On Oct. 20, 2023, the highly awaited sequel to Insomniac’s first “Spider-Man” game released, exclusively on the PlayStation 5 for $70. This game has been one of the most anticipated games of the year, as it includes a large list of new and returning villains. For my review, I played on the most balanced difficulty: “amazing.”
The game kicks off 10 months after the events of “Spider-Man: Miles Morales,” shooting the player immediately into the action in the form of fighting against one of Spider-Man’s major villains. After the opening sequence, the game allows the player to test out the various new additions to the game through combat, side missions, and quests.
A great change comes to the combat system in that now Peter has access to mechanical spider legs attached to his suit, which grant him abilities that rival Miles’ venom power. These provide a more interesting aspect to combat; less-like button-mashing than the original. Though with all this the new content, the game can seem overwhelming, especially for new players.
A potential negative of the game is the amount of filler quests and interactions added, like the MJ stealth missions. These were a prominent criticism of the first game, as they were seen as boring and too drawn out. These sequences have been newly “revamped,” as MJ now has new ways to stun/disable enemies. For those who enjoy a story-oriented gameplay, sequences like these could be seen as a positive.
As far the map goes, this game adds two new boroughs, Brooklyn, and Queens. With a larger city also comes new ways to get around, as the addition of web wings allows the “Spider-men” to traverse the city with high speed and ease. This is a positive change, as a criticism of the earlier games regarded the slowness of the original swing speed. The fast travel included in the last two games is still featured in this game, though now even faster with a seamless transition included.
In my opinion, the story is what makes the game so great. The story includes a lot of emotional depth, as the game explores both Peter and Miles’ work-life balance. The game also includes iconic villains from Spider-Man media, though manages to craft a unique story apart from what has already been done.
For many regarding this game, bugs and glitches were a major issue. Although during my review, I encountered a very minimal number of bugs. One of the bugs I encountered was the freezing during the “galvanize” sequence. Other players experienced this bug, but to fix it I just restarted from the previous checkpoint. This isn’t a great negative of mine, as bug was fixed in the most recent update. Overall, the bug wasn’t very major and didn’t affect my ability to play the rest of the game.
The graphics of the game are a very noticeable strong point, the game utilizes the maximum capabilities of the PS5 to make the graphics pristine and smooth. Also included is better game lighting and a UI that is an improvement from the prior installments.
During my review, I completed some of the side quests such as the Crimson Hour and Brooklyn Visions side quests, though I primarily focused on the main story. To complete the main story, it took me a total of 19 hours. In my opinion, I think the story should have been a bit longer for the $70 price tag, so it is up to you to decide if you think it is worth it to buy the game.
Overall, I believe this installment to be a major step ahead for Insomniac’s “Spider-Man” game series. The additions to the combat system provide just enough versatility to keep combat interesting yet refreshing, though the riveting story is what I believe to be the game’s strongest point. All factors considered; I think this game is deserving of a 9/10.
