Swinging Into PC: Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered Review – A Web-Slinging Treat, But Not Without Its Snags
The arrival of Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered on PC is a monumental occasion for gamers who haven’t been able to experience the acclaimed title due to platform limitations. Sony’s decision to bring its exclusive titles to PC has undoubtedly expanded its reach, but the question remains: does this much-anticipated port live up to the hype? Having played the game extensively, I can confidently say that Spider-Man Remastered on PC is a thrilling experience, but not without its fair share of technical hiccups.
Controls: Webbing With Ease (Mostly)
Insomniac Games has delivered smooth, intuitive keyboard and mouse controls for Spider-Man Remastered on PC, allowing players to tailor the button mapping to their preference. While the default layout is largely intuitive, the dodge button’s placement on the left control key might take some getting used to. In intense combat situations, I often found myself pressing the "Windows" key instead of dodging, leading to an annoying mid-battle distraction. Thankfully, button remapping is readily available.
For those who prefer the familiar feel of a gamepad, Spider-Man Remastered boasts full gamepad support including haptic feedback on the PS5 DualSense controller, eliminating the need for external software. This is great news for those seeking a more immersive experience with a gamepad, though I was unable to test this feature personally. However, my testing with a Logitech controller proved equally satisfying, with precise response times and an overall comfortable playing experience. Ultimately, I found the controller experience to be superior to keyboard and mouse, particularly for an action-adventure title like Spider-Man Remastered.
Graphics: A Visual Feast (With Some Bloating)
The heart of Spider-Man Remastered on PC lies in its stunning visuals. The game boasts a delightful array of graphical options that weren’t available on PS4 or PS5, allowing players to customize their experience to their liking. Immediately upon launching the game, you’re presented with a pop-out window that lets you adjust settings like V-sync, window mode, and motion blur – offering a level of customization usually found in titles like Square Enix games.
The visuals in Spider-Man Remastered are nothing short of spectacular. Highly detailed textures, impressive lighting effects, and meticulous character models bring the iconic superhero and his world to life with a vibrant, captivating quality. Even on the lowest settings, character models retain their detail, although the impact of the graphics settings is undeniable.
Five preset graphics options – Very Low, Low, Medium, High, and Very High – let you tailor the visual experience to your hardware. Starting with the lowest, the game opts for a minimalist approach, excluding elements like lens flare, chromatic aberration, and vignettes that add a cinematic touch. While these settings introduce noticeable compromise, particularly in the textures of objects like glass and debris, the character models still hold up remarkably well.
Each preset level gradually enhances the visual experience, adding greater detail and complexity to the game’s environment. Unlocking bloom at the Low level brings a natural glow effect, while screen space reflections at the Medium level add depth and immersion. The Medium preset is especially impressive, offering highly detailed textures and a noticeable improvement in facial features.
As you climb the preset ladder, the visual fidelity grows exponentially. The High preset is a visual marvel, offering richly detailed textures, realistic lighting, and stunning weather effects. The Very High preset, while visually impressive, offers minimal improvement over the High preset, leading some to question its value.
One notable benefit to Spider-Man Remastered on PC is the ability to adjust graphics settings without needing a restart, a feature that significantly enhances the player experience. However, the lack of a VRAM usage indicator in the settings menu can be frustrating, forcing players to rely on external resources to understand the potential impact of various settings on their system performance.
Performance: A Web of Strengths and Weaknesses
Spider-Man Remastered isn’t just about stunning graphics; it’s about delivering a smooth, captivating gameplay experience. In that regard, the game does deliver a respectable performance, but not without its limitations. Testing the game on a budget build revealed a range of performance outcomes, highlighting the importance of understanding your system’s capabilities and managing your expectations.
My testing rig, featuring a 3.6GHz AMD Ryzen 5 2400G processor, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super GPU with 6GB VRAM, 16GB RAM, a full-HD monitor, and a 256GB SSD showcased significant variation in frame rate depending on the selected graphic settings and game areas. While the game ran smoothly on the lower presets, especially with the installation on an SSD, pushing the graphics to their limits resulted in performance dips and stuttering.
The lower presets delivered impressive frame rates, hovering around 105fps maximum with minimal dips during intense action sequences. However, as we ascended the preset ladder, the game struggled to maintain consistent performance, especially in outdoor environments with heavy particle effects and dense crowds.
The Medium preset proved to be a good balance between visual quality and performance, delivering smooth gameplay with occasional dips in frame rate during particularly demanding scenes. The High preset resulted in noticeable frame rate drops, especially during swinging and combat, while the Very High preset struggled to maintain playable frame rates, averaging around 47fps with frequent dips to the 33fps region.
Overall, the performance of Spider-Man Remastered on PC is a mixed bag. While lower presets deliver acceptable performance on most systems, reaching the higher visual fidelity options pushes even moderately powerful computers beyond their limits. It’s essential to understand your hardware capabilities and set your expectations accordingly.
For those seeking the best balance of visual quality and performance, the Medium preset seems to be the sweet spot, while those willing to sacrifice some frame rate for the most impressive visuals can opt for the High preset.
Should You Swing Into Spider-Man Remastered on PC?
The arrival of Spider-Man Remastered on PC is a significant moment for fans of the title, allowing them to experience the game on their preferred platform and enjoy the benefits of enhanced graphics and customizable settings. While the game does offer a stunning visual experience, its performance can be inconsistent, and the demanding specifications for maximizing the visuals can be a hurdle for some.
However, if you have a reasonably powerful PC and are willing to adjust your graphic settings to achieve a balance between visual fidelity and performance, Spider-Man Remastered on PC is well worth experiencing. The engaging narrative, immersive gameplay, and intricate web-slinging mechanics make it a standout title that rivals even the best superhero games in recent years.
Ultimately, the decision to purchase Spider-Man Remastered on PC comes down to your personal preferences and hardware capabilities. If you’re seeking a graphically impressive and immersive experience with a budget-friendly setup, you may want to wait for potential optimizations or future updates. However, if you’re eager to experience one of the best superhero games in recent years on your PC and have the hardware to support its demanding requirements, Spider-Man Remastered is a web-slinging treat that you won’t want to miss.
Pros:
- Stunning visuals with a plethora of graphics options
- Intuitive keyboard and mouse controls with full gamepad support
- Immersive gameplay with fluid web-slinging mechanics
- Compelling story and engaging characters
Cons:
- Performance can be inconsistent, especially on higher graphic settings
- Demanding system requirements for maximum visual fidelity
- Lack of VRAM usage indicator in the settings menu
- Pricey compared to other recent PlayStation ports
