Marvel's Spider-Man now available on PlayStation 4
Marvel's Spider-Man
We went hands on with the game!
Marvel's Spider-Man was announced at Sony's E3 press conference in 2016 and caught our attention immediately by the impressive acrobatic stunts that 'Spidey' in the Reveal Trailer all played out. Since then, the game has never been far from our minds and we finally got the chance to get started as a 'Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' in a hands-on session! You can read our experiences with the game here.
Introducing: Spider-Man
People with an eye for detail or fans of the Webslinger would probably have spotted a remarkable element in the trailer; the Spider-Man that winds through the streets of New York we have not seen in films, comics or other games. They are subtle differences in style elements of the suit, but this is really a completely new Spider-Man!
In a presentation that preceded the hands-on session, this was confirmed by developer Insomniac Games (known from the original Spyro games and the Ratchet & Clank series). Marvel's Spider-Man is a fresh new interpretation of the story that Insomniac has developed in close collaboration with Marvel. A good choice as far as we are concerned, because in this way both die-hard Spidey fans and people who are not familiar with the character can offer a new Spider-Man experience. As a fan it was very nice to see how beloved and well-known characters were addressed in Insomniac's interpretation.
Although it is a personal interpretation of the legend, the world of Marvel's Spider-Man feels very familiar and is a sign that Insomniac understands how the character works. An important element of what makes Spider-Man such a beloved character is the double role that Peter Parker leads in his daily life and the resulting tension. Without revealing too much, this comes to the fore in the game. Both Spider-Man and Peter Parker behave exactly as you are used to from the characters. This way your Spider-Man will constantly hear sharp comments on opponents during battles, and as Peter Parker is always confronted with the difficulties and responsibilities of your life as a superhero.
Pleasant to meet again, Spider-Man!
Does whatever a Spider can
The essence of Spider-Man is not only evident in the story of the game, but fortunately in all aspects of gameplay. The most important ingredient for a good Spider-Man game, the web swinging, has been excellently developed by Insomniac Games. After a short introduction of the mechanics we swing effortlessly (with a huge smile on our face) through the streets of New York. We were greatly impressed by how well the sense of speed and the build-up of momentum in your swings has been implemented in the gameplay. Perhaps the most important thing to mention is that it is simply simply incredibly awesome to do! If we were not kindly asked to play through the story line, we could have spent hours swinging through New York effortlessly. It is hands down the best web pendulum system we have experienced in a Spider-Man game.
Also the combat in Marvel's Spider-Man gives you the feeling that you are an acrobatic, improvising Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man . As you would expect from Spider-Man, dodging attacks plays a major role in fighting. You have a button that allows you to avoid attacks and is informed via visual cues (your Spider-Sense!) When you need to use it. This way you can avoid bullets from opponents at a distance, but also slide under enemies to attack them from behind. Furthermore, you can use your web opponents remote sticking to pelt them with random objects from the environment (eg bins, benches, chairs, tables, anything where a web can be stuck to). Of course you also have a standard melee attack to tackle opponents up close and a launcher that launches your enemies into the air to continue your combo in the air. By running combos you slowly fill a bar, where you can then switch off enemies with a full bar by a button combination in one go. If you start to get all these elements under control, everything automatically merges into an interplay of timing and improvisation and you really feel like you are checking out on your Spider-Man's with your opponents.
During each fight you earn Experience Points that ensure that your Level rises if you collect enough of it. When you climb a Level you always earn a number of Skill Points that you can use in 3 different Skill Trees that unlock new skills. Each Skill Tree offers several new skills for Spider-Man. There is the Innovator Skill Tree, whose skills revolve around attacking objects (think of damage bonuses, more options to use objects, etc.). Then there was the DefenderSkill Tree, where the focus was apparently on a defensive playing style. Within this tree you could unlock skills that, for example, gave you a Counter-attack when successfully avoiding an attack. Finally, there was the WebslingerSkill Tree, which was more focused on acrobatic tricks and attacks. So we played quite a skill that you gave the option a la Tony Hawk's Pro Skater flips and other tricks to perform during webslingeren for bonus points. During our play session, our points were mainly in the latter Tree (with no regrets for a moment).
New York is your playground
We largely followed the storyline of the game while playing, but if you do not feel like fulfilling your responsibilities as a superhero, Marvel's Spider-Man gives you enough to do in the meantime. After a certain point in the story, New York emerges as your playground to go free and stand where you want. Scattered throughout the New York area you will find activities that differ from collecting collectibles to combating the smaller local crime in the city. Even discovering and exploring the huge city is already an activity in itself!
You can even change your spandex suit for the Peter Parker lab coat and work as a scientist at the Laboratory where Peter works. Here the gameplay consists of 'scientific' mini-games where, for example, you have to repair a robot hand, or have to do a microscope research. All side activities that you perform alongside the main story line reward you with points or experience that can be used for crafting new gadgets that you can use as Spider-Man. If you combine these gadgets with the aforementioned Skill Trees, there are a huge number of options open to you to customize everything to your personal playing style!
When our play session was over and we had to stop we had not seen enough of New York, but the short time we had with the game left us with a satisfied feeling. It is clear that Insomniac Games and Sony are working hard to deliver the next masterpiece for your PlayStation 4.
