Available only on PS4.
1 player
Now that Marvel has recovered the film rights to the spider in tights, the American comics publisher is also offering a foray into the world of video games.
“With great power comes great responsibility”. Peter Parker/Spider-Man’s creed carries great meaning as he lands on PlayStation 4, since his latest console adaptations have not really convinced. Today, this version looks set to make up for it. Here, there is no teenage hero. The spider-man is 23 years old and has already been fighting crime for 8 years when you take control of him. This allows the developers to offer us an interesting and mature story. The Spider-Man character is very well written, leaving plenty of room for absurdities and light comments. The other characters, allies and enemies alike, are not left behind and the dialogue often proves delightful. Christos Gage and Dan Slott, regular writers of the comic, have in fact joined the development team to add credibility.
New-Yooork
The second main character is New York. Woody Allen has nothing to do with it, but the city is teeming with life (avenues packed with pedestrians and traffic). The map is quite simply huge. This brings us to the first point that will be of particular interest to parents: it is an “open world”, which means you can wander freely, swinging from building to building, but also that there is always something to do or explore. This aspect, although exciting, also makes it harder for the player to know when to stop. If you need to help your young person keep to a limit, remember to ask whether they are following the storyline (easier to mark out) or exploring the city. This will also help you better judge how to set a limit.
A large part of the game lies in fighting all the thugs the local underworld has to offer. It is this last aspect that earns this Spider-Man its “PEGI 16” rating. This violence is on a par with the intensity of the latest Marvel films. Managing to chain blows together (a technique known as a “combo”) requires a good sense of rhythm and skill.
Weaving connections
Marvel’s Spider-Man is already a commercial success (best game launch in the United Kingdom in its first week), so it is very likely that your children have heard of it. A large promotional campaign also accompanied its release. If you are considering buying it, the following themes can serve as a basis for discussion:
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The importance of the story in an “open world” that can be explored at will (following a storyline or rummaging around on your own)?
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In this kind of universe, where there is always something to discover, how should the player decide that it is time to stop playing?
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The passage from one medium to another, comics, cartoons, film and video games: who influences whom?
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How is violence expressed in these different media?
In short, Spider-Man does not especially innovate, but performs its part brilliantly.
To discover the game and its content by watching other players, follow this link: http://urlz.fr/7JkA
niels.weber@semperludo.com
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