My Thoughts on Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered [PC Version]

So, What's New?

Every time a game or franchise is remade, rebooted or remastered, there's a general sense of wonderment and curiosity about the novelties it may bring along. This sense was even more heightened for Spider-Man since he has been around for a long time, even before some of us were born. So that element of nostalgia for this superhero piques our curiosity even further when we hear about anything new that he has to offer.

I grew up watching the Sam Raimi movies, even begging my uncle to take me to watch Spiderman 3 since it featured a whole new suit, and Spider-Man (released for Windows in 2001) was one of my first ever PC games. I remember pressing 9 on the numpad to get Spidey to swing to the next building. In that game, web swinging was limited to a maximum of 2 web lines being shot. If Spidey didn't get to the rooftop by then, he'd fall to his death. The reason I'm talking about this specific mechanism is that it's the best thing about the 2022 version. I can't help but be amazed by the degree of control offered to the player over web swinging. Right from the direction of the swing to its duration, the user can govern it all. And considering how essential a part it is in the whole Spider-Man experience, getting this right means you got half the game right.

Now, you wouldn't really enjoy swinging through the city if there wasn't a city to swing through, right? Partly why the swinging feels so awesome is due to the impeccably modelled urban environment. The landmarks, the high rises and the look and feel of different suburbs are all highly accurate. The Skyline viewed from tall buildings is a treat to the eyes, and really reflects the image New York is known for.

Not Much in the Story, but Plenty Outside of it

There’s nothing too exceptional in the story to write home about. It’s a typical Spider-Man plot with the good-guys-going-bad trope giving birth to the villains. Every main character and their story is connected in some way or the other to contribute to the development of the villains. Some characters, like the frontrunners - Peter, MJ, Aunt May, Doctor Octavius - are well written and their persona is built meticulously over time, but others have not been given as much time and attention, and hence feel rushed. Any action or decision of theirs does not feel relatable or plausible as they lack a connect with the player.

As for the game itself, there's plenty to do around the city, and a plethora of activities scattered across the map. It's a template that every open world game seems to be following these days, and which starts with completing a task to unlock the map part-by-part. In this case, descrambling tower signals. Once that is done, your plate is loaded with a ton of activities to do - side missions, looking for collectibles, challenges and so on. There's even an activity which can double up as a tourist's guide to NYC, wherein Spidey goes around photographing the major landmarks around the city. And I don't blame the devs for adding this little side item, as it really gives the designers a chance to showcase their version of NYC. And deservedly so; they've brought the city to life.

Refreshing the Template

There are certain areas where a contemporary flavor has been thrown in to make the experience more relatable to the newer generations. For instance, a running twitter-like feed addressed to the wall crawler which keeps getting updated with everything he does. There's also the “Screwball Challenges”, where a crazy content creator coerces Spidey into doing high-octane, adrenaline fueling stuff while streaming it live to increase her follower count. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? It does add something new to “The Template” and keeps it from feeling boring and monotonous.

As repetitive as the open world template is, the player will still strive to clear all activities on the map if the incentive is compelling enough. In this game, that incentive is unlocking all the 46 Spidey suits, including the ones from the Sam Raimi and Marc Webb films as well as the newer versions from the MCU. To me, it was more than enough because I wanted to see how Spidey would look swinging around in each of those suits and also because, well, I thought it would be cool to create a montage featuring all the costumes.

What really breathes life into the game are the way the boss fights are choreographed. Replete with action packed cutscenes and quick time events that involve chasing villains while web swinging and finding ways to gain speed through narrow alleys, buildings and over rooftops; this is where the brilliant movement mechanics really get their time to shine.

The game also occasionally tries its hands on stealth levels, but all it manages is a weak iteration of 'hide and run'. I felt that those particular levels could have been polished a bit to provide a more fulfilling sense of evading pursuers. It doesn't have any significant impact on the overall gameplay experience, though, considering that the game is all about the web-slinging and wall-crawling rather than tiptoeing and sneaking around.

Among the Spidey games I’ve played, there are only two others that have had a lasting impact on me apart from this one – the 2001 Spider-Man and Ultimate Spider-Man. Out of these, Marvel’s Spider-Man (2022) has the best movement and web swinging system, which is not to say that it is flawless. It works best in open spaces where there's plenty of room, but not so well in cramped spaces, like inside warehouses or when I was fighting a lot of enemies in closed quarters. The camera would go berserk, and before I could bring Spidey back into focus, someone would kill him, and I would be none the wiser as to what happened, or how I could have dodged it.

Some small hiccups notwithstanding, I quite enjoyed playing the game, and it's the closest that any Spidey game has come to simulating the experience of flying and diving around NYC. There were even times when I was more focused on webbing my way over the rooftops as fast and smoothly as possible than the story itself. Or maybe on trying out different suits. Or perhaps I spent even more time in the photo mode. Or...I think I was doing all three at once – trying to use the photo mode to capture Spidey in all his suits, swinging through the iconic buildings of NYC.