By: Thomas Horvath

For many Spider-Man fans, one of the most frequently debated topics is which Spider-Man movie is the best. Some say Spider-Man 2 or one of the Spider-Verse movies. Those are all valid opinions, of course. But I’m here to tell you that the best Spider-Man movie is not even a movie. The best Spider-Man “movie” comes from Marvel’s Spider-Man, originally released on the PlayStation 4. While not a movie in the traditional sense, the cutscenes in this game tell one of the best stories ever told with the web crawler. This article will explain why I believe this game tells one of Spidey’s best stories.

The game follows an adult Peter Parker, who is struggling to get by. The game brilliantly displays how the more Spider-Man accomplishes, the less Peter does in his own life. When Spidey is taking down one of his longtime foes, Peter is struggling to pay his rent. The Marvel Cinematic Universe(MCU) take on Spider-Man has been missing this aspect of the hero for all of his movies, although it looks like we might be seeing that in his upcoming films. Still, this Peter has no Tony Stark or Avengers to help him, so he is very down to earth and has real human struggles. Yuri Lowenthal delivers an unrivaled performance and  you that he is Spider-Man. 

The game gets the side characters as well. Mary Jane is depicted very differently, being more similar to Lois Lane than her comic version. Whatever your thoughts are on the personality change, her dynamic with Peter is very well done. They have a chemistry that makes them feel like longtime friends, and you get the feeling they care about each other. Peter’s relationship with Miles Morales is well done, with Miles seeing Peter like the older brother he never had. The standout relationship, however, is Peter’s relation to Otto Octavius, whom many know from other media as Dr. Octopus. The developers know that it’s common knowledge Doc-Ock is one of Spidey’s greatest foes, so they make you want to not see him become a villain. The version of this character is the most sympathetic version depicted and leads to some of the most emotional moments in Spider-Man history. 

To sum up, this game gets everything right. It’s not a world-ending threat like most superhero movies feel they need to have, but a grounded, personal story feels more appropriate for Spidey. This game’s campaign mode should be the blueprint for Spider-Man stories moving on. This article contained no spoilers because I believe if you even have the slightest interest in the character, you should play this game. And with the sequel coming out around the corner, now is the perfect time to embrace this world.