The hype for this game pre-release was unreal. My friends and I were hanging out the night of release in Dallas and we rushed back home to our local Gamestop just as they were closing to get our pre-order copies in time (thank you to the employees who unlocked the store after close for us)! If I recall correctly, I Platinum'd the game within a week, but I was playing nonstop. The story DLC's only added to my overall playtime as I redid everything on new game plus and on ultimate difficulty; I was obsessed.
A great return to form after several awful games in the franchise; Insomniac delivered a compelling story with phenomenal acting and writing that rivaled the best Spidey stories. Introducing Miles into the mix while Peter is still alive os a great change from the comics that opened the door for many great story moments to come. Overall the story is emotional and epic as the greatest Spider-Man stories are (with plenty left unanswered to keep intrigue alive for the sequels).
The gameplay loop is fun and exciting! The animation based swinging is a different feel than that of the raw physics based swinging of [Spider - Man 2], but the game world is expertly designed around this fact, and swinging is still a joy! Nearly every animation transitions perfectly into another and the game excuses a polish many TripleA games fail at upon launch. Combat is intense on higher difficulties and encourages improvisation. Gadgets are overpowered, but tbh I didn't care as on higher difficulties it was super fun to completey unload on enemies. Stealth is fun but very simple.
There are loads of collectibles that inform the player of this Peter's early days as Spider-Man (referencing many classic comic stories and moments that hardcore fans will get a kick out of). Side missions are also fun and it's great to see the average day-day of Spidey stopping various types of crimes while interacting with the average New Yorker. J. Jonah Jameson's Podcast is frequent and his ridiculous rage over everything that happens in the story (and some player related actions) is always hilarious.
The boss fights are surprisingly excellent with each villian having a different vibe / method of attack that fits their power set and character (the mid air battle between Electro and Vulture fight was a standout imo)!
The very ending is somewhat abrupt, but the story and characters were wrapped up well and left me wanting more.
Overall still worth playing if you're starting Insomniac's series of Spidey games as the story and gameplay starts off great and only gets better as the sequels go on. One of my favorite games ever! :)
★★★★★
A great return to form after several awful games in the franchise; Insomniac delivered a compelling story with phenomenal acting and writing that rivaled the best Spidey stories. Introducing Miles into the mix while Peter is still alive os a great change from the comics that opened the door for many great story moments to come. Overall the story is emotional and epic as the greatest Spider-Man stories are (with plenty left unanswered to keep intrigue alive for the sequels).
The gameplay loop is fun and exciting! The animation based swinging is a different feel than that of the raw physics based swinging of [Spider - Man 2], but the game world is expertly designed around this fact, and swinging is still a joy! Nearly every animation transitions perfectly into another and the game excuses a polish many TripleA games fail at upon launch. Combat is intense on higher difficulties and encourages improvisation. Gadgets are overpowered, but tbh I didn't care as on higher difficulties it was super fun to completey unload on enemies. Stealth is fun but very simple.
There are loads of collectibles that inform the player of this Peter's early days as Spider-Man (referencing many classic comic stories and moments that hardcore fans will get a kick out of). Side missions are also fun and it's great to see the average day-day of Spidey stopping various types of crimes while interacting with the average New Yorker. J. Jonah Jameson's Podcast is frequent and his ridiculous rage over everything that happens in the story (and some player related actions) is always hilarious.
The boss fights are surprisingly excellent with each villian having a different vibe / method of attack that fits their power set and character (the mid air battle between Electro and Vulture fight was a standout imo)!
The very ending is somewhat abrupt, but the story and characters were wrapped up well and left me wanting more.
Overall still worth playing if you're starting Insomniac's series of Spidey games as the story and gameplay starts off great and only gets better as the sequels go on. One of my favorite games ever! :)
★★★★★