Marvel’s Spider-Man is an open-world adventure game where you play as a twenty-something Peter Parker as he battles the crime lord, Mr. Negative. Just like the time-honored comics, Peter struggles to balance his work and home life. Being there for Aunt May and rekindling a relationship with Mary Jane proves to be difficult when an evil boss is trying to poison New York in a political coup.
The creation of this game seemed to be touch and go for a while. Producers decided on a stand-alone game not tied to any movies, so developers weren’t rushing to time launches with a release in theaters. That decision paid off as Spider-Man sold over 3.3 million units in the first three days of its release, setting a record as Sony’s fastest-selling second-party video game.
The movement mechanics in this game are amazing. I was worried that the mechanics wouldn’t hold up to Peter’s Web-swinging, climbing, and superhuman jumping. This was certainly not the case. Everything moves together, even while fighting, which makes for a seamless experience. Graphics-wise I feel like I’m there swinging through New York. There are so many details from reflections in glass, sun glare, even facial expressions, and muscle movement that it feels real. The story progression makes sense and is fulfilling; however, the game is also polka-dotted with collectible type missions that feel redundant. I understand why they are there, but I also think there could have been a more refreshing way to get new suits.
This game feels true to the comics in how Peter reacts and processes things. He’s still young, and though he knows a lot more about how to be Spider-Man, he’s still learning his place as Peter, which I think is relatable for many young adults. I believe this game is a significant improvement to previous Spider-Man games, and I hope they keep going in this direction with future projects.
I rate this game an 8 out of 10
This game is available through the library on PlayStation 4
This game has an ESRB rating of T for Teen ages 13+