Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Insomniac Games had me teary-eyed with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. It may be a run-of-the-mill superhero story about great power and great responsibility, but layered on top of that is a much deeper narrative about change, jealousy, regret, and vengeance. As a New York transplant, it was cool swinging around a videogame interpretation of my neighborhood. I saw my street, the bodega I go to for cigs, my fave bridge (Hell Gate), and more sights I recognized, which was exciting considering Queens is so rarely depicted in New York-based games.

Aside from the familiarity, what really gripped me about Spider-Man 2 was the intimate moments you get with its characters through their side quests. There was one about a grandpa contemplating his life and his deceased love, another teaching Peter Parker how to be an assertive New Yorker (pointers I can use IRL), and yet another abouta homeless man who dishes on his life’s downward spiral before its inevitable end. These vignettes were what shook me most about Spider-Man 2 because the writing was so emotionally sharp. Side quests in games frequently feel like ways to pad out the runtime, but Insomniac Games handles them with grace and verve—so much so that these optional objectives were more memorable than the game’s final moments.

Read More: Spider-Man 2: The Kotaku Review