Spider-Man (PS4)

[Ashley]

I think it's safe to say this is the start of Insomniac doing a series of Marvel games. 

[Ronnie]

Put a few hours into this tonight, enjoying it but I didn't realise it would be just like most other openworld games out there, towers, checkboxes of things to do, map markers telling you exactly where to go and what to do. It's all pretty cookie cutter in structure so far. Maybe the story missions will add a bit of variety.

The crimes in the openworld are fun but I can imagine they're going to get very repetitive a couple of hours in.

Still, I'm really enjoying it but it's certainly not blowing me away or anything like that. Hopefully gets better. Traversal is really fun.

I can't agree about the polish, it's not bad but the AI seems pretty poor and I've had tons of NPCs clipping through other NPCs (including the first boss you fight).

[Hero-of-Time]

7 hours ago, Ashley said:

I think it's safe to say this is the start of Insomniac doing a series of Marvel games. 

No doubt. They got a stupidly strong base with this game, so building on what they've already done seems a good course of action.

It makes me think just how Crystal Dynamics are getting on with their Avengers game. I can't see it touching this in terms of quality.

[Hero-of-Time]

Platinum achieved.

Taking down the 4 different factions 5 times each across the 9 different sectors was an absolute grind. I was also 3 challenge tokens short to buy all the outfits so I had to redo some of the challenges to get a better ranking.

I can now get back to Dragon Quest XI!  

[drahkon]

I wish I had more time these days. Really want to play this moooooore  

Movement and combat is amazing.

[Ronnie]

This game's openworld reminds me a lot of Infamous... kind of shallow and boring but with a lot of manageable, if utterly mindless collectables. Seriously, I've gotten two thirds of the backpacks and am starting to wonder why I even bother. There's just no challenge, it's just "go to green map marker, press triangle". Likewise the "towers", no challenge to getting to them, just press triangle, spend about 3 seconds spinning the analog sticks and you're done. At least a game like Watch Dogs has you actually earning the tower unlocks or collectibles.

Having said that I 100%'d Infamous and I'll probably 100% this, just because it seems pretty manageable, unlike something like Assassin's Creed that just gives you way too much to do.

The side missions are really great though, at least the two I've done so far, and obviously the main story missions are fantastic, but the openworld... meh.

 

Edited September 12, 2018 by Ronnie

[Aneres11]

I am absolutely loving my time with this so far. 

I've hardly even progressed the story yet as every time I do it seems to open up other little bits of the map and just swinging through the city to get to them is too much fun.

It's also really helping me upgrade stuff as well. I'm almost fully upgraded on my webslinger now so it's proving too be a massive help in combat fights along with swinging through the skies. Earning XP whilst performing tricks in the air is pretty damn sweet. 

I'm trying to do as much in the way of side missions as possible before I progress the story as I'm not bored of doing it yet. Harry's research pods are a bit of a drag but once I've done them I'll move on to the main game. 

So far though it's just brilliant fun. 

Edited September 12, 2018 by Aneres11

[Jimbob]

Absolutly loving this game.  Must have done only 4 story missions, but have easily put in about 4-5 hours exploring the city.  Cleared the towers and backpacks, and a few other collectables.  I find if the game is going to be littered with them to make sure i do them when i see them appear.  Just by doing this, i'm powering up my skills and gadgets, which in turn makes the combat a bit easier and manageable when you're fighting a few numbers.

[Shorty]

I'm really enjoying playing this but at times I find myself questioning why I'm enjoying it. Apart from the webswinging, the visuals and the photo mode, the whole model is crazily dated. Clunky AI pedestrians and NPCs performing cardboard looking cutscenes and reactions in the street that look like they fell out of a Tony Hawk game in 2005... swinging through smog clouds, chasing pigeons, smashing barrels, feels really arcadey. There's a real disparity between the game trying to sound realistic with its science and tech, and the silly minigames you play. Not to mention the tone shift between the downtime fun and the frequently dark turns of the story.

And yet I think that is, whether intentionally or not, part of the joy of it. It's just very simple and mindless. It's a tried and tested formula that's missing a little polish, but that helps keep it flowing so fast. The web swinging is so much fun, you can pick up so much speed and change direction instantaneously. It's forgiving in a way that makes you look like a pro in no time, but also takes skill to perfect.

All the things to do on the map are a bit of a grind but there's a wide variety and I never feel like the next one will be a chore. I've also really enjoyed the challenge of starting on hard, made every level-up feel really worthwhile and useful.

Combat is decent, if a bit samey. At first there's not much to do but hold-square, square square square, triangle, repeat x10. Unlocking gadgets basically turns the game into easy mode, as you get so many that recharge so fast you can just alternate between gadgets, a couple of manouvres and then just dole out near-unlimited auto-finishers. But again, the simplicity of it covered with some neat camera movements and slow-mo makes it fun enough to cover up any issues.

For the last two nights I've played pretty much non-stop after work which is unheard of these days, so they've definitely done something right.

Very much looking forward to this universe expanding a bit to include more favourite characters!

