Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered
Developer: Insomniac Games, Nixxes Software
Publisher: Playstation PC
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (Reviewed)
Release Date: 12 August 2022
Price: $59.99 USD – Available Here $54.95 AUD – Available Here
Overview
You know, if someone told me years ago that I would get to play the finest selection of AAA console exclusives on PC – I’d call them crazy. Especially if they’d tell me that they would all be home runs of releases, with great optimization and loads of bonus content. But that is exactly what’s happening right now. I had a chance to finally play Days Gone, Horizon Zero Dawn, and God of War. So, now I have Marvel’s Spider-Man in my hands. It comes with a bunch of visual tweaks and improvements, a boatload of bonus costumes for our Spidey, and (saving the best for last) “The City That Never Sleeps” DLC collection of three parts. So let’s dig right into it.
Story
Compared to most movie adaptations, the story is a breath of fresh air. We don’t have to watch Uncle Ben dying for 5th time, Peter Parker discovering his powers, meeting Mary Jane, and so on. All of that already happened here. We play as young but experienced Spidey. Smart, well connected, and well acquainted with most of his villains. In any case, we are thrown in the eye of the storm as we are trying to take down Kingpin in the opening level (that also serves as a tutorial for the game).
While we succeed in doing so, captured Kingpin warns Spidey that his imprisonment will create a power vacuum on the streets of New York. And what do you know, he’s right. New villains emerge (some having a personal vendetta against Kingpin), new alliances are formed and this game also shows us the origin story of some of the most acclaimed Spider-man supervillains.
Gameplay
I know there is something that you all want to know. Web swinging. How is it? Two words: insanely amazing. I have completed the game twice by now and every once in a while, I fire it up just to swing across the rooftops of New York. Just because it’s so damn fun. But let’s talk Spidey. Even when you start the game with zero skills and gadgets, you still have a nice selection of combat moves and tactics. You can use parts of the environment to hurl into enemy faces and dodging hits and gunfire is crucial for higher difficulties. I’d split Spidey’s skills into two sections. some are essential for combat and some for web swinging and traversal.
You gain EXP for defeating enemies, completing challenges, and doing main and side missions and whenever you hit a level up you might get a stat boost (such as faster swinging, more health) or unlock a new Spider-Man costume. Although, you only unlock it. To actually craft it you have to earn enough currency from random events around New York, find collectibles, solve research station puzzles, and such. It is a pretty clever way for a game to force you into doing every single piece of content while being subtle about it. The combat system in general reminds me of freeflow combat from the Batman Arkham series, although it might feel a bit stiff in comparison. Nevertheless, the freedom of combat air juggling enemies while zipping from one to the other never stops being fun.
A notable mention goes to Spidey gadgets, that can completely change the dynamics of combat later on. Clever use of trip mines, web bombs, and impact web in closed areas can instantly clear the room of any enemies. I call them my “one hit kill” gadgets.
Visuals
When it comes to this, I usually focus on level design, and art style and talk about them like there’s no tomorrow. But Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered manages to impress me with something that rarely stands out. The visual reinvention of characters. Although he is only for a short while in the game, what they did with Electro is nothing short of amazing. For example, the big star-shaped scar on his forehead is also an homage to his classic design. The visual transformation of Doc Ock as the story goes on is as subtle as it is degenerative in how it changes his mannerism, appearance, and (former) friendship with Peter Parker.
Audio
I said above that I’ll never get tired of web-swinging in this game. Do you know what else never gets old? That joy when orchestral music kicks in whenever I dive from a skyscraper or start web swinging. Also, if you pay close attention you might notice there are two modes of dialogue for our Spidey. Throughout the game, Spider-Man is often in touch with either Mary Jane or Yuri Watanabe through voice communication, and his dialogue and shortness of breath are dependent on his web swinging. Like, if you just spent the last 5 minutes zipping from one end of the city to another and Mary Jane calls you, you might notice Spidey has trouble catching his breath and talking. Simply amazing!
Overall
I saved the best for last aka the answer to “what exactly I get in this remastered release”? Aside from insane visuals and optimization (folks at Nixxes Software really outdid themselves), you get a bunch of free costumes for Spidey that you don’t have to craft. They were released on console gradually via updates but you now have them all from the start. There is also an incredibly fun photo mode (check the last linked screenshot to see my creative genius there) and as I mentioned before – “The City That Never Sleeps” DLC collection. It is a three-part campaign set after the events of the main game that introduces new enemies, achievements, villains, and outfits.
This is the part where I would close this review with “what more could you ask for”? but the only real answer here is “nothing”. You really can’t ask for anything else. Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered is the fullest of all full packages and the only regret I have after sinking close to 50 hours into the game and completing it twice is that I cannot erase my memory to experience it all over again.
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