Insomniac Games and Sony unveiled the first full gameplay footage of Spider-Man for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro and it looks like everything we've ever wanted out of a new Spider-Man game. There's actually close to nine minutes worth of footage for the game coming out of its E3 showcase. Take a look.
The trailer starts off with Spider-Man picking up a call over the wire and heading toward a construction site owned by Wilson Fisk, Spider-Man's arch nemesis. The thing is, Fisk's men are being attacked by another group known as the Demons; they're a gang of Triad-looking gangsters wearing Kabuki masks and suits.
Spider-Man takes a perched position atop the side of a pillar while scouting the area. The game mixes in cinematics with actual gameplay, so gamers have a seamless transition between the story and the combat and acrobatics.
Instead of just hopping around from one ledge or box to the other, there are context-sensitive points where the player can quickly leap from one object to the next by pointing the cursor and tapping the appropriate button. We see Spider-Man quickly and stealthily leap and websling from one set of crates to the next in order to get the drop on his foes.
We get to see a good mixture of stealth takedowns, environmental takedowns, gadget takedowns, and standard multi-person battles.
So, before going any further, first up let me say that the web takedowns that Spider-Man uses in Marvel's Spider-Man look amazing. I know it's a common superlative to throw out there when talking about these games, but the animations, smoothness of the takedowns and the visual look of the web really does look fantastic.
We also get to see that, during the demonstration for the upcoming PlayStation exclusive, Spider-Man's combat system has been revamped and remade to fit in line with Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham combat system. This allows players to rapidly pull off some quick hits and throws with a single button, while having a timing-based counter button at the ready so we get to see Spider-Man's trademark agility and acrobatic skills on display.
If you're in anyway a fan of the Batman: Arkham titles or the combat in the older Assassin's Creed games, then you'll definitely find yourself right at home with the combat in the upcoming Marvel's Spider-Man game.
Now, some people are a little worried about the quick-time events that make up a large portion of the latter half of the E3 demo. Spider-Man uses his web to string up a falling crane, and the only real input from players that's required is pressing the face buttons at the right time.
Even still, if the QTEs are only used sporadically throughout the game, I think it could turn out to be pretty good. Some people are already saying that this could be the Spider-Man game they've been waiting for since Spider-Man 2.
As far as story is concerned, the official PlayStation website reveals that Insomniac Games is working on an all new original story that follows some familiar faces and some brand new characters as well. We'll see what the finished product is like when it launches in 2018 for the PS4 and PS4 Pro.