Regardless of whether you are a Spider-Man fan or not, Marvel's Spider-Man is going to be an action game that you can not miss! September 7 can not come early enough for us!
Marvel's Spider-Man will be available for PlayStation 4 from September 7th.
Introducing: Spider-Man
People with an eye for detail or fans of the Webslinger would probably have spotted a remarkable element in the trailer; the Spider-Man that winds through the streets of New York we have not seen in films, comics or other games. They are subtle differences in style elements of the suit, but this is really a completely new Spider-Man!
In a presentation that preceded the hands-on session, this was confirmed by developer Insomniac Games (known from the original Spyro games and the Ratchet & Clank series). Marvel's Spider-Man is a fresh new interpretation of the story that Insomniac has developed in close collaboration with Marvel. A good choice as far as we are concerned, because in this way both die-hard Spidey fans and people who are not familiar with the character can offer a new Spider-Man experience. As a fan it was very nice to see how beloved and well-known characters were addressed in Insomniac's interpretation.
Although it is a personal interpretation of the legend, the world of Marvel's Spider-Man feels very familiar and is a sign that Insomniac understands how the character works. An important element of what makes Spider-Man such a beloved character is the double role that Peter Parker leads in his daily life and the resulting tension. Without revealing too much, this comes to the fore in the game. Both Spider-Man and Peter Parker behave exactly as you are used to from the characters. This way your Spider-Man will constantly hear sharp comments on opponents during battles, and as Peter Parker is always confronted with the difficulties and responsibilities of your life as a superhero.
Pleasant to meet again, Spider-Man!
Does whatever a Spider can
The essence of Spider-Man is not only evident in the story of the game, but fortunately in all aspects of gameplay. The most important ingredient for a good Spider-Man game, the web swinging, has been excellently developed by Insomniac Games. After a short introduction of the mechanics we swing effortlessly (with a huge smile on our face) through the streets of New York. We were greatly impressed by how well the sense of speed and the build-up of momentum in your swings has been implemented in the gameplay. Perhaps the most important thing to mention is that it is simply simply incredibly awesome to do! If we were not kindly asked to play through the story line, we could have spent hours swinging through New York effortlessly. It is hands down the best web pendulum system we have experienced in a Spider-Man game.
Also the combat in Marvel's Spider-Man gives you the feeling that you are an acrobatic, improvising Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man . As you would expect from Spider-Man, dodging attacks plays a major role in fighting. You have a button that allows you to avoid attacks and is informed via visual cues (your Spider-Sense!) When you need to use it. This way you can avoid bullets from opponents at a distance, but also slide under enemies to attack them from behind. Furthermore, you can use your web opponents remote sticking to pelt them with random objects from the environment (eg bins, benches, chairs, tables, anything where a web can be stuck to). Of course you also have a standard melee attack to tackle opponents up close and a launcher that launches your enemies into the air to continue your combo in the air. By running combos you slowly fill a bar, where you can then switch off enemies with a full bar by a button combination in one go. If you start to get all these elements under control, everything automatically merges into an interplay of timing and improvisation and you really feel like you are checking out on your Spider-Man's with your opponents.
During each fight you earn Experience Points that ensure that your Level rises if you collect enough of it. When you climb a Level you always earn a number of Skill Points that you can use in 3 different Skill Trees that unlock new skills. Each Skill Tree offers several new skills for Spider-Man. There is the Innovator Skill Tree, whose skills revolve around attacking objects (think of damage bonuses, more options to use objects, etc.). Then there was the DefenderSkill Tree, where the focus was apparently on a defensive playing style. Within this tree you could unlock skills that, for example, gave you a Counter-attack when successfully avoiding an attack. Finally, there was the WebslingerSkill Tree, which was more focused on acrobatic tricks and attacks. So we played quite a skill that you gave the option a la Tony Hawk's Pro Skater flips and other tricks to perform during webslingeren for bonus points. During our play session, our points were mainly in the latter Tree (with no regrets for a moment).
New York is your playground
We largely followed the storyline of the game while playing, but if you do not feel like fulfilling your responsibilities as a superhero, Marvel's Spider-Man gives you enough to do in the meantime. After a certain point in the story, New York emerges as your playground to go free and stand where you want. Scattered throughout the New York area you will find activities that differ from collecting collectibles to combating the smaller local crime in the city. Even discovering and exploring the huge city is already an activity in itself!
You can even change your spandex suit for the Peter Parker lab coat and work as a scientist at the Laboratory where Peter works. Here the gameplay consists of 'scientific' mini-games where, for example, you have to repair a robot hand, or have to do a microscope research. All side activities that you perform alongside the main story line reward you with points or experience that can be used for crafting new gadgets that you can use as Spider-Man. If you combine these gadgets with the aforementioned Skill Trees, there are a huge number of options open to you to customize everything to your personal playing style!
When our play session was over and we had to stop we had not seen enough of New York, but the short time we had with the game left us with a satisfied feeling. It is clear that Insomniac Games and Sony are working hard to deliver the next masterpiece for your PlayStation 4.
Regardless of whether you are a Spider-Man fan or not, Marvel's Spider-Man is going to be an action game that you can not miss! September 7 can not come early enough for us!
Marvel's Spider-Man will be available for PlayStation 4 from September 7th.
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