Author: Ray McGill
Ever since I was a child, I was afraid of spiders. To this day, I have to actually tell myself not to kill them when I see one, reminding myself they get rid of all the things that are worse. As it turns out, spiders are really not so scary if you turn them trippy, lava-lamp style colors and give them amusing hats and maybe a rocket launcher over a pit of lava.
Spiderheck (PC, [previewed] PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox one, Xbox Series X/S)
Developer: Neverjam
Publisher: TinyBuild
Released: September 22, 2022
MSRP: $14.99
I tried this game at PAX East in April of this year, and I got to do so under the best of circumstances, playing with other people. At its heart, SpiderHeck is a party game with a low entry barrier and offers a lot of fun. The premise is simple, you play as a spider who can stick to any solid surface and can shoot webs that help pull you in any direction. Melee and ranged weapons appear on the varied platform stages, and you use these either against AI opponents in wave-based PvE settings or against other spiders in PvP matches.
There doesn’t seem to be any sort of story or dedicated 1-player mode to the game. However, the right side of the lobby offers something of an obstacle course that will force you to get better at the physics of web-swinging; it’s really fun in how hard it is. This isn’t Sony’s Spider-Man; the web-slinging is precise, very physics-based, and clearly has a very high skill-ceiling. People who master the physics of SpiderHeck will be at a clear advantage over people who do not. The game seems to flow easily at a steady framerate; on my GTX 1070 (old, I know), I experienced no hitching, and no frame issues at all. Hopefully, the online experience is just as fluid.
The weapons are a lot of fun and really varied. Melee and ranged weapons have impressive options, from laser swords to bombs to shotguns. Every weapon also has a slick look to it, going all-in on the game’s overall laser-colored sort of synth aesthetic. The melee weapons seem a lot easier to use right away because of how free and fluid aiming is; I am sure that some of the precision ranged weapons will feel more natural with practice. Overall, the weapons, especially the melee weapons, sort of invoke Nidhogg feelings from me, which isn’t a bad thing; I loved those games.
The music deserves special mention, it vibes with the game on an incredible level. That sort of electronic music isn’t even my normal sort of thing, but it fits just so well. Good job, Professor Kliq, you made a bangin’ soundtrack.
I tried doing some multiplayer matches, but I don’t know if the servers are just not on yet, or what, but I got no games with anyone else in my time trying this title. While this game is fun when you’re playing alone, it is clear the full potential will be unlocked when groups of people are playing together, online or in a room. It is a party game at its heart, and I can see a group of friends in Discord going nuts for this, or even streamers playing with their community. SpiderHeck, to me at least, has the same potential to create Rocket League-like “Holy shit!” moments among friends, while offering cartoony, satisfying visuals that something like Fall Guys achieves. I mean come on, you can put hats on the goddamned spiders. Mine currently has an old-timey admiral hat, he’s adorable, and I will love him forever.
SpiderHeck is affordable on most consoles, coming in at fifteen dollars in the United States, and the extremely low price of included with Game Pass if you’re in that ecosystem. So far, there is a good mix of modes, weapons, and hats to be had for that price point. So given that reviews are supposed to help with purchasing choices, I would say yeah, buy this game if you can. It’s slick, fun, and will be a hit with friends.
[This preview is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher]