'Marvel's Spider-Man: The Art of the Game' Makes for a Definitive Spider-Man Experience

09/22/2018 08:19 pm EDT

Nearly every stone in Marvel's Spider-Man, the PlayStation 4 video game, was unturned either through Insomniac Games' reveals or Marvel's most fervent Spider-Man fans pinpointing even the smallest of Easter eggs, but Titan Books' Marvel's Spider-Man: The Art of the Game is perhaps the most comprehensive way to answer any lingering questions about the game.

Filled with artwork that encompasses every stage of the game's story that rarely has a dull moment, the collaboration between Titan Books, Marvel, Insomniac Games, and author Paul Davies has spreads and details on just about every character and building that fills Marvel's Spider-Man's version of New York. Nearly 200 pages of glossy scenes from the game, unused character designs, and commentary from Marvel Games and Insomniac Games amount to a book that's just as informative as a traditional guidebook that players can follow along with or revisit after completing Marvel's Spider-Man.

From the perspective on someone who obtained 100-percent completion in Marvel's Spider-Man just days after it released, flipping through the pages of The Art of the Game isn't unlike replaying the game all over again, this time with every "what if?" answered along the way. The alternate character designs that Insomniac Games considered when designing everyone's appearances are perhaps one of the best examples of this with everyone from Peter Parker to Otto Octavius to the minor characters players encounter like thugs and Tombstone featured in spreads that show what could've been. Characters like Octavius, better known by his villainous alter ego of Doctor Octopus, have been portrayed in a variety of ways throughout games, comics, and Spider-Man movies. Marvel's Spider-Man settled on a heavyset scientist with a receding hairline and an air of desperation surrounding him, but that version of Parker's mentor was only reached after examining possibilities that ranged from "possibly too sinister to affable professor," according to the art book.

But while the characters are the parts of the game that shine most prominently in their actions and dialogue, it's the New York surroundings and inconspicuous details that bring the setting to life, and The Art of the Game doesn't omit those. Highlighted in the book are multiple spreads of New York signage and graffiti that permeates the city that led to small but frequent moments of realization that the game had a breathing environment and not just a playground for Spider-Man. Advertisements for J. Jonah Jameson's "Just the Facts" radio show, the Daily Bugle, and other Marvel locations are featured in several spreads of the art book to make sure you never miss another detail in your returning playthroughs of Marvel's Spider-Man.

Whether you're looking to continue your Marvel's Spider-Man experience with the accompanying art book or want a visual guide to direct you through the game's movie-quality story, Marvel's Spider-Man: The Art of the Game is one of the best ways to do so. With Insomniac Games' Spider-Man universe continuing with DLC and the clear setups for sequels, more art books of this caliber would be welcome counterparts to Insomniac Games' next takes on Spider-Man.

Marvel's Spider-Man: The Art of the Game is available now for $39.95 from Titan Books.

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