Spider-Man on the PS4 is a truly amazing superhero game. A game on the lines of the Batman Arkham Series. Playing this game brings one into a true world where they are Spider-Man. I’ve always dreamt of playing as the webhead in a game where freedom is apparent and this one is it!
Spider-Man swings through the city of New York taking down all sorts of villains and thugs. It is definitely a true superhero experience. Spider-Man is one of my all-time favorite superheroes and playing as him in such a game felt like a childhood dream come true. While other Spider-Man games have existed this one is something special. It’s as is if in every fiber of my being I was playing as Spider-man.
Spider-Man tells the story of a Spider-Man working for one Doctor Octavius. There is a sense that he is done with school, and that he has been fighting crime for a number of years. He isn’t held back by anything and the sky is the limit. He might not be dating Mary Jane anymore but he is doing all he can to succeed.
Peter still hasn’t told his aunt that he is Spider-Man but she is smart and it probably has dawned on her that he is at least up to something. The cast of characters includes many beloved villains from the series, like Shocker, Vulture, and the Rhino. Each of these villains has their own backstory that makes the player feel something for them. Doctor Octopus’ inevitable rise to power is also something that changes the world of the game. It’s incredible watching the power shift in the world as Spider-Man takes down these villains.
This game is also one that introduces characters that might not seem as interesting and makes them interesting. Mr.Negative becomes a key character in the game, and Spidey’s cop friend Yuri Watanabe is also a main player. Spider-Man even has a bit where he dubs himself Spider-cop and that is gold.
The story itself is a winding one that sends the player through the wonderful New York City. Fighting enemies, and learning that people close to them might not be who they say they are. Villainy hides in people Peter is close with and he realizes in a way that he may be the cause of their turn to the dark side. With great power comes great responsibility and Peter needs to do all he can to save the city he holds dear.
Spider-Man plays in a few different ways, the first being playing as Spider-Man. Spider-Man can swing through the city at sometimes amazing velocities. It is incredible learning that to do so he must calculate on the fly. He can swing into enemies, and attack them in quick succession. Jumping between enemies is a simple task as he flips and dives. It’s incredible watching him fight as it seems so effortless.
This game is also the first Spider-Man game to let Spider-Man walk the streets. Sometimes it’s fun to simply walk around the city and greet people. They are always so happy to see their friendly hero walking the beat. It’s also rather fun swinging into them from above and watching a little panic ensue, or maybe that’s just me.
Players also gain access to a multitude of suits and suit powers. Players can craft the suits by completing missions throughout the city. It is great to mix and match suits and suit powers. Some of the suit powers might just be having Spider-Man Quip but others actually do add power to his arsenal. The game is even adding suits now which means there are more reasons to jump back into this amazing game.
In Spider-Man, players can also play as Peter Parker. There are quite a few moments where he will have to look inconspicuous. This game has quite the story and unraveling it as both Peter and his alter-ego is quite thrilling. Peter can’t always be Spidey as he has to work and talk with the people in his life. Though of course, he can always duck into an alley or up onto a roof to don his Spidersuit.
The last person players can play as is Mary Jane Watson. This Mary Jane works for the Daily Bugle. She has a nose for news and will do anything to get her story. This often means she needs to sneak about and avoid detection. Sometimes she gets herself into danger and the player ends up playing as her friendly neighborhood ex-boyfriend. It adds to the story and is always cool to see what leads up to Spider-man coming to save her.
Spider-Man is an open-world game and one that has so much for the player to do. Players can stop crimes, catch pigeons, destroy underworld crime bases, and take photos of certain architecture. Each mission corresponds with a different token. These tokens are important as they will be used to craft numerous things.
The backpacks, however, are probably the most interesting collectible. These backpacks house different things from Spider-Man’s past. He is often surprised by what he finds in them, and they help tell his story through smaller bits of information. Finding them all helped me anyway, to understand how he got to be where he was now.
The token system is a great way of figuring out what the player needs to do next. Players will want to get the best gear and suits. The only way to do so will be token hunting. It shows the player exactly what they will need to hunt for. With so much going on in the city it will be hard to not want to tackle everything as the player sees it. But the tokens help guide the player a bit.
The game also has a fast travel system, which is good because swinging through the city can take a while. The fast travel system is actually the subway, and it’s great seeing Spider-Man act just like a normal guy. He’ll often scroll through his phone or take selfies, its a nice little touch.
The photo mode is one of the coolest takes on the idea since it’s inception. With the photo mode, players can take all different types of photos. These photos can be shot while Spider-Man is swinging through the city which is something I’d never expect. Players then can deck them out with stickers and adjust them before posting them on social media. It really works in-universe as Peter is a fantastic photographer.
Spider-Man is filled with homages to the Spider-Man world. There are little easter eggs, that pop up here and there. If the player is willing to search for them they are sure to find things that connect to the far larger Spider-verse out there.
This game has been out for a while now and has three DLC stories. These DLC Stories are all interconnected and help to bridge the gap between the end game and a future sequel. The first chapter is all about Spider-Man and Black Cat. Black Cat is back and Spider-Man has to take her down before teaming up with her. Black Cat is one of the coolest Spiderverse characters and having her in the story is great. There’s even some pretty great cutscenes in this chapter.
The second DLC Chapter takes place right after the end of the Black Cat chapter. Focusing on the ugly bruiser hammerhead and his need to take down another mob family. He’s angry because Black Cat stole from him and will do anything in his power to hunt her down and kill her off for good.
The last chapter focuses on Silver Sable, and Spider-Man being the one who needs to take her down. She is also one of the most interesting characters in the game. It’s great learning more about her and discovering that she might just not be good at communicating. Silver Sable might be a brassy spy but she is also human and it troubles her. There is also a terrific final boss that wraps the DLC up nicely.
Spider-Man is a fantastic, no amazing, no spectacular game. Playing as Spider-Man is by far a childhood dream of mine fulfilled. Peter Parker is a fully fleshed out human with so much to give, and it shows marvelously throughout the game. The open world is fantastic, the characters are lifelike, and the story is great. This game is definitely leading to a sequel and I’m excited to see what’s coming next for the webhead. If the player’s Spidey sense is tingling, heed its call and pick this game up!