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.
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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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgywGVmvJ-SCgbZyYVSOZAp3ySf5uZO8fhn2hjkc1QfFPV_c2cpB5HVUoWGosIIdpfQ8eD4-fYLY2Gt1wONQEGq4cMUTZsGdgW0XqLL-p4IW7Xf7JTTR_4loHHS_bKR-3RGl3whDnfxOFxDBvJBylZiq2KgMYuc9FFfMxJbwWoNLPT0wBllwSIeEyr5rQ/w640-h360/Marvel's%20Spider-Man%20Remastered%20v1.1212.0.0%2022-03-2023%2022_29_57.png)
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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWd3J9jk_D5zlNpOcnySmccJGr_0GYqLVeSULL2lshayhXnkWCwTMxJ5FiwqyXhzjfep2iVPZFEcGGJLYLRcTriSQ4m12exKUGckXVe02Mo9wEl5Vn6Qo_dY5BunkoRNLwwyPeuztTtCg6q7e7x69tcaoLHoIjbSq8hJPTtMAbFxPBl4e7yvm_OaIrCg/w640-h360/Marvel's%20Spider-Man%20Remastered%20v1.1212.0.0%2019-02-2023%2020_24_11.png)
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.
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.
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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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4K9TWgx_fjcxNDSfss31uaprbbt6rGbzIrImyw39I6CsH5TMzFXLQ782XY32i_GssZYrNZyleiMOakmMXd768Pg5pJ19ieleZoTeyYt6rh0sPFZM0zx2TKye7un3kLsY-BMHt17nepWcoaJxPJF99Iul9LtD9lY9NPAqKL8fr3pb3SwF2MelhBiMDDA/w640-h360/Marvel's%20Spider-Man%20Remastered%20v1.1212.0.0%2026-03-2023%2000_35_48.png)
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.
It was quite insightful buddy keep it up.
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