Review for Marvel's Spider-Man: Remastered. Game for PlayStation 5, the video game was released on 12/11/2020
Version for PlayStation 5 from 19/11/2020
Often when you go on a trip, the first thing you think about when you get home is “I would do it again”. Of course, our desire to return also depends on our experiences but we assume that it was very positive, on the other hand, how could you not enjoy throwing cobwebs around the skyscrapers of New York, letting yourself be lulled by the sparkling air and then walking on the huge windows on which does it reflect the Big Apple? Without forgetting to punch the bad guys, of course.
Well yes, after about two years we retraced Insomniac Games' journey in New York, thanks to the arrival of Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered taking on the role of Peter Parker again, even if this time something has changed: while mom Sony has made the generational leap, with the arrival of PlayStation 5, our boy from Queens seems to be rejuvenated instead!
New New York
Probably those who have already stripped the original title on PlayStation 4 will not have as a priority the return of Peter to next-gen (which has now become current-gen, practically) but the arrival of this remastered is a great opportunity for those who still have to recover one of the best titles of the past year, one of the Sony exclusives that we have warmly recommended to you back in the day, regardless of whether you are a fan of the Spider or not. Narratively speaking there was obviously no news, the debut adventure of the Peter of Insomniac Games has remained as we know it.
Peter Parker and Spider-Man are two sides of the same coin or, better yet, they are perfectly fused together because Spider-Man is just like Peter in real life and vice versa. Insomniac manages to bring back the core of the original character very well, without distorting it, but proposing him and all the other supporting actors in a new version of themselves, without betraying himself. The moment you grab the pad and launch Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered, it starts 8 years after the fateful bite of the radioactive spider that radically changed Peter's life.
The latter therefore has long been accustomed to dressing up his costume and patrolling Manhattan swinging around its imposing skyscrapers and important buildings. The test to which it is subjected, however, is greater than it actually appears: the chain of events that the Kingpin arrest kicks off leads the title to be literally played almost in one breath.
There will obviously be moments that aren't exactly heart-pounding, like the sections where you take control of Mary Jane, the inevitable historical red flame of Peter: these portions of the game, although useful for the purposes of the overall understanding of the plot, perhaps break a little too much the much more lively rhythm to which the narration travels when we are in the role of Spider-Man. However, this does not mean that the narrative structure is still very valid, like an original Tessiragnatele story arc: full of twists, action and, why not, there is also room for love!
Here we go, back again!
Speaking instead of playability, even here Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered does not bring with it substantial changes compared to the original title (rightly, we add, since it is a remastered). Tasty news though are the three new costumes, which will also be available in the future for the PlayStation 4 version. Let's talk about Arachnid Rider, Armored Advanced Suit and a third costume that echoes the features of what Andrew Garfield wore in The Amazing Spider-Man.
The first of the three is visibly inspired by Kamen Rider, easy to guess from the name but also from the appearance. The second, on the other hand, is more like a mixture of Iron Man's armor, the Mark 38, and the costume that Spidey wears when he is adopted by the Future Foundation. For the third we don't think there is a need for introductions. Logically, each of them will give Peter a special ability, peculiar to the costume.
As most people already know, Marvel's Spider-Man's combat system is based on the well-proven Batman Arkham series. Insomniac has managed to adapt the basics of the Dark Knight's combat system making them fluid for the Webweave as well, although it moves more easily than Batman. The only flaw lies in the fact that the camera feels the hit in tight spaces, making it difficult to try to manage Spider-Man's movements wisely. The clashes will however be very varied, both during the main and secondary missions, thanks to both the different types of enemies and the numerous gadgets that Peter has armed himself with. On the other hand, nothing to complain about the swinging system, that is the vaulting between the skyscrapers of NY: going around the city, between acrobatics and breathtaking landscapes, is one of the highlights of this title. Wandering among the buildings of Manhattan, rebuilt by Insomniac, has never been so beautiful.
As for the growth and development of skills, do not expect an avalanche of customizations in the style of Assassin's Creed Valhalla: in terms of number we are more on one lower but not unsatisfactory amount of skill. The skills are divided into three different branches, each with its own peculiarities, and to these must be added the perks derived from the costumes. These two sources in themselves guarantee a good variety of customization and adaptation to our style of play.
Spider-Man Re-Mastered vs Enemies Re-turn
We now come to the central point of this review, which is how Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered runs on PS5. Graphically speaking, Insomniac Games has applied all the innovations introduced already Spider-Man Miles Morales. On the one hand we can enjoy the much discussed Ray Tracing at a resolution of 4K and 30 FPS, on the other hand we can admire the fun gameplay of the game at a fluidity of 60 FPS. We strongly recommend the latter, also because certainly graphically ray tracing has a nice visual impact, but it lacks the aesthetic and artistic care that New York has received in the adventure of Miles Morales.
Here too, the PS5's DualSense will be partly exploited to return haptic feedback to the player during exploration sessions with cobwebs or during fights with the various ugly thugs that will be encountered in the game. Nothing transcendental, but in some moments it can give pleasure and a greater sense of identification.
Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered is unquestionably a title recommended for those who have to approach the series for the first time, ergo by purchasing the Deluxe Edition of Miles Morales, you will find the perfect Starter Pack to then prepare for the arrival of Spider-Man 2. For everyone the others, it could be the excuse to complete it 100% if you haven't done so yet, otherwise we recommend going directly to Miles Morales, to enjoy the derived features of PS5, also because the city of New York is always the same and the system of fighting as well, it would be a bit redundant. This does not mean that the intrinsic quality of the remaster is not there, on the contrary, but we are still talking about a title of just two years ago and whose purchase is, incomprehensibly, linked to the Deluxe edition of Miles Morales, other ways to obtain it do not exist. .
► Marvel's Spider-Man: Remastered is an Adventure-scrolling Beat 'em up game published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 5, the video game was released on 12/11/2020
Version for PlayStation 5 from 19/11/2020
