Spider-Man PS4 The Heist Review: 4 Ups And 3 Downs

Ups...

4. Black Cat Is Fantastic

Considering the narrative strength of the base Spider-Man title, it should come as no surprise to hear that the story behind The Heist is really quite exceptional. Central to it is of course Black Cat, voiced by Erica Lindbeck, who returns to New York under the pretence of working for Hammerhead.

All isn't as it seems though. Once Spidey gets involved, and Cat reveals that she has a son, things are taken to a whole other level entirely, with Insomniac's writing team marshalling the unspoken history between Peter and Felicia exceptionally well. There's a real chemistry between the pair, and it makes Black Cat's current-gen debut a thoroughly entertaining one.

First thing's first: Insomniac's redesign of Cat's outfit is long overdue, and provides a modernising uplift to yet another of Spider-Man's female leads. Hardy's characterisation is also handled remarkably well, with the added wrinkle of her having once gone straight before returning to her criminal ways adding some much needed internal conflict to her duplicitous - and flirtatious - personality.

The chemistry between her and Peter is just really fun to see play out on screen, and though the ending did sort of leave her in a precarious predicament, fans can expect the character to return as the DLC progresses - either in Turf Wars, or in Silver Lining.