Expect a lot from the next major Sony exclusive: a memorable story, cutting-edge graphics, amazing acting, and multiple nominations for Game of the Year in December. It just so happened that all the latest releases for the PlayStation 4 attracted attention with a high level of quality and replenished the list of games for which it is worth buying a console.
Against the background of Horizon Zero Dawn with its dinosaur robots, God of War with outstanding direction and Marvel’s Spider Man with a sense of complete freedom in the big city, Days Gone looked like a black sheep. Again a zombie apocalypse (although there are not zombies here, but infected ones, but not the essence), again a dull bearded man in the lead role, again an open world – everything seemed somehow boring, gray and banal.
They tried
This is partly what happened – Days Gone really does not bring almost anything new to the genre, and some of its elements literally scream that Sony Bend does not have enough experience to create a large-scale game in the open world. When traveling through the Pacific Northwest of the United States, you constantly encounter problems that you least expect from an exclusive. Bugs, clumsy storytelling, monotony, poor optimization on the base PS4 – the authors could not avoid this.
At the same time, for some reason, I want to return to Days Gone – it’s interesting to see why such a large-scale work was done and whether the game can surprise with something. He has already managed to hide a bunch of supervillains in prison, and soon he will also rid the city of Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk. But you yourself understand that the final credits will not go right away, and problems will still fall on our heads.
Insomniac Games followed the same path as Telltale with the Batman series – the key events and iconic characters for the Spider stories are in place, but something has been rethought. In the first half hour, we learn that Peter works as a scientific assistant for Otto Octavius and, moreover, they are almost like father and son. However, some things remain unchanged in any universe: money problems, a difficult relationship with Mary Jane Watson, and the burden of responsibility on the shoulders of Parker.
The game tells the story of not only a superhero, but also an ordinary person with everyday problems. Of course, the second is not given such a big role as the battles with the villains, but simple emotions are at the center of the story. The writers are not trying to put Spider in a bad light, but they constantly make you think: yes, he saved everyone, but maybe if Peter didn’t get his powers, you wouldn’t have to save anyone?
Insomniac has perfectly captured what makes Spider-Man such an interesting character, and accurately reproduced it in the game. Despite his many years of experience, he has doubts and is not ready to exchange even one life for a hundred. But these are not gatherings for the sake of gatherings – here they tried to write them into history. Most of all, you will have to chase after the old stash backpacks that Peter hung around the city during his studies. Each find completes the picture of our hero’s past. Those familiar with the Spider-Man comics will find dozens if not hundreds of references to the hero’s various adventures in the game.
I want to chase old things just for the sake of once again flying on the web over the streets of Manhattan. We have at our disposal several districts with corresponding attractions, both real ones, like the well-known Central Park, and purely Marvel ones – the Avengers Tower and Doctor Stranger’s Sanctum Santorum building.
Feel like a hero
Insomniac Games succeeded in the main thing – to convey what it means to be Spider-Man. At one time, Beenox managed to make exciting flights on the web, but the new game is head and shoulders above all previous Spider projects. Rushing between skyscrapers, flying like a stone down to literally pull yourself up on a web a meter before the asphalt and fly through traffic on a busy highway, jump from wall to wall, making beautiful somersaults along the way – Marvel’s Spider-Man gives unforgettable emotions.
The open world is stereotyped, with a standard set of secondary activities: crimes, tests for agility and speed, bandit bases.
The combat system at first glance is simple, but it is fraught with many possibilities.
We have a whole range of gadgets at our disposal, from electric charges to a personal defender drone. Toss a bunch of bandits into the air with a gravity inverter and then throw a cupboard at them?
The fights are especially fun on high difficulty, when Peter can be laid on the shoulder blades quite quickly, and therefore you have to act at the maximum of your abilities. Watching with what grace the hero does all the acrobatic somersaults is a real pleasure.
For the sake of battles, you can also endure the boring setting of additional tasks. It can be seen that they were given a minimum of attention and, probably, they were already sculpted at the end, “for surrender”. But they once again make you feel incredibly dexterous and strong. If you want to buy all the costumes and pump every gadget to the maximum, you will have to clear all areas of Manhattan. Believe me, completing Taskmaster’s tasks perfectly (who became the Brigadier in the Russian version) is a real challenge. But you want clothes in the style of the cult animated series of 94?
Contrary to some fan theories, Spider’s new canonical costume doesn’t make much sense. In general, you can choose from a dozen options – the wardrobe will please all fans of the character. There are even such exotic options as Ghost Spider or Spider Punk.
