Highlights
- Marvel's Spider-Man established the condition of New York City and introduced criminal supervillains while exploring the separation of Peter and MJ.
- The game left some loose threads, such as Peter's perceived lack of interest in spider-related research within the Osborn penthouse and the expunging of Norman's crimes.
- The research labs in the game provided insight into Harry's character, showcasing his brilliance, environmental consciousness, and complicated relationship with his father.
Marvel’s Spider-Man had the unenviable responsibility of hoisting an entire IP’s world-building and lore on its back until Miles Morales followed shortly after. Like any initial entry in any franchise, Marvel’s Spider-Man needed to establish the condition of New York City and its relationship with Spider-Man, as well as which criminal supervillains had already been around as opposed to which ones the game would introduce. It was also interesting to learn why Peter and MJ had separated before the events of the game, and how Peter could’ve possibly been the father of Felicia’s alleged son before discovering that she had lied about having a child in the first place.
Seeing how Insomniac has laid the brickwork for future stories leaves only a few loose threads in Marvel’s Spider-Man’s franchise. It is rather baffling how Peter hasn’t taken an interest in all the spider-related ongoings in the Osborn penthouse, for example, and how Norman himself seems to be completely expunged of the obvious crimes he was discovered committing in an effort to cure his ailing son, Harry. Indeed, Harry was another character Insomniac decided to add exposition for, and it did so without Harry ever actually appearing in-game—until Marvel’s Spider-Man’s post-credits scene, of course.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Fleshed Harry Out Wholly Through Research Lab Exposition
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is about to launch this week and it will become instantly apparent how Harry’s character has changed since Marvel’s Spider-Man, or at least how he was depicted in remote research lab recordings or his personal bedroom journal. Much of the initial game’s mystique was tethered to Harry in one way or another, but fans got a warm glimpse into what Harry’s character was like if they went looking for it.
These research labs, which were a dynamic source of Marvel’s Spider-Man’s research token currency, gave some spectacular insight into the kind of person Peter’s childhood friend was before he had supposedly traveled to Europe and out of everyone’s lives. MJ learns that Harry’s trip to Europe was a cover-up, though, and therefore Peter and MJ not inquiring further into where he might be seemed odd.
Nonetheless, Harry is portrayed as being as brilliant as Peter and even more environmentally conscious, particularly when he believes Oscorp needs to be held accountable. Harry’s relationship with his late mother seemed nurturing and gentle while his relationship with his father seemed tumultuous, and yet Norman has gone through extensively dangerous research attempting to discover a cure for whatever is ailing Harry, and possibly also Norman’s late wife Emily.
It would appear that Norman loves Harry as evidenced by how he interacts with him in the green fluid chamber he’s kept in, and it will be exciting to see how that relationship translates when Harry emerges from the tank in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. It’s obvious that Harry is motivated to work with Peter and the two already share a close bond, so potentially seeing him become a villain would be a much different Harry than fans may have been perceiving him as since hearing him talk via each research lab in Marvel’s Spider-Man.
Fortunately, fans won’t have to wait long to see what Harry’s true character progression will look like in the sequel and how being sick himself might affect his judgment. That said, what Insomniac achieved with Harry in chiefly optional audio logs alone in Marvel's Spider-Man made the character remarkably detailed and rich already if players cared to indulge in his research labs.
Marvel’s Spider-Man is out now on PS4 and PS5.
