Spider-man 2023 video game đánh giá năm 2024

When Sony announced Marvel's Spider-Man 2 — arguably its biggest 2023 PlayStation 5 game — I breathed a massive apathetic sigh. I wasn't a fan of the 2018 prequel.

But now that I've spent more than 50 hours finishing Spider-Man 2's story of friendship, sacrifice and what it takes to be a Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man, maxed-out the streamlined combat system, collected every collectible, and even enjoyed a bit of forced sneaking as Mary-Jane Watson, I reckon I might've been wrong on this one.

Spider-Man 2 picks up after the events of the 2018 instalment, with mid-20s Peter Parker and late-teens Miles Morales teaming up to defend New York against threats both great and small.

A lot has been made of the ability to play as both Spider-Men, but this is Peter Parker's story through and through.

There are a lot of stories to keep track of, but developer Insomniac's decision to focus the main beats entirely on Peter makes all these threads easy to digest.

After years of treatment in "Europe" for the same disease that killed his mother, Peter's best mate Harry Osborn has reappeared better than ever thanks to a "miracle cure". Except it's less "Europe" and more a tank in a secret OsCorp lab, and that "miracle cure" is the alien Symbiote — a black sentient goo better known as Venom.

Unluckily for the reunited Nerd Kings of Queens, Kraven the Hunter has also decided to stage his final hunt in New York, kidnapping recently captured super villains like Scorpion, Vulture and Sand Man in hopes they can best him in combat.

Insomniac Games tells an extremely personal story.(Supplied: Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Meanwhile Miles is busy juggling college applications, friends, and the complicated feelings of revenge against his father's killer, Martin Li aka Mr Negative.

There are some absolutely incredible story moments that had me genuinely shocked (the moment when the alien symbiote bonds with Peter is a standout) and there's real character development that you don't usually see in modern action games.

But I just wish more time was spent with Miles. As much as I enjoyed the familiar complications of Peter and Mary-Jane's relationship or the impact of listening to that little voice of doubt we all deal with, it's in Miles' moments with Mr Negative or hanging out with his friends that Spider-Man 2 is at its best.

It's Miles' optimism and attachment to his neighbourhood that makes his character so effective. Miles's story focusses on local businesses in Harlem, his fellow students at Brooklyn Visions Academy, and helping his uncle, The Prowler, clean up some old hideouts now that he's gone straight. You see him grow into the responsibility of being Spider-Man, making decisions anchored on the simple fact that Miles knows where he's from.

Street artist Hailey Cooper features heavily in Miles' story, and it's great to see a deaf person represented so well in video games. I highly recommend seeking out all the side quests as there's one that uses vibration and sound design to put you into the world of a character more effectively than I've seen in other games.

The moment when the alien symbiote bonds with Peter is a stand-out of the game.(Supplied: Sony Interactive Entertainment)

There's not a lot of set up in Spider-Man 2 … Insomniac assumes you've played the previous games and drops players into a world that they're familiar with, using that freedom to tell an extremely personal story.

Spider-Man 2 is vivid, colourful and varied. The expanded map now includes Coney Island, Brooklyn and even Peter Parker's home in Queens.

With a bigger map also comes a new way of getting around — the wing suit. Yanked from the comics, Peter and Miles can now deploy a webbed glider at any moment, giving a new way to build momentum and explore New York at a frighteningly quick pace.

As if swinging wasn't satisfying enough, being able to build up a tonne of speed swinging down a street of skyscrapers to then launch into a glide that carries you high above the city feels so good.

Swinging has also been updated, feeling much faster than in Spider-Man 2018, which is crazy.

Action that happens as part of gameplay is cinematic and fast, with real weight to it. But, unfortunately, cutscenes feel basic with just locked off shot reverses of people talking. When you've just finished punching a bunch of hunters as the camera floats around, zooming in and slowing down to accentuate the action, it's really jarring to then cut to a mid-shot of a very clearly motion captured real-time punch.

Spider-Man 2 features a new expanded New York City map.(Supplied: Sony Interactive Entertainment)

For anyone dreading the return of slow, plodding MJ stealth sections, the good news is there are only a couple and she's way more capable this time around. MJ can now use a taser to take out enemies and being spotted won't instantly fail the level. There're also a few other playable characters that are great fun that I don't want to spoil.

Each Spider-Man has new skills that are unlocked as the story progresses, and each has their own skill tree to upgrade. There's also a shared skill tree for stuff like swinging, throws, and webbing but because of the two playable characters, it's hard to know which skills to unlock and when.

Punching baddies is almost exactly like in Spider-Man 2018 but now each hero can parry attacks or use their unique powers. As the story progresses, enemies with shields, attacks you can parry but can't dodge, and others that need to be weakened with certain attacks are introduced. This kept combat varied and interesting through the 50 or so hours it took me to reach 100 per cent.

Some of my favourite side missions revolved around unlocking hunter bases by completing smaller "blinds" — camouflaged mini bases on rooftops.

Peter and Miles can now deploy a webbed glider at any moment.(Supplied: Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Another standout was the Mysterio side missions — a series of malfunctioning VR experiences spread throughout the city.

And they're not just side missions for the sake of side missions. Each one has a self-contained story to tell and some great Easter eggs for hardcore fans. Collecting all the spider-bots, Spider-Man 2's version of backpacks, has an extremely cool ending that you absolutely should prioritise over anything else.

Spider-Man 2 is amazing, spectacular, sensational. It builds on the story and gameplay of 2018's Spider-Man to deliver a true, blockbuster experience. From swinging through Times Square to riding a bike through Queens, there's not a moment I didn't absolutely love what I was playing. To paraphrase the editor of the Daily Bugle: get me more games of Spider-Man.