoil anything, but definitely worth it to have the classic guy and the newbie. The graphics in this game are totally next generation, the guys over at Insomniac Games have truly raised the bar on this one. From watching him swinging through Brooklyn to taking on Fisk in the opening scenes, the story they have created here is absolutely magnificent.
Each mission gives you purpose and puts you down a path of the do-gooder we all know and love to be our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. I found myself swinging through the city just seeing the sights as a normal tourist with a no traffic advantage. If you didn’t have the volume off during gameplay it was very easy to get trapped in just web-swinging all around the city. The detailing with the non-important people driving or on the sidewalk using the crosswalk was really thought-out and eye-catching. Graphics are by far really amazing on a high definition television, it is truly a sight to be had.
In 4K and 1080p, the world pops to life, neon signs light up city streets, bringing puddles from the fresh rain to life with reflections that display the world in real time. But most stunningly is the amount of detail in every little piece of the game. Whether it’s the wrinkles on Aunt May’s face or the details in Peter’s wide array of suits to use; Insomniac didn’t skip a beat in order to deliver one of the most authentic experiences to date. That’s not even what I love the most about this game.
The thing I love most about this game is simply the story. It goes back to the original storytelling from the comics. It starts right in the beginning, plots a point and builds on that point. From there it brings in a few key details and continues to build. Before you know it, you are sending Fisk to the prison and taking down his source of income at the construction sights. Soon after, the story continues to climb whether you want it to or not.
It continues to introduce new add-ons characters (and no I don’t mean DLC or Season Pass characters), making the story even better than before. In my eyes, the story never hits a low point once it gets going. It starts at the lowest point and takes you soring like you never have before. I name this game a “MUST BUY” for everyone because it’s a one of kind game; it’s a true singleplayer experience in an age of online co-op and competitive focused titles.
Software wise, I have to admit, the team did a phenomenal job I never was on the loading screen too long. I always found myself to be running back to the bathroom because of the short time period for bathroom breaks and stuff like that. Always kept a handy-dandy box of Cheeze-Its and Gatorade nearby. So that’s a definite plus in my book, I was absolutely glued to the television, always wondering what would happen next.
And the suits, mmmm, boy oh boy, the suits are truly spectacular. Being able to go from the first Spidey suit they equip you with to the Iron Spider suit. I honestly felt as if Tony Stark was fighting alongside me and told Friday to release “17A” and that suit came hurtling from below and BOOM, I was now an Avenger, it felt good. Even though that will probably be the closest way I could ever be an Avenger or standing outside of Avengers’ Tower might be the only way I will get in. And NO, the Avengers will not come if you side outside the window for seven hours. Trust me I tried and it doesn’t work.
Each suite comes with its very own special move/ability that you can use in fights, of course, my favorite is the Iron Claws but, in some cases, I like to switch thing up. And it’s not just one suit or even five basic suits you get to choose from. You will unlock each suit by completing missions in the game and reaching different levels. For example, with Black Cat’s mini-missions, once you complete those, she gives you a new suit, personally a little too black for my liking, but at night – you look like a shadow swinging and it looks pretty cool.
The fifteen hours or so worth the adventures in this game aren’t just a fun, they’re a blast. The game doesn’t just focus on Spider-Man’s heroic performances, but it also focuses on Peter Parker; we find out about his day to day web-slinging lives and also what it means to be a part-time hero at the same time. My first time playing, it did take me longer than I should have because how long I wanted it not to end but after I reached the end, I found myself wanting to start all over and fight the New York once again. I can say, this is the only game I have ever played all the way through on each difficulty level.
The game is jammed packed with tons of hours of web swinging, web gadgets, and web puns as well. Why they introduced fast travel I will never know, it cripples the gamer from being the hero New York City needs, don’t be the hero that people want. The gadgets are cool, with each task, main and side mission you complete, you get tokens and you need those in order to become the greatest web-swinger to have ever lived.
Also, a game for all ages, my little siblings wondered in the room and followed them was my mother. Before I knew it, she picked up the game and it was really easy for her to adapt and slide under a Demon thug and four-punch combo him into the next guy and before I knew it, she completed that side mission.
Marvel’s Spider-Man
Platforms: PlayStation 4
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 4 Pro
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release Date: Now Available
Cost: $59.99 (base game) | $24.99 (Season Pass, sold separately)
Most of my friends who have played the game spent hours just swinging around, using different combos to maneuver around the city. They didn’t really have anything bad to say about the game. Once you get over the small, also teeny-tiny learning curve, the game is all downhill and fun to play from there on out. So be sure to go out and buy the game because I am giving this game a Spidey-Stamp that I feel it truly deserves.
Our review is based on a retail version that was purchased by the reviewer of the game. For information about our ethics policy please click here.
Final Score: 10 out of 10
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