2023 has been a busy and a kind of innovative year in the gaming world. Many captivating games have been released in this year Baldur’s Gate 3, Dead Space, Alan Wake 2. But released late in the year, Marvel’s Spider man 2 is becoming a highlight. Game’s innovation, many reviews and comments are suggesting that it has a perfect potential to be the GAME OF THE YEAR. I have chosen these few noticeable things:
In my view, Spider man 2 can be a strong nominee for GOTY considering its outstanding photo mode, camera views, UH resolution and of course the storyline. The game goes ahead in a definite pattern with upcoming missions completely unique and offering new challenges. The action and plot makes the user’s experience richer.
With these formal things, Spider Man 2 has also made improvements including its narrative fusion, character depth and evolved gameplay dynamics. The focal point of Spider-Man 2’s enhancements lies in the seamless integration of narrative into gameplay. Unlike the initial game and the Miles Morales spin-off, where boss battles merely served as abrupt spikes in difficulty with captivating set-pieces, Spider-Man 2 elevates them to an integral part of the overarching story. In many games, one could easily bypass a boss battle, and the narrative would proceed unchanged—defeat the boss, and that’s the end. However, in confrontations with Martin Li, Scream, and even Peter himself, the narrative intricately intertwined with the battles, transforming them from mere gameplay challenges into narrative milestones that propel the story forward. And, of course, the introduction of Venom adds another layer to this dynamic.
The brilliance of the Venom narrative may have been somewhat overlooked in the aftermath. Expressing a desire for a standalone Venom game oversimplifies the situation. Throughout the entire game, two elements loom ominously—the impending eruption of Venom, poised to unleash chaos, and Kraven’s terminal illness, as he deliberately chooses to face adversaries who abstain from lethal force. Assuming the role of Venom humanises Harry’s transformation, placing players in a position of responsibility for Venom’s actions and providing Kraven with a fitting farewell.
Venom, however, is not the sole character players inhabit. Insomniac’s often underestimated storytelling prowess lies in seamlessly incorporating new characters into the intricate narrative webs that span decades. The emphasis placed on Hailey, coupled with the thoughtful and creative representation of her deafness, is executed with such finesse that the challenges faced by other studios in portraying disabilities and seamlessly integrating non-violent segments into action gameplay are momentarily forgotten. This stands in stark contrast to the original Spider-Man game, which struggled with awkward stealth sections but now presents Mary-Jane, the final playable protagonist, as a resilient and accomplished character.