There have been several different developers that have tried to make a good Spider-Man video game. Few of them succeed but most do very poorly. However, Insomniac Games’ attempt at Marvel’s web slinging superhero does not disappoint.

In this entry into the Spider-Man franchise, the story follows the fallout of the arrest of crime kingpin, William Fisk. Fisk is sent to prison, but warns that he was the only person maintaining order in the city. True to his word, Fisk’s absence gives rise to a supernaturally-powered, demonic-mask-wearing gang called “The Demons,” whose leader, Mr. Negative, can corrupt people with the touch of a finger.

Controlling Spider-Man in this game is simply fantastic. In other games, traveling from place to place usually feels like a chore, but doing it as Spider-Man in this game is extremely fun. Swinging from building to building is super smooth and enjoyable. I found myself trying to time each swing at the right moment to try and go as fast as possible.

The combat in this game is exceptionally entertaining. Spider-Man has a collection of gadgets at his disposal to help him defeat his enemies. My favorite, however, was the impact web, which launches bad guys across the room. If they happen to hit a wall, the web attaches them to it and eliminates them from the fight.

The graphics in this game are phenomenal. The game really does a great job of recreating the feeling of actually being in New York City. It is amazing how Insomniac Games made a beautiful game that runs so well on some aging hardware. The game has no loading screens when the player is traversing the city. Even though the game is locked at 30 frames per second, it still feels great and only slows down a few times in some big fights.

My only problem with the game is how the upgrade system works. In order to do this, the player has to do side quests, which reward the player with certain tokens that allow the enhancement of Spider-Man’s suit and gadgets. At first, the side quests were a fun break from the main storyline, but after awhile it became tedious. It was basically doing the same thing over and over again just to get a lower cooldown or more uses on a gadget.

All in all, this game is incredible. It really captures the sense of actually being Spider-Man. The movement and combat in this game is marvelous and really satisfying. It has its flaws, but they are overshadowed by the great characters, storyline and gameplay. Sony has really proved themselves with their recent PlayStation Exclusives. I purchased this game for $60, which I normally don’t do, but I haven’t regretted it at all. It’s a fantastic game and should be a must-have for anyone that owns a PlayStation 4.