Spider-Man PS4: The Hidden Backpacks and the Story They Tell

Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS4 contains 55 hidden backpacks scattered across New York, each containing a memento from Peter Parker’s past. The items are mundane — a broken watch, a photograph, a rejection letter — and each comes with Peter’s voice-over reflecting on its significance.

Collectively, they constitute a biography of the character that the game’s main narrative never stops to deliver. The backpacks tell you who Peter was before the game began: the science fair he won, the mentor who believed in him, the moment he understood the responsibility his powers carried.

Insomniac built this system knowing most players would not collect all 55. The backpacks are not required for any trophy in the base game. They are pure optional depth, constructed with the same care as the main story scenes.

The most affecting backpack contains a note from Uncle Ben. Peter’s voice changes when he reads it. Insomniac could have made Uncle Ben’s death a cutscene — Spider-Man’s origin is so well-known that dramatising it was a creative choice, not a necessity. Instead they delivered it through a collectible most players skip.