LONDON: Sony’s original “Spider-Man” game was an anchor release for the PlayStation S5 back in 2020, demonstrating its new power, speed and graphics capabilities.
Its successor doubles down on each of the original’s core strengths and New York is bigger and more detailed than ever, an incredible playground to explore and experience.
A key addition of this game is that you can take control of double the number of Spider-Men. There is the original Peter Parker — now 25 years old and dealing with serious relationships, a mortgage etc. and Miles Morales, the 17-year-old apprentice who is still at school and coping with all the shenanigans that involves.
The relationship between these two, as they struggle to balance their superpowers alongside life’s day-to-day challenges, is the foundation of a slightly cheesy yet compelling storyline. Indeed, some see the “Spider-Man” games as having stronger, deeper stories than the blockbuster films themselves.
The game is a cinematic experience in itself. The big-picture narrative is that Kraven the Hunter has invaded the city with a plan to free a bunch of supervillains and then hunt them for sport. Cue seeing lots of Spider-Man’s enemies past and present wreaking havoc across the city.
The graphics are slick, and you feel as though you are interacting with the real New York, helped by major sequences that take place in many of the city’s iconic locations. As per its prequel, the fighting engine is intuitive and rewards combos with upgrades across a skill tree.
Each Spider-Man has unique capabilities (as well as options to personalize their appearances) each suited for different stages of the game. This means teamwork is essential, rather than nice to have. Store up moves to power a “spider barrage” or similarly enjoyable special abilities; of course, these are never lethal as Spider-Man is your friendly neighborhood superhero! Unusually for this kind of game, the only way to heal is to fight successfully, a clear channel to the type of experience the designers had in mind.
Swinging through the city is almost enough of a gaming experience in and of itself, but this new version offers you the chance to glide — almost fly — with a new wingsuit that has fantastically responsive controls.
There are elements of extreme silliness, of course, but then Spider-Man has always prided itself on being one of the less serious Marvel franchises; the fact you can have prolonged phone conversations whilst simultaneously being beaten black and blue is a case in point.
Nevertheless, once you have suspended your disbelief, donned your Spider-Man suit and reached for your NYC map, you are in for a treat.