[Ashley]

3 hours ago, Shorty said:

I'm really enjoying playing this but at times I find myself questioning why I'm enjoying it. Apart from the webswinging, the visuals and the photo mode, the whole model is crazily dated. Clunky AI pedestrians and NPCs performing cardboard looking cutscenes and reactions in the street that look like they fell out of a Tony Hawk game in 2005... swinging through smog clouds, chasing pigeons, smashing barrels, feels really arcadey. There's a real disparity between the game trying to sound realistic with its science and tech, and the silly minigames you play. Not to mention the tone shift between the downtime fun and the frequently dark turns of the story.

And yet I think that is, whether intentionally or not, part of the joy of it. It's just very simple and mindless. It's a tried and tested formula that's missing a little polish, but that helps keep it flowing so fast. The web swinging is so much fun, you can pick up so much speed and change direction instantaneously. It's forgiving in a way that makes you look like a pro in no time, but also takes skill to perfect.

All the things to do on the map are a bit of a grind but there's a wide variety and I never feel like the next one will be a chore. I've also really enjoyed the challenge of starting on hard, made every level-up feel really worthwhile and useful.

Combat is decent, if a bit samey. At first there's not much to do but hold-square, square square square, triangle, repeat x10. Unlocking gadgets basically turns the game into easy mode, as you get so many that recharge so fast you can just alternate between gadgets, a couple of manouvres and then just dole out near-unlimited auto-finishers. But again, the simplicity of it covered with some neat camera movements and slow-mo makes it fun enough to cover up any issues.

For the last two nights I've played pretty much non-stop after work which is unheard of these days, so they've definitely done something right.

Very much looking forward to this universe expanding a bit to include more favourite characters!

I did see someone on Twitter say that this game made them realise that traversal can be a big part of what makes or breaks a game.  If the swinging mechanic wasn't there, this would be a much more mediocre game but I think this game is a successful license game rather than a great game.  What I mean by that isn't "it's good for a license game", but rather it captures the tone of Spider-Man well.  The dialogue and story is in-keeping with the world and let's face it, most of us wanted a game with fantastic webslinging so it becomes easier to overlook some of the more run-of-the-mill elements.  

Out of interest, as you've lived in New York for a while have you enjoyed checking out a city you know? While playing it I can't help but want a game like this set in modern London just because of the familiarity. I've seen some New Yorkers say they've enjoyed seeing a decent representation of New York (at least geographically) in a game.

[bob]

I did see someone on Twitter say that this game made them realise that traversal can be a big part of what makes or breaks a game.  If the swinging mechanic wasn't there, this would be a much more mediocre game but I think this game is a successful license game rather than a great game.  What I mean by that isn't "it's good for a license game", but rather it captures the tone of Spider-Man well.  The dialogue and story is in-keeping with the world and let's face it, most of us wanted a game with fantastic webslinging so it becomes easier to overlook some of the more run-of-the-mill elements.  
Out of interest, as you've lived in New York for a while have you enjoyed checking out a city you know? While playing it I can't help but want a game like this set in modern London just because of the familiarity. I've seen some New Yorkers say they've enjoyed seeing a decent representation of New York (at least geographically) in a game.

An interestingly traversal system is something that can elevate a game, I think. It's one of the reasons why I live the Just Cause series. The gameplay itself could just be another open world sandbox game with explosions, but the way they make it so much fun to traverse across the map with grapple + parachute + wingsuit makes it a joy. Playing a different game after JC3 always feels like a chore to get around when you have to walk on the ground like a chump.

Spider-Man is the same presumably. It could so easily become a chore to "go here, fight this, come back" but they way that you get there makes it interesting for much longer.

[drahkon]

3 minutes ago, bob said:

It's one of the reasons why I live the Just Cause series.

Oh, so you're the one wrecking havoc on Mediterranean islands.

It's just a game...you don't have to live it out.

[bob]

Oh, so you're the one wrecking havoc on Mediterranean islands.
It's just a game...you don't have to live it out.

I keep getting these odd looks at work when I put on my vaguely Spanish, slightly Italian accent.

[drahkon]

1 minute ago, bob said:

I keep getting these odd looks at work when I put on my vaguely Spanish, slightly Italian accent.

Do you attach your co-workers to gas tanks and send them flying for those odd looks?

[bob]

Do you attach your co-workers to gas tanks and send them flying for those odd looks?

It's more the way I throw a pretend drop beacon into the middle of the office, and then stand staring at the ceiling tapping my foot.

[Ronnie]

I'm enjoying this game a lot but at the same time some parts of it feel so incredibly dated. Like we've gone back to how openworld games used to be ten or fifteen years ago.

Why are all the Fisk hideouts identical in design and gameplay? Why are the "towers" so ridiculously easy to get to/activate and why even bother to make them needing activation. Some of the collectibles like the backpacks are literally go here, press triangle, and others like the cat things are just boring and piss easy to find. NPCs at street level may as well not be there. You can't go into buildings etc etc

I do like how they slowly reveal the various collectibles over time though, that's great and much better than inundating you with them at the start of the game.

