2018’s Spider-Man PS4 changed superhero games forever, allowing fans to truly experience life as the wall-crawler in a simulation that felt extremely real. With the game’s remastered version finally becoming available on PC, here’s a list of reasons for you to pick it up and start playing, effective immediately.

The Web-swinging

Ever since the legendary Spider-Man 2, developers have fretted and struggled to perfect web-swinging in a Spider-Man game. Insomniac managed to crack the impossible formula, making web-swinging not only feel realistic but the most enjoyable part of the gameplay. The mechanics are fluid, as are Spidey’s aerial tricks, and even swinging around the city without doing any missions is a lot of fun. No wonder we never used the fast-travel feature.

The Open World

A part of the reason behind the joy of web-swinging is exploring the game’s massive open world, which is a recreation of both modern-day New York City, and NYC from Spider-Man comics and films. The attention to detail is what takes the cake, with the inclusion of prominent spots like the Avengers’ Tower, Wakanda Embassy and Sanctum Sanctorum adding to the trivia. Even without these tiny additions, the graphics are gorgeous, with few things matching the joy of swinging through the golden sunset as it falls on the Empire State Building.

The Storyline

No matter how great the game looks and feels, a poor story can make everything feel hollow. The beauty of Marvel’s Spider-Man is that the story was written by people who genuinely adore the character. The game is all heart, capturing the essence of everything Peter Parker, from juggling his normal life with his superhero alter ego, protecting his loved ones, struggling to pay rent and navigating a complicated relationship with MJ. The villains are also introduced organically and each of them has their own motivations. The game is one of the best homages to why Spider-Man is such a relatable character, because literally “anyone can wear the mask”.

The Combat

No superhero game is complete without great combat. Marvel’s Spider-Man manages to surpass the gold standard set by the Batman: Arkham series, and looks extremely cool while doing it. There are multiple different ways to approach every fight, from stealth to aerial webbing to straight up fist fights. Moreover, there are plenty of novel combos and comic-accurate gizmos to unlock as you progress through the game (the MCU Iron Spider suit comes with mechanical legs).

The Side Missions

The game particularly shines when it comes to the ‘friendly-neighbourhood’ part of being Spider-Man. While the analog mini-games do hold off the pacing, the other side missions are almost as fun as the central storyline, making you truly explore the game’s open world and feel like a superhero for the people. Among the tasks are collecting backpacks with Peter’s memorabilia (the game gives fun trivia with each of them), taking pictures of popular NYC landmarks, and unlocking the city’s satellites to get crime updates. As the side missions are integral in Spidey unlocking new skills, it never feels like a chore.

The Performances

All games rely on spectacle, but what isolates a good game from a great one is its performances. The voice acting is amazing across the board, and there are plenty of heartwarming and heartbreaking moments that make you connect with the characters on a deeper level. Their depth makes every cut-scene feel like an engaging film, and we never had the urge of skipping them. Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker and William Salyers as Otto Octavious stand out, delivering award-worthy portrayals.

The Suits

With a total of 28 suits, players are spoilt for choice when it comes to fighting crime with fashion. Insomniac has gone all-out, roping in popular suits from across Spider-Man films, comics and coming up with a few original ones. Moreover, each suit comes with its own special power, which once unlocked, can be paired with any other suit. In effect, this can translate into using the mechanical legs from the Iron Spider suit, with the suave design of Sam Raimi’s 2002 film suit!