Marvel's Spider-Man: Silver Lining

Marvel’s Spider-Man is officially the fastest selling PlayStation first party exclusive in history. Like so many, I continue finding myself wanting more of this amazing game. Luckily right now you can get even more Spidey action with the Marvel’s Spider-Man: Silver Lining DLC.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Silver LiningMarvel’s Spider-Man: Silver Lining DLC Details

Platform: PlayStation 4
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre: Action-Adventure
Modes: Single-player
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

End of the road (for now)

Marvel’s Spider Man: Silver Lining DLC is the closing chapter in the three-part DLC story The City That Never Sleeps. You can also read my review of the first chapter The Heist” right here. Following that as well is my review of the middle chapter, Turf Wars”.

It’s possible that there still may be more DLC coming down the pipe, but for now Marvel’s Spider-Man: Silver Lining is the end of the line. It does a nice job of wrapping up the further adventures of Spider-Man in the fallout of the finale of the main game.

Make no mistake though, The City That Never Sleeps is not a meaningless add-on story wise. The events that take place have serious consequences for developer Insomniac’s Spider-verse. It’s still a must-play for anybody who loves the game and is looking forward to an inevitable sequel.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Silver Lining

Gimme back my bullets

The crux of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Silver Lining revolves around the return of Silver Sable. Things aren’t going well in her native Symkaria, and she needs all the ordnance she can get her hands on. She’s back for all that sweet loot she left behind after protecting the city under Mayor Osborn’s watch.

The issue is that someone else has their eyes on Sable’s gear as well. Remember that power vacuum that was created when the Kingpin was taken down? Hammerhead and his crew have their sights on it, and they mean to use Sable tech to ensure they get seize power.

What will our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man do in this precarious predicament? He and Silver Sable were formerly adversaries, but now Hammerhead and his appropriation of Sable tech is a shared problem for both. It seems as though one more famous Marvel Comics team-up story is in order!

Marvel's Spider-Man: Silver Lining

Big boss man

Without venturing too much into spoiler territory, I will say that the shining moment of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Silver Lining is its awesome boss fight. It’s probably one of the most enjoyable battles across the entire game and its three DLC chapters. This fight features a perfect balance of learning and using the skills players have already developed as web-slingers.

It’s almost a shame that this fight comes at the very end, almost as an epilogue to the entire experience. It’s a wonderful way to cap of this amazing story, but it also means that a number of players may never get to enjoy it. I truly hope that as many gamers as possible who love Marvel’s Spider-Man will pick up the season pass and take on this fantastic boss match.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Silver Lining

Into the Spider-Verse

By the way, have you had the chance to catch the amazing Into The Spider-Verse film? Unless you’ve been in hiding since late December, you’ve almost certainly heard the buzz surrounding this cinematic gem. 2018 certainly was a brilliant year for Spider-Man and his fans.

In that respect I’m very happy to note that one of the new Spidey-suits that comes along with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Silver Lining is none other than the “Into The Spider-Verse” suit. Now you can swing across New York in the same threads donned by the 616 Universe’s Spider-Man from the movie. Upon unlocking this outfit I immediately put it on for the remainder of my time with the game.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Silver Lining

One more swing around the city

As always, with each new chapter of DLC comes another round of side activities. There is a new side quest to finish, more crimes to stop, and of course another series of Screwball challenges to overcome. There are enough new events for at least an hour or two of extra play.

For anyone looking for a bit of variety in these activities, you won’t really find it here. There is a slightly different flavour to crimes and Screwball challenges, but overall they still take root in familiar mechanics and situations. If you were feeling burned out on side activities, these aren’t going to bring you back in—but for those who can’t get enough of Marvel’s Spider-Man’s gameplay, here’s another helping of comfort food.

The additional side quest isn’t so much a true quest as it is a supplemental story told through audio logs. If you like a bit of additional lore told through exploration and narrative, you’ll definitely enjoy this dalliance. If you’re the type to skip through expositional dialogue however, it may be forgettable.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Silver Lining

Screwballed again

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Silver Lining also sees an end to Screwball’s storyline, and thankfully I’d say it’s about time. Screwball is interesting and well-voiced, but her very nature is to be grating and unlikeable. It’s difficult to sustain a character this way when her personality transcends the experience of the protagonist and affects the actual player.

Ultimately her challenges are fun, if not once again repetitive. Thankfully earning full marks is not necessary in order to earn 100% completion and trophies for the game. In my opinion Screwball may have slightly outstayed her welcome, but at least a resolution to her storyline is ultimately reached here.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Silver Lining

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Silver Lining DLC is a satisfying conclusion to a great storyline

Although The City That never Sleeps lost some momentum with its middle chapter, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Silver Lining really stepped up and brought the conclusion home. The campaign story is entertaining and the combat is some of the best the game has to offer. In particular the final boss battle is a feather in the cap of the entire saga thus far.

The new side activities aren’t particularly enthralling, but they certainly offer another round of action that will satisfy the itch for those who can’t get enough familiar gameplay. They make a great excuse to jump back in and beat up a few more thugs in a new costume such as the Into The Spider-Verse suit.

All in all, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Silver Lining is a spectacular conclusion to a spectacular game.

+ Engaging story with a satisfying conclusion
+ Incredible boss fight
+ New suit inspired by Into The Spider-Verse

– Nothing innovative in side activities
– Three rounds of Screwball is more than enough

OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN: SILVER LINING DLC

Gameplay: 4.5/5
Graphics: 4.5/5
Sound: 4.5/5
Lasting Appeal/Replayability: 3.5/5

Overall Rating 4.3/5 (85%)

Get The City That Never Sleeps (digital download) for PlayStation 4

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Dave Neufeld
Dave is an avid gamer, a musician/songwriter/recording artist, and an ardent reader with a degree in the Classics but a love for comics too. When he's not gigging with the band or pulling books at his local comic shop, he can usually be found gaming on any platform, from consoles to PC to his self-built personal arcade cabinet.

1 COMMENT

  1. Thanks Dave, this Spiderman game and DLC almost makes me want to get a PS4. I am definitely interested in this game should that ever happen!

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