By this point, Spider-Man felt so complete that we jokingly asked the developers to just send it home with us. It has almost everything that anyone could have wanted from a Spider-Man title, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of it. Some aspects of the gameplay remind us of the classic Spider-Man 2for the Playstation 2, but refined to a much higher level. As excited as we are to finish playing through Spider-Man, the prospect of DLC and continuing missions is almost as enticing as the main game itself. Insomniac’s Spider-Man is so enjoyable that we don’t want to put it down any time soon. This is the comic book world that we want to live in, and it may be a real contender for video game of the year.

Ultimately, all the ingredients seem to be here for a superior Spider-Man experience. Playing through the first two hours of Marvel's Spider-Man reminded me of the first time I played Arkham Asylum or saw Guardians of the Galaxy in the cinema. These were deep, complex worlds I'd known for a long time on paper, and it feels exciting to see them opened up for new audiences and players. Spider-Man really seems to be having a moment right now, with new Marvel films coming up and Into the Spiderverse possibly going further into the wider multiverse lore than mainstream ever has before, it feels like Insomniac's take will be another possible entry point for new fans.

The world that is crafted by Insomniac Games is truly beautiful, a lushly rendered mashup of Marvel's version of New York and the fantastical sense of urgency and urban power the real-life eastern metropolis evokes. Equally stunning is the character rendering, hyper-realistic at times (pores can be seen on character's faces) and yet still maintaining that brightly colored, saturated comic book vitality. From Spidey's suits to villains' iconic uniforms to a sunset framing the jagged skyline of Manhattan as Parker looks down from the apex of Avengers Tower, the game has a warm, understated allure that draws the player in and beckons them to explore.

The bottom line is that, even this early, we’re confident in saying that Insomniac's made the best ever Spider-Man game here. It may well subscribe to every open world trope under the web-spinning sun, but when the end-product is this polished and consistent then that’s not such a bad thing. Frankly, you’ll already know whether you want this game, but we’re more than happy to confirm that it meets expectations with aplomb.

With fluid movement, freeflowing combat, and a massive New York playground to swing around in, Marvel's Spider-Man is looking to be one of the best games ever to feature everyone's favorite webhead.