BenTheCoug Marvel's Spider-Man Review

Pros + Stunning graphics and visuals that capture NYC beautifully and in great detail. Some of the views are genuinely mesmerizing. + Huge array of suits and abilities to unlock. They create a great incentive to complete side activities and allow you to truly make Spider-Man your own and unique. + Huge cast of allies and rogues that are thoughtfully voiced and give you a real sense that you’re stepping into a universe with a real history. + Some of the most fluid, enjoyable combat and movement that I’ve ever seen in a video game. Taking on mobs of enemies is a total joy and web-slinging across the city is insanely satisfying and fun. Cons - The story took some turns in the last act or two that I really didn’t love, particularly with how the antagonists were handled. I think the waters got needlessly muddied, though it certainly could’ve been worse. - Some of the side activities, particularly the bases, became pretty tedious by the end of the game. There aren’t so many that it felt bloated, but taking down identical base after identical base ceased to be enjoyable after a bit. - One of my biggest pet peeves in games is being forced to play as a secondary character when the protagonist is objectively cooler and more fun to play as. A recent example would be the Atreus sections in GoW. Likewise, the Mary Jane Watson stealth portions were painfully dumb and forced. VERDICT: Marvel’s Spider-Man is a comic book gaming triumph that captures the essence of its titular hero splendidly. It’s held back a bit by some curious and tedious choices, but it’s up there with Rocksteady’s Arkham series in terms of sheer quality. A must for any comic book fan.