Marvel’s Spider-Man is everything I’ve ever wanted in a game starring the famous web crawler. Swinging around New York City feels so good! I never imagined there would be a game where I thought fast travel was the dumber option. Imagine if getting around Skyrim, or Grand Theft Auto V was as fun as hurdling through tall skyscrapers. Actually, there was a game that felt like this and it has nothing to do with Spidey. The first Attack on Titan game for the PS4 was excellent. I even said in my review that it felt like the best Spider-Man games because swinging around with their grappling launchers and taking down titans felt amazing every time. If only there was some giant monster you could fight in Marvel’s Spider-Man. Hmm, well maybe in DLC. You never know.
Praises and random tangents aside, there are some issues with the game in the logic department. Even the best of games are going to falter in some regard. You’re playing a video game after all, which is to say stories sometimes don’t gel well with a game’s mechanics. For example, Final Fantasy VII. At the end of that game, the world is going to be crushed by a giant magical meteor in a week. You have seven days canonically to prepare for certain doom so what do you do? Go play with Chocobos for hours on end. The same aspect can be applied to this game as well. Also, just for fair warning, there are SPOILERS ahead.
25 No Time For Suits Doc Ock
There’s a couple of problems I have with the ending, but one of my biggest concerns is with the final confrontation with Dr. Octopus, or I guess at this point he’s just a deranged Octavius. Anyway Peter knows he has the mayor already so time is of the essence. So what does he do? Go to Octavius’ lab and build a brand new suit. It was never a model that was hinted at either. It’s treated like a climactic moment, but when he puts it on something just felt off. Also, how did he have the time?
24 Gadgets Over Rent
Part of Peter Parker’s long going dilemma is that he’s constantly at odds with money. How can he afford to have a well paying full-time job when being Spider-Man is his real job? He’s doing well, but he’s not earning money. It sucks for him, but that’s part of the character’s charm. However, in this version, it’s a bit odd. I mean how can he be poor and not have enough money for rent, but can graft gadgets that rival Tony Stark? Otto certainly doesn’t have that kind of scratch.
23 Where’s All That Webbing Going?
Spider-Man can naturally produce webbing from his wrists. However, that’s draining so to combat that fatigue he creates organic shooters to help him offload the balance. That’s what his various gadgets are filled with.
I can get behind that, but that’s also a very video game-like way to deplete players of unlimited ammo in battle, which doesn’t make sense since you can swing infinitely. More so than the others I kind of get it, but also, come on Insomniac. There has to be a better way to make this feel more “realistic.” Which, to be fair, isn’t a word we use when describing superheroes much.
22 Leave It To The Professionals MJ
First of all, when did Mary Jane become Lois Lane? I kind of dig that she’s a reporter instead of Peter, but it’s also a funny comparison to bring up. That aside, I don’t get why she insists on throwing herself into danger. I mean it’s not like Peter doesn’t think she, as a woman, can handle herself. It’s not about gender. It’s about the fact that Peter is a mutant and is literally better equipped to handle danger. She can help in other ways that don’t involve infiltrating gang hideouts Metal Gear style.
21 Scorpion’s Acid Trip Seems Familiar
It’s hard not to bring up the Batman Arkham series when discussing Marvel’s Spider-Man. Both games are very similar especially Arkham City and this. I won’t waste time comparing everything, but let’s discuss that Scorpion scene toward the end. Now I love me a good psycho trip, but what Peter was seeing and doing didn’t really jive with what was happening in the real world. It felt like a gimmick to create a crazy level akin to the Scarecrow stuff but made less sense.
20 Spoiled Li’s Turn Too Early
This next complaint has more to do with how the game was marketed. From the very first time Marvel’s Spider-Man was shown off, Martin Li was unveiled to be Mr. Negative.
Oh no the extremely nice guy turned out to be extremely mean…
That’s a revelation you learn in the game about halfway through and it’s treated like a big reveal. I mean, sure, perhaps you didn’t watch any trailers or read any previews, but that’s a big if. When it comes down to it, I think most media spoils too much, but that’s another rant for another day.
19 What’s Miles’ Name Again?
Prior to this game, I knew very little about Miles. Scratch that. Even after playing it I still don’t know much. For example, I thought there was an error in the voice acting at one point. When Officer Daves is nominated for his award on the news, I thought they changed Miles’ name to Daves. Later on, he’s referred to as Miles Morales. See, Daves is his dad’s last name and Morales is his mother’s, but they were still married before his untimely demise. It’s a small issue, but I couldn’t have been the only one confused.
18 Where Are All The Rockets Coming From?
Why does every organization have the same archetypes? There are guys with pipes, big dudes you need to web up, and my biggest concern, the ones with rocket launchers. I can see how Sable’s men are prepared since they are a militia and maybe even Fisk, but the normal crime gangs and the prisoners blow my mind. Even the Demons seem out of place. It’s a video game so whatever, but it makes me laugh to realize New York City has an issue bigger than narcotics.
17 Focusing On The Real Issues
How do you heal in Marvel’s Spider-Man? Are there healing kits I need to collect, or does it recharge over time? In this game’s case, you can heal via your Focus meter, which builds up as you fight.
