Insomniac has one of the best games of the year with Spider-Man 2, Microsoft closes acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Steam publishes top 50 demos from Next Fest.
Sublime Spider-Man 2 delivers on promise of action and emotion
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a delight. This is the third game in Insomniac Games’ run with the character, and it perfectly walks the line between delivering an experience that is similar enough to previous games to be comfortable, but enough difference for it to feel fresh.
More importantly, Insomniac has given us the chance to play as two different protagonists, Peter Parker and Miles Morales, in a seamless blend of multiple storylines. Sometimes the story is distinct to one or the other and sometimes the story is something they share.
This is mirrored in how you manage the skills and abilities of the two Spideys. Some abilities are common, and some are unique to one or the other. It seems a simple way to organize things, but belies the complexity of the problem.
The core narratives woven together in Spider-Man 2 revolve around Kraven and Venom, which provides plenty of opportunity to bring in other villains from previous games, some of whom are on redemption arcs, a theme that is core to the Spider-Man story.
There are in jokes for those who are Spider-Man experts, and Insomniac also pulls in storylines from the first two games which featured Peter and Miles as sole protagonists. Trying to figure out where the plot points fit into the broader Spider-Man canon is, I decided, a fools errand. instead, I was content to let the game’s stories be their own thing.
This all works, even the quieter asides, because the narrative skill at Insomniac is so expert. They evoke incredible emotional highs and lows through the course of the game, and even with player’s being able to set some of the pace themselves, there remains a sense of perfect pacing.
Combat is quite similar to the previous games although your special moves are different. What’s different here are the team ups that become possible as you play through the game.
One of the things I most enjoyed about Insomniac’s first two Spider-Man games was the joy of navigating the cityscape, swinging and careening through the air. That becomes even more thrilling here with the addition of wing-suit components to the costume and wind tunnels through the corridors of the skyscrapers.
The map is twice as big, too, and includes Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. If you do choose to use the fast travel system – I’d rather fly, thanks – the power of the PS5 means that the loading time is nearly instant.
Not only does Insomniac know how to assemble mechanics to make a game fun to play, they understand what makes a Spider-Man story work. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is an incredible achievement. I highly recommend it.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 releases for PS5 on Friday, October 20. Rated teen.
Microsoft closes acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Nearly two years after it was negotiated, Microsoft owns Activision Blizzard, some 13 game development studios, and franchises including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush.
The question that my kids want to know is whether Xbox will bring back franchises that Activision has lying fallow, like Skylanders and Guitar Hero.
50 most popular games from Steam’s Next Fest
Every year, the Steam gaming platform encourages players to dive into demo versions of upcoming games with Next Fest. These demonstrations are an effective way for developers and publishers to give people a chance to try a game without the friction of having to pay for it.
Valve just published the list of the 50 most popular demos from this year’s Next Fest and it includes a range of genres, developers, and brands. Many demos are still available to play.
Here are some you might want to try out:
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