Everything to Know About Spider-Man PS4
Brandon Ratcliff ’20 / Emertainment Monthly Assistant Video Games Editor
If you haven’t heard, Marvel’s Spider-Man is being released for the PS4 in September. In fact, Sony has told us all that the game will be released on September 7th. So, its won’t be that long of a wait before we can play the game for ourselves. We will also get some more information and gameplay during E3 2018 in June. But lets go over what we already to know about this game before we get flooded with new gameplay and information.
For one, Spider-Man is 23 years old during the events in the game. Brian Intihar of Insomniac Games said they wanted to have a more experienced Spider-Man and have the game be independent from the movies. With Spider-Man having this aged experience unlike previous incarnations, the combat in the game is masterful. The E3 2017 trailer highlights the combat mechanics and Spidey’s fighting style flawlessly. Parker has new takedowns, combo moves, and action sequences. Some moves can be activated from stealth position to immobolize enemies. While other moves are used in straight up hand to hand combat. Players also experience the Spider sense that slightly slows down time to give players the upper hand in combat.
Peter Parker is also rocking a brand new suit. From the E3 2017 trailer, we know that the new suit has motion activated web traps that he can launch on walls or directly onto enemies. A newly added feature is Spider-Man’s various costumes. Apparently, there are a few different suit he can put on and each suit has a unique ability that will aid him in some way. For Avengers fans, the new high-tech Spidey Suit from Avengers: Infinity War will come as a pre-order bonus. The special ability for the Infinity War suit is still a secret.
The main villains Spider-Man will face off against are Mr. Negative and Kingpin. Both villains have history with Spider-Man in the comics. Mr. Negative or Martin Li is the leader of a criminal organization that consists of various gangs. Mr. Negative has the power to control the Lightforce and Darkforce, which turns his body into a black and white negative photographic image. Mr. Negative has a list of powers but they mainly include enhanced strength and object empowerment. Basically, he’s strong and can make any weapon strong. Perhaps the most interesting trait about Mr. Negative is his dual personalities due to having both dark and light force. It will be interesting to see how Peter balances fighting the villain Mr. Negative and saving the kind Martin Li.
The other main villain in Spider-Man PS4 is Kingpin. Also known as Wilson Fisk, Kingpin is one of the big crime bosses on the east coast. He has had numerous run in with other Marvel heroes on many different occasions. While he is quite a large man, his main power comes from all of the people he controls. It is truly fitting to call him the Kingpin of Crime. While Mr. Negative and Kingpin will be the main enemies int he game, other villains will make appearances through DLC. Spider-Man PS4 will come with three DLC expansions. The DLC expansions will feature other prominent Spider-man villains such as Shocker, Vulture, Rhino and more.
Some characters that we know like Mary Jane and Miles Morales will play roles in the story too. Mary Jane is actually a playable character that knows about Spider-Man’s secret identity. Its unknown if Miles will be a playable character or if he will dawn the role of Spider-Man as he has in other Marvel series, but his presence does help build the world we already know.
As always, the game will be set in a realistic depiction of New York City. The open world map will include fictional additions to the city like the Wakandan Embassy and Avengers Tower. There are several side activities players can engage in as they play the game. In past Spider-Man games, players can stop everyday small crimes on the street. That feature will return along with other activities such as finding and deactivating hidden bombs, collecting Peter Parker’s lost backpacks, and interacting with NPCs. Spiderman can take photos with civilians and high five them along the way to different locations. This is a feature that really captures the essence of Peter Parkers personality and what a celebrity he is.
It’s important to note that this is game features a completely original story. Yes, Mr. Negative and Kingpin are villains from the comics, but this story itself is completely original. Head Writer, Jon Paquette from Insomniac Games, definitely feels the pressure to create a story that will be a worthy addition to the Spider-Man legacy. With everything we has seen so far and what we are bound to see at E3 2018, the chances of fans being disappointed is very low. E3 2018 begins on June 12 and lasts through June 14th. Spider-Man PS4 is confirmed to make an appearance that will likely feature new information and gameplay. After that, September 7th isn’t too far away.