SPIDER-MAN
STORIES EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT
Discover how Insomniac’s Spidey will play, with new details on web swinging and combat.
“I want pictures of (and info on) Spider-Man!”
Even J. Jonah Jameson would be pleased with our scoop on controlling Spidey
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Spider-Fans will need to clean their web fluid off the walls, because Insomniac has given us a proportional-to-a-spider ton of new information on its PlayStationexclusive Spider-Man game, including a release date (7 September) and a closer look at combat mechanics.
We get a glimpse of Peter Parker’s apartment showing us a superhero in his prime. Daily Bugle newspaper clippings litter the place, mementos of busting the likes of Vulture, Rhino, Scorpion, and Electro.
NEW YORK GRITTY
The story kicks off with Spider-Man having to take down a bigger threat to New York: the crime boss Kingpin. But with Kingpin no longer controlling crime, there’s a power vacuum. Naturally things quickly get out of hand, including an appearance from Mister Negative that leads to a chaotic, frenetic chase through New York (the section that was shown off at last year’s E3).
Exploring the city web-ties into the game’s progression, and you’re rewarded for finding landmarks and completing side-quests with traversal upgrades – though even un-upgraded (graded?) movement is fluid, fast, and ripe with possibility to add your own twists to the way you travel through the biggest apple of all. Moon-webs are out the door, with Spider-Man’s webbing sticking to actual buildings as you zip around the city, and easily deployed with a tap of i. This gives you realistic swing arcs that truly capture the feeling of velocity and momentum. Jumping with q to release from a swing launches you in different directions depending on your timing – releasing low in the arc will propel you forwards at low trajectory, whereas doing it high at the end of the arc allows you to grab some air.
But that’s just the start. Holding i allows Spidey to parkour off surfaces, including a wall-run, where hitting e at the edge enables you to make a sharp turn with your webs.
You can web-zip directly to surfaces too, giving you a quick boost in speed or more aerial control for sharp corners and U-turns.
Jumping at the right time when running up the side of a building will propel you over the edge and give you a big boost. has Spider-Man initiate a dive, and p allows you to slow down time so you never miss that perfect next move. And when you hold both pi and Spidey will zip towards one of many points where he can overlook the city at his leisure (or bounce from perch to perch by jumping quickly).
Dense and packed with civilians, New York is a city you’ll want to explore at your own pace. Even at a distance, none of the fidelity of the hustle and bustle is lost. The secret to Insomniac’s Spider-Man’s movement is in his speed, and the mantra that you should never need to stop moving. The city really is your playground. It’s an open world that really emphasises freedom and control over the space.
STING LIKE A SPIDER
The combat allows Spider-Man to fight like a spider can, if the spider is the shape of a man in a skintight suit. Insomniac’s take may have the most authentically Spider-Manfeeling fighting of any Spidey title to date, mixing some brutal-looking hits and web-based finishers with the graceful acrobatic close-quarters moves you’d expect from the lithe, lean web-head.
Naturally, Spider-Man has access to his spider-sense to warn him of incoming strikes. This gives you the opportunity to move the beatdown somewhere safer by web-zipping over enemies. Things are always on the move as you dance between bad guys, knocking them into the air, dodging attacks, and using webs to fling environmental weapons like crates – or even return grenades. Spider-Man’s webbing is constantly incorporated into the combat animations, and it’s stunning to look at. It’s all about crowd management as Spider-Man spins from hit to hit, hopping over opponents and using web-balls to lock them into position.
This Spidey is at home using his gadgets while in the fray, too, like the web-bomb that can incapacitate small groups. Some of the gadgets revealed are perfectly suited to a stealthy approach. The web-tripwire will grab and tie up any unsuspecting goons who walk past, and the Spider-Drone is equipped with its
IT’S AN OPEN WORLD THAT REALLY EMPHASISES FREEDOM AND CONTROL OVER THE SPACE.
own web shooters that can be used to cause mischief at a distance.
Simple sneak attacks from behind also work, and there are plenty of ways to approach situations thanks to Spidey’s sticky hands and ability to balance on high vantage points. It’s a great way to clear out all enemies, or whittle down a group before the brawling begins.
SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED
Once we’ve fully become Spider-Man, it’s unlikely we’re never going to want to stop. We’d be perfectly happy swinging away endlessly, but the game will carry on post-credits thanks to The City Never Sleeps DLC. These will add three new adventures for the friendly neighbourhood web swinger, with new suits, missions, storylines, and villains. The first in line, The Heist, will feature Black Cat, with more to be revealed. With solid post-launch support, Insomniac is weaving a strong web indeed.
We’ve got a fresh take on a story about an already experienced Spider-Man caught in the middle of a crime war, we’ve got the most dynamic web-swinging exploration ever, and positively webtastic combat with slick stealth elements. It all adds up for Spider-Man to be a truly spectacular PS4 exclusive.
Marvel’s Spider-Man swings onto PS4 on 7 September! Excited? Let us know!