Marvel’s Spider-Man Video Game Review

The best game since Spider-Man 2.

Developed by Insomniac Games. Published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. All images fair use.

My long and storied history with Spider-Man video games began with NeverSoft’s Spider-Man for the PlayStation 1, shortly after the first Raimi film released. I never played its sequel, but you can bet your webbed butts I played almost every other Spidey game thereafter. Some I liked (Next Level Games’ Spider-Man: Friend or Foe), some I didn’t (Beenox’s Spider-Man: Edge of Time). But you know what usually made or broke a good Spidey game?

The web-swinging.

Now, Marvel’s Spider-Man has been out since 2018, so I doubt I have anything new to say about the movement mechanics. That said: wow. I’ve played the game three (maybe even four?) times since release, and to this day I can’t believe how good it feels — never mind how relaxing. I swear, once you get into a rhythm while swinging around, you ascend that much closer to nirvana. I totally get why Peter goes swinging to clear his head.

I started replaying the game on a whim, and about a third of the way through I realized I could spin it into a review. I didn’t replay the DLC (Erica Lindbeck’s Black Cat, though? *sweats profusely and laughs nervously*), and I have no intention of…