The Weekend Hangover - Marvel's Spider-Man

The Weekend Hangover is Too Much Gaming's Monday rumination of the games or game we played over the weekend. Sometimes there is alcohol involved in the hangover we’re nursing, but most other times there’s just too much gaming.

A day before 2019 hit, I found myself curious. My nephew was given a copy of the PS4 exclusive Spider-Man and he loved every minute of playing a veteran Peter Parker -  swinging around New York City and stopping crime as the famous web-slinger. It took him three days to complete the main story and is fully invested as he purchased the “City Never Sleeps” DLC content to further continue the joy of playing as Spider-Man. He then goes out of town with his family and entrusts me with the game. On the 31st of December, I gave the game a shot. Before I knew it, I was 70% complete.

I couldn’t stop playing. The fluid motion of moving from one point to the next as Spider-Man is something I can do for hours on end. The swinging felt like its own game - finding the most efficient and quickest way to reach the objective. Insomniac Games’ take in Spider-Man’s movement enticed the completionist in me to collect and do all the side activities available in each section of the city. Even simply collecting Peter’s old backpacks scattered across the city is more of a treat than a chore thanks to how great it feels hoping from one building to the next. 12 hours in, and many Spider-Man suit unlocks later, how you explore the map still hasn’t lost its magic. It actually gets better once you are given more options to maintain your momentum.

Then, we have the combat - Spider-Man going against more than 10 enemies at a time, but can handle the group with ease. With the various gadgets available, I was able to experiment different ways to handle each enemy. It can be challenging at times, and building your combo as high as possible while never getting hit has become a personal goal of mine. The combat is nothing groundbreaking but was addicting to the point that I enjoyed hunting for enemy bases to seize, an activity that has waves of enemies coming at you.

I didn’t expect that I would spend my last day in 2018 plowing through Spider-Man as if someone was chasing me. I was enjoying my time as spidey that I couldn’t let go. The main story was captivating. Main missions felt like an episode of one of your favorite TV shows, with cliffhangers at the end of each episode, giving you the urge to go to the next episode, and then the next. The game had a firm grip on me, something I’ve never felt since my first month in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

All I wanted to do that day was spend as much time as I can on one of the best action adventure games that’s based off a Marvel property. I wouldn’t go that far as putting it as a solid candidate for Game of the Year, but it’s definitely one of those PS4 exclusives that deserve your time. There won’t be any regrets once you start up Spider-Man for the first time. Or maybe just one -  wishing that you played this gem sooner, like me.

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