Spider-Mans second slice of DLC features a new supervillain and a gang war, but is that enough to keep you interested?
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A quick word of warning: if youve yet to finish Marvels Spider-Man or complete The Heist then you may want to skip this review to avoid any potential spoilers. Insomniacs trio of post-launch expansions, collectively dubbed The City That Never Sleeps, tells a three-part story taking place after the events of the main game.
If the name wasnt an immediate giveaway, Turf Wars is centred around the gang-on-gang conflict that continues to engulf New York. With The Kingpin still behind bars, the citys most prominent crime bosses have rushed in to take over, resulting in a bloody land grab.
Chief among them is Hammerhead who, despite being revealed just seconds into The Heists intro, only made an appearance at the very end, after a drawn-out game of Black Cat and mouse. By double-crossing the Maggia mob boss, Spideys former love interest places herself in Hammerheads crosshairs – her whereabouts unknown after getting caught in an explosion.
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While not as interesting as some of the webslingers more exotic, spandex-clad villains, Hammerhead still has somewhat of a legacy. First appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man #113 in 1972, his only real superpower is having a massive, metal plated forehead, using his criminal connections to become one of New Yorks most feared mobsters.
Its fascinating to see how Insomniac Games interprets characters from the Spider-Man universe, many of them more than half a century old. No doubt saving some of Spideys arch enemies for an upcoming sequel, Hammerhead serves as a decent stand-in. Being the leader of a crime organisation also means he has plenty of goons working for him, justifying the number of gangsters now littering the streets of Manhattan.
Where The Heist took some time to get going Turf Wars drops you right in at the deep end: a police raid on the Harlem Sanitorium. With New Yorks gangs at each others throats, Spider-Man and Yuri attempt to corner Hammerhead but their plan soon goes awry. The way this opening mission plays out is actually pretty dark, leading to some interesting character developments and possibly foreshadowing events to come.
Just like The Heist, Turf Wars exists in its own isolated version of Manhattan, accessed via the games DLC menu. Youll still be able to hunt for collectibles but activities such as crimes, hideouts, and challenges have all been swapped out. Instead, youll be thwarting Hammerhead thugs and getting caught up in Screwballs latest social media stunts.
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If youve picked up the season pass expecting new moves and gadgets to spice up combat encounters, youll be left sorely disappointed. Considering the modest size and scope of the first two episodes (both clocking in at two to three hours each) its hardly a shock, though anyone whos already spent dozens of hours swinging and brawling their way through The Big Apple may be tired of that same old routine by now. That said, theres a little bit of variety to be had since Hammerheads cronies have got their hands on leftover Sable tech, resulting in a new enemy type who wields a deadly shield and jetpack combo.
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Turf Wars makes good on continuing to flesh out Spider-Mans story. Take your time playing through those extra side missions and youll be treated to more dialogue from Mary Jane and Miles, as well as the ongoing ramblings of J. Jonah Jameson. There are hints as to where a potential sequel might go, as well as certain references to the wider Marvel universe with a couple of gags targeted at comic fans.
Given how short each episode is well only be giving a score to The City That Never Sleeps in its entirety, but if youve already played The Heist youll easily be able to imagine how Turf Wars plays out. In fact, if youve played any story DLC from the last few years it follows a very familiar path of artificially extending the running time of the parent game with the bare minimum of new features and enemies. But more of the same is exactly what some people want from Marvels Spider-Man and itll still be interesting to see how things end with the final DLC next month.
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Formats: PlayStation 4
Price: £6.49 (£15.99 for season pass)
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Developer: Insomniac Games Release
Date: 20th November 2018
Age Rating: 16
By Jim Hargreaves
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