Marvel’s Spider-Man review: PS4 exclusive is slick, gorgeous, funny – and a huge amount of fun
One of the most good-looking games you're likely to see this generation - and everything you want from a superhero caper
★★★★★ - Rated PEGI 16 / Out 07/09/2018
MARVEL'S Spider-Man is fun, fast, beautiful and one of the most enjoyable superhero games ever made.
It's got everything you want -- a compelling well-told story, a huge and gorgeous living world to explore, a phenomenal sense of speed as you swing around a huge, living Manhattan, wise-cracks galore and really deep, satisfying combat against henchmen and super-villains alike.
Swinging down the breath-takingly rendered streets of Manhattan, dropping in on gangs of thugs and minions, solving crimes and meting out justice is fun -- and the game's pacing means there are plenty of opportunities to explore without it feeling like you're neglecting a coming apocalypse to save a single civilian from a gang of street thugs.
There are enough activities sitting alongside the main storyline to keep you busy for weeks. They're also varied enough that they don't feel grindy or repetitive even after 20 or more hours with the game.
Whether it's swinging after stolen cars, defusing bombs or even fixing a skyscraper's plumbing (seriously), Spider-Man is a game that will keep you entertained and on your toes.
They're well-integrated into the main thread of the game too -- suit and gadget upgrades need tokens from these activities to progress. These range from full-on side-stories to two-minute street encounters and even unexpected mini-games, and all keep the action feeling fresh.
It's got it's gut-wrenching and heart-warming moments too. Mary-Jane and Peter Parker's relationship has rarely been an enjoyable one to watch play out over the years, but it's a testament to Insomniac's work that even that can't spoil this game.
It helps that she feels like a real character, and that the narrative between them plays out in tiny snippets between other things through texts, phone calls as well as in person -- with some genuinely tender as well as laugh-out-loud moments.
- Marvel’s Spider-Man (PS4), £49.99 on Amazon.co.uk -
There are several sharp twists -- not to mention a punch to the gut or two -- in the main storyline. While you'll probably see most of them coming the game isn't the poorer for it due to how well they're all delivered.
The gameplay itself has some twists too, with a number of chapters seeing you in unexpected roles or positions, and those help keep the game feeling compelling throughout.
It's not perfect, though. The combat is phenomenal in the right spots, but can get awkward in confined spaces.
Even on standard difficulty it can be quite punishing, and while this feels good when combat is working, it can become a little frustrating when you can hear yourself getting beaten down but can't see it because the camera has just swung behind a wall.
Those niggles are just that, though. They're few and far between, and don't really detract from what is otherwise a near-perfect example of what a superhero game should be.
★★★★★
Rated PEGI 16 – Releasing on 07/09/2018
- Marvel’s Spider-Man (PS4), £49.99 on Amazon.co.uk -
