Spider-Man not only has a rich and dramatically staged story, but is also an open world full of collectibles and tasks, as is standard in modern games. — Marvel/Sony Interactive Entertainment/dpa
Guardians Of The Galaxy, Black Panther, Wonder Woman – good superhero movies abound. Good games based on the likes of the X-Men and the Avengers, on the other hand, are more rare – apart, perhaps, from the Batman series.
There's no shortage of attempts and many game developers have already tried to make a hit based on the Spider-Man film reboot. None have succeeded so far but the latest Spider-Man game from Sony may rise above. Although it's not free of weaknesses, it is great fun to play.
This is mainly because the developer, Insomniac Games, understands what makes superheroes so popular – and it's not just their superpowers and cool costumes. Spider-Man and his alter ego Peter Parker is a perennial favourite because alongside fighting super-villains he's dealing with the typical everyday problems of adolescents, be that a first love or an empty bank account.
This latest Spider-Man game is the first to give time to these seeming trivialities. There are still plenty of villains to be stopped and conspiracies to be uncovered but Peter Parker also has to work, visit his aunt and maintain his relationship with his childhood sweetheart Mary Jane. These all help to give the character a grounding.
The game has plenty of other strengths too. For example, Spider-Man's typical way of getting around by swinging between New York's skyscrapers. This is spectacular and dizzying and makes for hours of fun.
It's clear the developers have been inspired by the Batman games of the Arkham series, but Spider-Man never quite reaches their depth and sophistication. Nevertheless, it's entertaining when Spider-Man spins unsuspecting opponents into his nets or throws manhole covers and car doors at them.
There's also plenty of Manhattan to explore. Spider-Man not only has a rich and dramatically staged story, but is also an open world full of collectibles and tasks, as is standard in modern games. Spider-Man doesn't really do anything new but manages to combine its set-pieces in a creative way.
Even so, it's impossible for the game to maintain the same level of momentum throughout and inevitably some routine sneaks in. Still, you get plenty of exciting play for your money with around 20 hours of total playing time.
Spider-Man is available for the Playstation 4 and costs around US$60 (RM248). Adult themes such as death and terrorism feature in the story, but it never gets too dark and blood doesn't flow and so the age rating has been set at twelve years and older. – dpa
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