The combat is cool and fluid too and obv the traversal is fun. I also enjoyed the research stations a lot, though I did find it funny that literally every single one showed an imminent danger that had to be resolved within minutes or else....

Really weird game, I am enjoying it a lot and plan on Platinuming it, but it really isn't anything special and it's certainly not a game that'll stand out or I'll remember in ten years time.

Edited September 15, 2018 by Ronnie

[Magnus]

Fifteen years ago, Spider-Man 2 hadn't even been released yet...

[Ronnie]

Ok... 5-10 years ago

[Aneres11]

I platinumed this earlier today. 

Overall, I was disappointed. 

Part of me thinks this could be down to actually going for the Platinum, as the grindy nature of what was required to get there was nothing short of a nightmare. 

The way I tackled the game was to do as much of the side stuff as possible, in between the odd story mission. Unfortunately, it meant the game ended up turning into nothing but a button masher, with the odd dodge thrown in for good measure. 

Web slinging was a lot of fun, but I'll be honest and say that when fast track became available, I was using that exclusively for most of my traversing rather than actually being Spidey. 

As I said though, I do think that is more down to my going for the trophies. Had I have just gone right through the story, it would have caused no where near as much fatigue. 

The story itself was my biggest disappointment though. It wasn't until the final third of it where I actually felt like I was Spider-Man. It was pretty thrilling with some of the boss fights and the story really turned on during the latter stages. 

Up until then it was as if I was playing one big side mission, with goons just coming for me again and again and me having to mash my way through them. 

It felt to me like the game was a hybrid of Batman's Arkham series and Sunset Overdrive. But if I'm honest, I felt like it wasn't as good as either of them. Particularly Batman (and I'm singling out Asylum more so when I say that) which it clearly took a lot of cues from when making the game. The scarecrow sections in Asylum were certainly studied at length... 

I found it odd that you were put in control of other characters for some parts of the game too. It struck me like they ran out of ideas and wanted to flesh the story out in some way and this is what they came up with. Strange. 

Overall I liked the game, but I was majorly fatigued by what was necessary to achieve the platinum. Even without going for that though I felt it could have been so much more. 

[Ronnie]

Achievements in games are weird. On the one hand I really want Nintendo to implement them on Switch but on the other I definitely think they can lower people's enjoyment of a game, like you just experienced @Aneres11. I know they've made me sick of a game when chasing a Platinum, especially since on PS4 trophies mean pretty much nothing but a tick on a list. 

Take Zelda, I put 120 hours into pre-DLC BOTW, I left it on an amazing high note and had my fill. I did pretty much everything except for the Korok seeds and upgrading every piece of armour. Had they offered a Platinum like achievement for doing that I would have felt compelled to do them, for no good reason really and it would have definitely made my last few hours with the game a chore. I can certainly see why Nintendo don't do system-level achievements.

(but ask me on another day and I'll wish they did)

As for Spider-Man, I'm enjoying the missions, it's just the openworld that I find pretty boring.  It was pretty sad when I got to my fifth tower and realised oh, twirling the analog sticks for a couple of seconds is all I'm going to have to do for all of them... 

[bob]

If I look at the list of trophies and the Platinum requires you to complete the game more than once, it can fuck right off. I don't understand why anyone would complete a game and then want to instantly start again from the beginning. If I see that multiple playthroughs are a necessity, then I'm less inclined to bother with any of the other trophies, since I know that the platinum isn't attainable anyway.

[somme]

You can turn off notifications for any trophies achieved and at no point are you forced to look at the trophy list. They're optional extras. If they hamper your enjoyment turn them off.

[Ronnie]

Not as simple as saying just turn them off. @Aneres11 obviously wanted to go for the Platinum, he just found his enjoyment of the game suffered because of it.

[Aneres11]

Didn't mean to turn this into a trophy discussion it was more me saying my enjoyment of the game was hampered by them but it's my choice at the end of the day so I got what I deserved :D. 

But trophies aside, I still found the game to be a disappointment. There was too much in the way of mindless button mashing combo and story filler by putting you in control of other characters. Just how I felt once I'd finished it. 

In direct comparison to Arkham Asylum which is what, nearly 10 years old now(?) this game was just not as good to me. I replayed Asylum earlier this year and found that it still holds up incredibly well and felt like there were no compromises at all to the gameplay even by collecting achievements. I didn't feel like that was the case in this game with far too much filler style gameplay which affected my enjoyment. 

Edited September 17, 2018 by Aneres11

[Sheikah]

If I look at the list of trophies and the Platinum requires you to complete the game more than once, it can fuck right off. I don't understand why anyone would complete a game and then want to instantly start again from the beginning. If I see that multiple playthroughs are a necessity, then I'm less inclined to bother with any of the other trophies, since I know that the platinum isn't attainable anyway.

Yup, anything like completing it again on a hard/extreme difficulty or repeat the game making the opposite choices sucks. I can usually determine whether it will be fun to go for a platinum or not so I never feel like I'm compelled to get them. I'm happier they're there overall.