Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered is available on Steam, and as promised, it looks beautiful. Both the rereleased and original Spider-Man follow a seasoned Peter Parker in a reimagined version of Marvel’s iconic universe. The game was lauded upon release due to its fluid, satisfying mechanics and great graphics. Spider-Man takes place in an astounding representation of New York City, where Peter balances his superhero career with his job at Otto Octavius’ research lab.
Developer Insomniac Games has already confirmed Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is coming, and Spider-Man Remastered‘s stunning version of New York bodes well for the future project. From reflections in the city’s many skyscrapers to the civilians and cars roaming the streets, every aspect of NYC has been improved. Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered‘s new PC-only features are mostly graphics and performance improvements meant to optimize the game for powerful computers. Its ray-traced reflections, DLAA, and many customizable graphic quality levels make an immense difference on the right PC.
Web-swinging through a dynamic cityscape is possibly the greatest joy of being Spider-Man, and it’s that freedom that made the original Marvel’s Spider-Man so successfully immersive. The story is fun, especially considering Insomniac’s unique take on the universe, and the villain lineup is fairly strong, but the ability to smoothly and acrobatically traverse NYC is a key aspect that many previous Spidey games have struggled with. Spider-Man Remastered nails the experience even more than the original version, and though its lack of new content is a bit disappointing, its quality proves that Insomniac is still hard at work.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Will Have A Beautiful New York City
The coming sequel is still shrouded in mystery, though Insomniac did tease the Venom Symbiote for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. The company has not shown off much of New York (though the teaser does look great) and there’s no footage of web-swinging, so it is not clear how the new game will look during actual gameplay. That said, Insomniac still has months before it must wrap up development for its vague 2023 release date, and it clearly knows how to capitalize on its established strengths.
If Spider-Man 2‘s New York City looks even a little better than Spider-Man Remastered‘s, then it will already have triumphed over its predecessor. The visual aspect and setting are defining features of the original game’s success, and they frequently draw attention away from its more middling qualities. As long as Insomniac improves mechanics and continues to provide excellent web-swinging physics, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered‘s gorgeous NYC map suggests that the sequel’s will be even better.
