By Gerrel Sayles, Contributor
Marvel’s “Spider-Man” delivers a well-rounded game and after completing a good portion of the game so far, I’ve found “Spider-Man” to be the complete package for an action-packed superhero game.
Insomniac Games did a terrific job of establishing a background with the main story missions, allowing you to familiarize yourself with the “web-head.” This results in a climactic buildup to the conclusion of the story. I have played a good amount of the game thus far and have yet to face the main antagonist.
Aside from story missions, there are other tasks to complete as you roam New York. For instance, you’re able to stop lower-level crimes committed by thugs and thieves. Also, you’re able to complete side missions and find collectibles scattered throughout New York.
In addition, you can do research missions, expand your city outlook by clearing up police towers and taking pictures of landmarks. These earn different tokens for research, crime and landmarks. You use these tokens to purchase new Spider-Man suits, each with unique abilities.
There are also a wide array of characters in the game that ultimately expand the story. Rather than focusing solely on Spider-Man, there are bosses to face such as Wilson Fisk and Herman Schultz (also known as the Shocker), which you can read about in the start menu.
Furthermore, everything you do in the game earns you experience points that can be used to upgrade your character. There are three skill trees: innovator (combat), defense and web-slinger (swinging around). This allows for improvement and the upgradeable gadgets can assist during gameplay.
The running, jumping and web-swinging across town is very smooth and exciting and I find myself having so much fun just swinging around and doing parkour on rooftops.
The combat is intense and while overbearing at times, I love it.
Initially, I thought fighting would be repetitive and tedious, but with various enemy types such as a brute (a stronger enemy type that isn't affected by normal attacks), each require a different approach.
For instance, a “hit-and-run” attack against a wave of enemies might suffice or you might have to throw objects at a boss such as Shocker just to get an opening. If being stealthy is your game, you can choose to pick off enemies one by one. Different combat strategies can fill the “Focus Bar,” allowing the player to either heal or perform a variety of finishing moves (which are pretty sick).
In the end, Marvel’s “Spider-Man” is an action-packed adventure game that will draw gamers into wanting more. Whether I am slinging drug dealers in the air, completing 40-hit combos or falling flat on my back from a Shocker blast, this game lives up to the hype.