To heal, or not to heal, that is the question.
While that’s great and all, there’s a small problem with this system. Focus is also used for finishing moves. While cool, I found healing more useful. I just found it odd they shared the same gauge.
16 In The Name Of Very Specific Research
So Harry Osborn decides to go on a trip, but before he leaves he records messages for Peter to clean up his research centers. There’s over a dozen randomly placed atop rooftops concerning the weirdest experiments. For example, curing fish of toxins by spraying them with bacteria you secrete from your suit. Every single one has dire consequences for the city like smog pollution that somehow only appears while in this mini-game. New York City is on the brink of destruction from chemicals spills and potential power failure, but it’s a side quest. Huh?
15 Motorcycle Explosions For All
Like Batman, Spider-Man has a no destruction policy on villains no matter how evil they are. That’s noble and all and writers can control that in a comic, or film, but it’s a different story for video games since players are unpredictable. For example, Spider-Man has the ability to grab environmental objects like manhole covers, wooden pallets, and even motorcycles. The first few are going to mess someone up, but they could survive. An explosion from a motorcycle is a different story though.
14 Just You Wait, Lady Liberty
You know what the worst part of Marvel’s Spider-Man is? It’s not necessarily a glaring plot hole, or logic puzzle either. I just wanted to visit the Statue of Liberty and I can’t!
I want to reenact that Ghostbusters II scene with Jackie Wilson’s “Higher and Higher.”
The worst part is that you can see it. You can’t even visit any of the ferries boating around. Okay so maybe it’s not the worst thing in the game, but it’s such a tease!
13 Fisk’s Wasted Opportunities
Did anyone else find it weird the game begins with taking down Wilson Fisk? It was a great opener and since they got it out of the way I thought this meant he’d be making a return. You’re fighting his men over a third of the game after all. Then the prison break happens and…nothing. Fisk does not escape, or at least, doesn’t make an appearance. I guess you could say it’s a red herring to make players think he’s going to play a bigger part, but instead, it just seems like a wasted opportunity.
12 Paying For Black Cat’s Teaser
About a third of the way through the game you unlock Black Cat’s quest line. She’s left clues at twelve sites, which then leads back to her hideout where it seems she will be waiting, but no. Instead, it’s a vague teaser of things to come aka paid DLC. At least you get a costume in return. Oh wait, it looks dumb and has no special powers. Cool. Way to waste my time Insomniac. I’m fine with paying for DLC, but don’t give me half a quest and then expect me to be happy to pay for the rest.
11 Spider-Man Versus Puzzles
If I’m not mistaken this is the first game that puts an emphasis on playing Peter Parker and not just Spider-Man. While that is a cool idea wherein we get to see some great character development, it has issues.
Peter graduated from college for this?
It’s in regards to the pattern matching and circuit board mini-games. I mean at least try to give me more variety than that, or at least tone down the number of puzzles. At least you can skip them, which leaves me to believe Insomniac knew how it would get received.
10 How Did No One Steal Peter’s Bags?
As dumb as it may sound I loved collecting all of Peter’s backpacks. It’s one of those typical open-world collectibles, but this time there was a twist. Every item inside his bags had meaning and we got to see a little insight into this version’s incarnation of the classic web-slinger. However, I find it hard to believe no one stole these bags. Why? Canonically his webbing dissolves after an hour, or two that’s why New York City isn’t covered in spider gunk.
9 The Docile Tones Of The Crowd
At first, the NPC crowds of citizens were delightful. They’d see Spider-Man whizz by, ask for a high five, or maybe even a picture. That was cute at first, but after twenty some hours later it got incredibly repetitive. The weirdest part was when no one said anything. For example, several buildings had roof parties going on leading me to think there would be an Easter egg if I crashed them. Nope, not even a sideways glance. It was unnerving.
8 Tombstone’s Leftovers
During the story, MJ will infiltrate a biker gang where she finds out Tombstone is helping the Demons. This then becomes a side mission to actually fight him, which was a cool boss battle.
A cure for stones and tombs.
Unfortunately, the plot felt rushed. Somehow he was transforming his men to be invulnerable like he was to which Peter cures in an instant. This is after knowing him for how long? The moment should have been grander, but again, it was just hurriedly brushed past.
7 Otto The Tailor
In several parts of the game, Peter checks back with Octavius and his research even after Mayor Osborn cut their funding. Somehow Otto gets money again, which isn’t really explained. Then we see he was the mastermind behind the prison break. Oh yeah, and he made all of the villains new suits. Um, when did he have time for all that? This was in the span of a few days. I know we’re talking about comic book plots and video games here, but there’s a litany of plot holes with the suits and everything else about Otto’s plan.
6 Throwing Fools Off Buildings Is Totally Safe
So I already explained that a thug couldn’t survive a motorcycle blast, right? I can concede that maybe a Sable soldier, or Demon could, but let’s not retread those matters. Instead, let’s talk about buildings. You fight a lot of battles on rooftops and that said, of course, someone is bound to fall off. Unless you look after them you must think they perished, right? Wrong. If you watch them fall, a spider web will magically active and sling them into the closest wall. When does Spider-Man have time to do that and how? Like I said, magic.
