![]() ![]() There are also a few hallucinogenic/VR fantasy sequences that, as always, are simply frustrating and boring rather than thrillingly surreal. Most of the boss battles really outstay their welcome, piling on stage after stage of sequentially tougher action when a couple of phases would have been plenty. In less sure hands, gliding could have been an over-powered feature rendering the web-slinging almost defunct, but instead it’s a perfect partner, extending your reach without feeling too superhuman. It’s a lovely feeling, aided by wind currents flowing along certain streets and over the Hudson and East rivers allowing you to stay airborne for long distances. It works beautifully, enhancing the sense of fluidity and grace and allowing you to swoop along the chasm-like avenues before rising up into the sky, the bustle of the city far beneath you. The exhilarating traversal mechanic of the first game, which let you effortlessly swing from web lines like a pro, is back, but now Insomniac has added a wingsuit function, so Spider-Man can also glide for long distances. It shows that Insomoniac is up there with Naughty Dog in the way it is able to merge story, subtext and meaning into profound interactive moments. ![]() The way Hailey’s understanding of the world is portrayed on screen is imaginative and moving. You might not come to a Spider-Man game for a fascinating treatise on the connection between bebop and rap music but you’re going to get it.Īctually, one of my favouroite sequences in the whole game doesn’t involve the lads at all – it’s a side quest where Miles’s hearing-imparied friend Hailey teaches another graffiti artist how to have confidence in her work. Meanwhile, a whole subplot involving a community centre in Harlem and its collection of jazz artefacts is a fascinating diversion, written with care and knowledge. There is a nice scene with Peter, Harry and Mary Jane at Coney Island amusement park, where you take part in sideshow games and ride rollercoasters, all the while getting a sense of the ties between the characters. Amid the noisy set-piece battles, the game carves out lots of quiet little moments of humanity, friendship and emotion. These aren’t just background details, quickly spoon-fed to us in cinematic sequences. Parker is trying to make his way in life as an adult, looking for jobs and moving in with MJ, while Morales is still dealing with the death of his father and struggling with his own sense of inferiority. Their interlocking tales sometimes align, sometimes contrast, all the while bringing out unexpected depths and nuance. It’s great that we now get to explore Brooklyn and Queens, with their dockside factories, leafy brownstone neighbourhoods and sprawling suburbs: they add new textures and visual wonders to the exploration element.īut what the game does really well is to combine the stories of Peter and Miles without making the narrative feel crowded or shallow. It’s familiar, yes, but the fresh cast of baddies, the new subplots and the enhanced city work together to ensure things are interesting. There are a certain number of these in each region of the city, so you pick them up naturally on your way to main story missions – although completists will want to zip about and do them all. Each district of New York has various types of sub-quest that pop up around the place – sometimes you’re stopping street crimes, sometimes finding enemy hideouts (and sneaking about in high places for hours, picking off guards one by one), or getting involved in little local crises. The rhythm of the game too is similar to the others. Those who played the first two games will have an advantage because the foundational combat mechanics are the same – until Peter Parker picks up some astonishing new powers thanks to … well, let’s not get into that. Although the two characters have slightly different powers, they use the same button layout, which is extensive and at first slightly bewildering – there are a LOT of button combinations. As you progress, you earn XP and tokens that can be spent on skill trees and suit upgrades, enhancing your arsenal of abilities. You can scoop enemies up into the air and batter them while suspended you can blast out web strikes and swing kicks, and fire off chain lightning – it’s a whirlwind of superhero violence. Photograph: SonyĪs in the first title, the game is built around ever escalating set-piece battles against familiar spider foes and their henchmen, with both Spider-Men calling on a vast range of web-slinging moves and melee attacks, augmented with a feast of combos and specials. ![]() View image in fullscreen Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |