It has been years since Insomniac Games' players are still finding fun new things to do with it. The success of the game was followed by the release of multiple DLCs, a remaster for the PS5, the announcement of a sequel, and, most recently, plans to release the game on PC.
However, despite the game's immense success and critical acclaim, there are some aspects of the game, good or bad, that gamers just can't seem to totally agree on. Those players have taken to Reddit to share those opinions even if most folks don't agree with them.
The Stealth Missions Were Actually Fun
Insomniac's Spider-Man features a number of stealth missions that have the player sneak through various bad-guy-filled environments as either MJ or Miles. This might sound fun on paper but most gamers sorely disagree, feeling that it takes the player away from the fun and freedom of being Spider-Man only to have them slog through a tedious linear mission.
However, some players are actually quite fond of these missions, such as Reddit u/Sparrowsabre7 who "found them quite fun" for "going to pure, basic mechanics" of classic stealth games. These missions aren't overly long either, so perhaps gamers are just being a tad dramatic.
Gwen Stacy Should Appear In The Sequel As Miles's Love Interest
Gwen Stacy is one of Peter's more prevalent love interests in Spider-Man lore with Gwen's death being a defining moment in Peter's life and, as such, fans are wondering where she might be in the Insomniac universe.
Whilst most fans believe Gwen might show up in the sequel as a potential love interest for Peter, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and looks to develop further in its sequels.
MJ's Character Is Well Written
While Peter and MJ's relationship provides a strong throughline in the game's narrative, some feel that MJ herself could have been written a little better. Through the course of the game, MJ is constantly putting herself in dangerous situations and gets frustrated with Peter for asking that she doesn't. Players feel that this is quite irrational for the character as she throws herself into superhero business despite having no powers or combat ability.
Redditor u/Sparrowsabre7 on Reddit, however, feels that her characterization makes sense as "she is a journalist and above all, human. She is flawed (and) a bit of an adrenaline junkie so she does insert herself into dangerous situations because she's driven by a desire to prove herself." Perhaps gamers forget that characters just wouldn't be as interesting if they always chose the most logical option.
The Amazing Spider Suit Looks Better Than The Webbed Suit
Fans of the Raimi Amazing Spider-Man movie with many believing the suit to be too busy-looking. However, a few hardcore ASM fans were still hoping for the suit's appearance and eventually got what they were waiting for in the game's PS5 remaster.
Even though most gamers still prefer the Webbed suit, Reddit u/BigPaleontologist520 believes that "the amazing suit looks better than the webbed suit in the game," perhaps due to the darker, realistic coloring of the Amazing suit relative to the Webbed suit. Ultimately, opinions on this matter may come down to whether the player is more of a Maguire or Garfield fan.
Screwball Is A Good Villain
Screwball is one of the many villains that feature in the game and has Spider-Man complete various challenges for her live stream whilst she narrates over the action. Although these challenges are fun, her cringe-inducing dialogue and grating voice has players dreading every annoying encounter with this supervillain.
However, Redditor u/Marlesden argues that "Screwball is a good villain and did exactly what she was created for. Yes she is so annoying and yes she is so cringe but that is exactly the point." They go on to argue that Spider-Man's similar feelings of annoyance help to immerse the player as they are "in the exact same mindset as spidey" whenever they're playing a Screwball mission. In this sense, she's a great addition to the game.
Miles Shouldn't Have Become Another Spider-Man
The end of Insomniac's first Spider-Man game saw Miles Morales get spider-powers of his own and has led to the character having his own smaller spin-off game. This spin-off, coupled with his appearance in Into The Spider-Verse, has made Miles an increasingly popular character. As such, he is set to appear once more alongside Peter in the next game, making it a tale of two Spider-Men.
Despite this, u/alienfrycook on Reddit argues that "Spider-Man is best when it's a story about Peter Parker, and balancing a second superhero with the same name completely undermines his character and creates a less focused, less interesting narrative." Perhaps the Redditor is being a little preemptive here, as gamers are yet to find out any major narrative details from the sequel.
Peter Has More Chemistry With Black Cat Than With MJ
Throughout the history of the character, Peter Parker has had a number of love interests but none seem more right for him than MJ. The same can be said in the game's narrative despite the appearance of Black Cat complicating matters.
Reddit u/NXS_Vertex, however, feels that "Felicia and Peter have far more chemistry than MJ and Peter" and "would honestly love to see a relationship with Peter and Felicia." It cannot be denied that their status as vigilantes with different moralities creates an interesting dynamic between the two. Perhaps this will be explored more in the game's sequel.
The Stark Suit Is Overrated
Insomniac's Spider-Man allows the player to pick from a whole wardrobe of looks from the character's history, including the Spider-Man: Homecoming) is generally a go-to for players since it's essentially the classic Spider-Man look with a modern aesthetic.
One particular Redditor disagrees with the appeal of the Stark suit though, believing that "the Stark suit is overrated and just doesn’t fit on an adult Spider-Man." This is an understandable take as the suit's segmented design was an intentional choice made to make Spider-Man look more childish and less experienced during his first MCU outing. This doesn't make as much sense for the more experienced Peter Parker seen in the game, however.
The Web-Swinging Is Too Basic
Much of the appeal of the game comes from its "excellent set of web-swinging mechanics" with IGN stating that "swinging around feels, quite simply, spectacular." The freedom and fluidity of the game's web-swinging truly became its standout feature with players finding themselves blown away by simply swinging around an open-world New York.
Conversely, Reddit u/Sharkary thinks that the game's "web-Swinging needs to be a bit more dynamic and complex," going on to explain that "there should be more of a skill gap" that allows for both basic and advanced web-swinging. While the game's web-swinging is fun, it's ridiculously easy to master so it's understandable why players would like to see a little skill required for a more rewarding experience.
The Boss Fights Are Terrible
Spider-Man features numerous of the character's rogues gallery appearing in epic, cinematic boss battles that drive the game's narrative forward. They're usually quite challenging and require the player to think on their feet in order to avoid powerful attacks and break through strong defenses.
In spite of this, some gamers feel that these boss battles are uninspired and repetitive with Redditor y/JohnnyJohnson298 expressing that "all the boss fights are just web the enemy, punch them a few times, maybe dodge an attack here and there, maybe throw an object at them instead of webbing them, repeat." Perhaps Insomniac has learned from this and players will see more varied and engaging boss battles in the sequel.