Spider-Man PS4 Review: 6 Ups & 1 Down

Amazing, spectacular, sensational - did you expect anything less?

by Ewan Paterson
Spider Man Ps4
Sony/Marvel

After two years of teases, trailers and gameplay previews, Insomniac's Spider-Man game is finally here. It's really, really good - spectacular even - and though it isn't without its flaws, just as Batman: Arkham Asylum proved to be a momentous event in the superhero calendar nine years ago, so too has Spider-Man proven to be equally significant.

Everything about it is just this pure, wonderful, affecting love letter to everyone’s favourite friendly neighbourhood wall-crawler, and though it does have a few shortcomings, my lasting impression of Insomniac’s game is unequivocally positive. Every thwip, swing and moment is to be savoured, and for fans of Marvel Comics and Spider-Man specifically, this'll likely prove to be one of the generation's defining titles, providing Marvel with a reply to DC's pointy-eared gaming giant at just the right time.

It's impossible to talk about Insomniac's game without mentioning Arkham, but that need not be a hindrance. There are plenty of similarities between the two games, and as Insomniac's Spider-Man looks set to become just as iconic as Rocksteady's Dark Knight, it's clear that the House of Ideas' most relatable hero could yet provide a defining image of Sony's latest console - not just as one of the true greats of the superhero genre, but of the gaming medium too.

Advertisement
Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.