Posted in: Games | Tagged: analysis, arkham, Arkham Asylum, e3, games, insomniac games, marvel, marvel's spider-man, miles morales, peter parker, playstation, PS4, quick time events, sony, sony playstation, spider-man, spidey, video games

Marvel's Spider-Man Seems To Take Inspiration From DC Games

We ran the new gameplay trailer reveal for the Insomniac Games PS4 exclusive Marvel's Spider-Man game, coming out of E3. In case you hadn't seen it yet, here it is again!

So, what can we gather from this new trailer?

Well, firstly, there are a few story elements we can take away.

This Spider-Man in definitely Peter Parker. Wilson Fisk is currently in prison, and Mister Negative is also in the game, and his gang the Demons are making a move on Fisk's holdings in Manhattan while the Kingpin is out of the picture.

Also, this seems to a much more technologically superior Spider-Man. His new suit seems to include the mechanical moving eye plates we see in the movie version of the costume, there are a vast array of web-shooting options available to him, and he also seems to have some kind of communication device keeping him in touch with a support agent, in this scenes case at least, a police captain named Yuri Watanabe. This also seems to include the ability to fire of webbing traps, with built in sensors.

Also, we get that great little stinger at the end of the trailer hinting at the inclusion of another fan-favourite Spidey character.

Then there's gameplay elements.

The gameplay style seems to mimic games from the Distinguished Competition more than previous Spider-Man games, taking on some seeming inspiration from the Arkham Asylum games. From Spider-Man perching, like Batman, on surroundings to pick enemies off one by one in stealth moves, to hand-to-hand combat that greatly mirrors the kind of rhythmic combat seen in the Arkham games.

What's particularly interesting is that it really works for Spider-Man. If you suggested it to me, I'd have thought it would make Spidey's combat seem to slow down in a manner that would detract from the characters abilities, but rather it seems to heighten it, creating a sense of Spidey's Spider-Sense and making the player's hits feel even more awesome.

The game also seems to employ a number of Quick Time Event elements of gameplay for big set-piece action moments. This is not uncommon to games these days, nor is it even uncommon to Spider-Man games, but these ones seem bigger than any seen before and fit in a much more naturalistic way.

However, this isn't to say that this footage didn't raise some concerns. In the combat encounters seen, Spidey notably doesn't do any quipping. Sure, Spider-Man makes a few amusing comments while moving around the city and in FMV scenes and some of the Quick Time Events, but in the general combat we see, there is none of Spider-Man's trademark humour.

And in perhaps another mirror to the Arkham games, the city is at times oddly empty. Again, in QTE scenes, we see the public walking around and cars moving, but at two instances where Spider-Man is knocked into buildings, the interiors are devoid of life. It's only made all the more jarring because of how populated the streets seem at other times.

Of course, it's still early days, with the game not seeing release until next year, and these elements can be easily tweaked between now and then. For now, this trailer certainly presents us with what looks to be an intriguing Spider-Man story and gameplay for those who've been waiting a while to swing around New York again.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!