105) Marvel's Spider-Man (2018)

After the release of Sunset Overdrive for the Xbox One, Sony Interactive Entertainment's VP of Product Development, Connie Booth, met with Insomniac Games' CEO, Ted Price, for an informal, off the record meeting. From this meeting, Marvel's Spider-Man would begin to form, seeing a marked difference both in how Marvel would handle its video game releases, as well as marking the first time Insomniac would work on a licensed property as opposed to an original IP. Since 2000, Activision had been responsible for the video game adaptations of the character, and video games were generally made and released to coincide with films based on the property. Marvel wanted the team at Insomniac to create their own story, and gave them the option of which character they wanted to use. As Spider-Man is easily one of the most relatable super heroes, and arguably one of the most popular, the team easily settled on following the exploits of Peter Parker.

While initially excited, the team also found themselves daunted by the popularity of the character and the sheer wealth of existing stories. The team was diligent in their research of the character and worked with Marvel staff to ensure they could create something original that still felt true to the core of the character. The team learned that when Spider-Man wins, Peter Parker loses, and vice versa. So, from the start, the team designed the story to be as much about Peter as it is about Spider-Man. The team opted to forgo telling the origin of the character, as they felt it was well within common knowledge.

We begin playing as a seasoned and experienced Spider-Man, one well versed in dealing with both regular crime and super powered individuals. Spider-Man, voiced to perfection by Yuri Lowenthal, has already put away a number of his famous rogues, and sets out to take down the nefarious Kingpin. This opening serves to give us a fairly quick rundown of the mechanics at play, allowing us to freely explore a large, detailed simulation of New York City. While not a 100% faithful recreation of the city, the team made great strides instead to capture the look and feel of the city. As Spider-Man works to take down the Kingpin and his crime ring, we're also introduced to Peter Parker, the young man behind the mask who struggles with much more mundane problems, such as paying rent and longing to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend, Mary Jane.

As we seemingly succeed in apprehending Kingpin, we slowly learn of various other villainous groups and individuals starting to take hold. The story then shifts to focus on Mister Negative and his goons as they begin to terrorize the city. All the while, Peter Parker spends his time helping his Aunt May run a charity center while also aiding in the research of Dr. Otto Octavius. Mary Jane, working as a reporter, finds herself once again tangled in Spider-Man's web as they work together to find out what's really going on. Everything comes to head when an officer, having assisted Spider-Man in uncovering and foiling the plans of the new group on the scene, is to be awarded a medal by New York's mayor, Norman Osbourne. It's here where things go south, as in what can best be described as a terrorist attack, we're introduced to the officer's teenage son, Miles Morales.

The story, which features plenty of familiar names and faces for those familiar with the source material, does an excellent job of exploring the dual life led by our lead while having a good number of twists and turns. Some plot points can be seen miles ahead, even for those not as well versed in the lore of the character, but they nonetheless blend together seamlessly with satisfying payoff. What shines above it all is the heart of the character himself. Peter is, at times, naive and optimistic with a very strong moral center. He's dedicated himself to doing what he feels is right, even though it often comes at great personal risk and sacrifice to himself. As we explore the world, we'll often hear nearby citizens shout words of encouragement while also hearing our good friend, J. Jonah Jameson, routinely bash our webhead on his radio show.

Over the course of our adventure, we primarily play as Peter Parker/ Spider-Man. A ton of care and polish went in to making the simple act of moving around the city feel fun and engaging. Zipping through New York's boroughs is an absolute blast, and we're given plenty of options for maneuvering quickly and nimbly. Combat is mostly akin to that found in the Arkham games as well as the earlier Assassin's Creed games, with a large emphasis on dodging attacks while still beating the snot out of thugs. Boss fights focus on larger set pieces, using the environment to our advantage, as well as executing quick time events. While this makes Boss fights seem a bit more formulaic, I can't deny how fittingly large and impressive they come off.

We also, regrettably, have a few missions in which we're forced to play as either Mary Jane or Miles. These are generally stealth sections that leave little room for error, as being detected leads to instant failure. Thankfully, these sections are short and not entirely frequent. While they serve to give us other sides to the story while also showing how dangerous even the most common thugs can be, I'd be remiss not to mention how utterly forced they feel. Perhaps I'd be more keen on them if they allowed a greater deal of freedom, but as is they feel as though the same effect could have been achieved with simple cutscenes. Credit where it's due, they do allow both Mary Jane and Miles to take selfies, which is a feature that can lead to some amazingly beautiful shots when we play as Spider-Man, but here we get the chance to pose for the camera in hilariously inappropriate moments.

Looking past the brief, though notable, stealth sections, Marvel's Spider-Man allows us to indulge in the power fantasy of being our favorite web-slinger. There's plenty of secrets to find, costumes to unlock, and a solid variety of side missions to break up the action. The story, while certainly not groundbreaking, shows a love and reverence for the character and source material that is refreshing to see. Every single aspect of the game has been polished to near perfection, with amazing writing, voice acting, and a suitably epic soundtrack. While not without a hitch or two, the game is easy to recommend both for long time fans of the character as well as for newcomers interested in learning more about him. While the game is relatively easy, it offers just enough challenge to make it rewarding to power through.