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It’s hard to find an open-world game purely about doing the right thing. The very nature of the genre is designed for experimentation, letting the player take on a persona through the consequences of the world’s workings. And yet, Spider-Man becomes one of the best open-world action games by the virtue of defying that very idea.
The gameplay by itself is a welcome improvement to the Arkham formula, but Insomniac gives a certain warmth to it. Context is half of what makes Spider-Man; web-swinging across skyscrapers is only as good as the onlookers, cheering from the streets of New York, allow it to be. Violence is a necessary evil without having to sacrifice the combat’s integrity. Side missions are for cleaning up the environment and taking down mafia thugs. Such a light tone is what inspires that fluffy feeling in your stomach when playing Spider-Man, realizing that your action is for the good of New York.
There’s been light discourse surrounding the depiction of the NYPD in this game, but I found it hard to interpret anything as controversial. Parker never collaborates with the police directly; only with an off-the-books captain, whom stresses the danger of collaborating with Parker in the first place. In fact, light criticism of fascist police is offered later in the game! It’s no Papers, Please or This is the Police, but Spider-Man knows what it’s dealing with and deals with it appropriately.
As it should, Spider-Man is concerned with a basic (and quite literal) “light vs. dark” moral system. I’m reminded of Hideki Kamiya’s “The Wonderful 101“, where justice is a hyperbolic force to be reckoned with, friend and foe are clearly defined, yet we’re given room to consider otherwise. It may not be pushing new boundaries, but does it have to? In our political climate, perhaps further defining the boundaries is what we need.
Fun fact: Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man is the first Marvel-licensed game to feature the iconic flipbook logo crawl that preludes their blockbuster films. A small gesture, but one that says a lot; the type of iconography that indicates crafted grandeur to the highest degree. Spider-Man proves itself worthy of its placement.
It’s hard to find an open-world game purely about doing the right thing. The very nature of the genre is designed for experimentation, letting the player take on a persona through the consequences of the world’s workings. And yet, Spider-Man becomes one of the best open-world action games by the virtue of defying that very idea.
The gameplay by itself is a welcome improvement to the Arkham formula, but Insomniac gives a certain warmth to it. Context is half of what makes Spider-Man; web-swinging across skyscrapers is only as good as the onlookers, cheering from the streets of New York, allow it to be. Violence is a necessary evil without having to sacrifice the combat’s integrity. Side missions are for cleaning up the environment and taking down mafia thugs. Such a light tone is what inspires that fluffy feeling in your stomach when playing Spider-Man, realizing that your action is for the good of New York.
There’s been light discourse surrounding the depiction of the NYPD in this game, but I found it hard to interpret anything as controversial. Parker never collaborates with the police directly; only with an off-the-books captain, whom stresses the danger of collaborating with Parker in the first place. In fact, light criticism of fascist police is offered later in the game! It’s no Papers, Please or This is the Police, but Spider-Man knows what it’s dealing with and deals with it appropriately.
As it should, Spider-Man is concerned with a basic (and quite literal) “light vs. dark” moral system. I’m reminded of Hideki Kamiya’s “The Wonderful 101“, where justice is a hyperbolic force to be reckoned with, friend and foe are clearly defined, yet we’re given room to consider otherwise. It may not be pushing new boundaries, but does it have to? In our political climate, perhaps further defining the boundaries is what we need.
Fun fact: Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man is the first Marvel-licensed game to feature the iconic flipbook logo crawl that preludes their blockbuster films. A small gesture, but one that says a lot; the type of iconography that indicates crafted grandeur to the highest degree. Spider-Man proves itself worthy of its placement.