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2018 served as a milestone for comic book superhero video games with the launch of Marvel's Spider-Man. Developed by Insomniac Games, the title was a fresh new take on the Web-Head Wall-Crawler from Marvel Comics, one of the most notable characters from the comic book publisher.
While the game was initially only released as a PlayStation Exclusive, it recently received a PC release on August 12, 2022. Much like the Arkham Games that preceded it, Marvel's Spider-Man was a perfect showcase of how comic book stories can be told in a different entertainment medium and still be relevant.
Insomniac Games put their time and effort into creating a new story centered around Spider-Man and the surrounding characters, with many inspirations taken directly from comic book pages. Marvel's Spider-Man depicts a proper Spider-Man story that is faithful to the character, which comic book readers around the world have called a masterpiece.
Note: This article reflects the writer's opinion.
Marvel's Spider-Man sets the stage for a great comic book game
One of the most important decisions that Insomniac Games made in the development of Marvel's Spider-Man was to create a completely separate story, set in their version of the Marvel Universe. As expected, this gave the developers a lot of creative freedom for the game’s story and is ultimately what helps the title stand out as one of the best depictions of Spider-Man seen in a different medium.
The events of the game completely bypass the origins, relying on the fact that anyone picking up a Spider-Man title is familiar with the character. Setting the stage eight years into Spidey’s career was a bold move, although the correct one with how things pan out in the end.
In terms of gameplay, it is clear that Insomniac pulled the best aspects from some of the previous Spider-Man games, such as the stealth takedowns from Shattered Dimensions, the timed races from Ultimate Spider-Man, and the web strike from Web of Shadows. However, the combat system is completely original, with it incorporating Spidey’s abilities very well in a game medium.
The spectacular cast
In Marvel's Spider-Man, Peter Parker is adequately mature and yet retains the imperfections that are his characteristic traits. He is still someone who juggles more things than he can handle, is still chronically late, and is still not in the habit of asking for help even when he needs it the most.
In contrast, Spider-Man is thriving in his career as a superhero, having put many supervillains behind bars already, and narrowing down on bringing in the Kingpin of Crime himself as the game starts. Things are going relatively great for Spidey, which is, of course, the set-up to see how they will change down the line.
The game also does a phenomenal job with its additional cast, pulling heavily from Spidey’s mythos, and not just from the larger Marvel Comics world, to keep the story focused on our hero. While Aunt May and Mary Jane Watson would have been expected to make an appearance, it is commendable for the game to include characters like Jefferson Davis and Miles Morales.
Great power
Spider-Man has always been a complicated IP to handle. There are certain elements to his character that are, at times, hard to depict without making the story overly sad and emotional. This is primarily because Peter Parker's life is always rife with tragedy, and one of the core lessons that this comic book character teaches is that no one can have everything in life, not even superheroes.
This message was seemingly absent in Disney’s latest iteration of the live action character, with the first two movies seeing Peter relatively happier than he generally is in the comics. However, the final film did go on to address that inconsistency.
But as can be evidenced above, Disney stayed off, making the first two movies too sad, as their target audience is generally a younger bunch. When Insomniac Games took on the reins for Marvel's Spider-Man, it was unclear as to which direction they might go in. Spidey’s games in the past did consist of some great titles, but none stood out as moving or inspiring as the hero truly is.
Great responsibility
However, Insomniac Games’ writing team certainly knocked it out of the park with a plot so well written and paced that Marvel's Spider-Man could very well be condensed into a two-and-a-half-hour movie that an audience would love to enjoy. While the story picks up speed from the very beginning, it slows down soon after to allow players to understand the gameplay.
As players get more acquainted with the parkour controls, map, and combat mechanics, the narrative slowly gains momentum. Many plot points are sown early on and are given time to ripen, such as the reveal that Otto Octavious is Peter’s current employer and mentor. Peter's relationship with Mary Jane is also a big part of the story, just as it is in the comics, with the two being in a complicated place at the beginning of the game.
These are just a few examples of elements that were introduced in the beginning and which play out slowly over the course of the storyline of Marvel's Spider-Man. By the time the finale rolls out, players are so invested in the characters that each betrayal and death affects them as much as it affects Peter.
To be a superhero
This finally brings us to the entire experience of it all. Marvel's Spider-Man is a comic book game that truly captures the essence of a superhero. No shade is thrown at the Arkham games, but Batman can be quite a downer at times. While Arkham Knight ended the series on a superb note, no one can deny that it wasn’t a hopeful ending. After all, Batman isn’t known for his capacity to inspire hope. Fear is more his thing.
Yet, this is something that Insomniac’s game does better. It starts with a jovial fun tone, which takes a darker turn somewhere towards the third act of the story. This is reflected in the state of the open world that looks bleak and desaturated at this point. It is even felt in the ambient music, as it takes a more downbeat rhythm.
However, the finale fully brings players back to the notions of hope and idealism. Peter's excellent dialogues solidifies this, his actions prove it even further, and the musical score picks a more upbeat tune to let players know who they should cheer for. By the end of the game, people are willing to believe in heroes once again.
