Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man will be an exclusive title for the PlayStation 4 this September, but Sony saved a spot during its PlayStation press event at E3 2018 nonetheless to showcase a new trailer, giving us a bit more insight into the story and gameplay.
In the previous E3-centric issue of Spider-Man, we saw our favorite web-slinger learn that Mister Negative was behind a string of attacks by a group called the Demons. In this latest 2018 issue, we find Spidey once again collaborating with Captain Yuriko Watanabe of the New York Police Department as the two discover Electro causing havoc and unleashing every inmate at The Raft, a super-maximum prison.
From that moment, the demo shown at E3 launches into beat-em-up gameplay with Spider-Man defeating numerous opponents using punches, kicks, and web shots. He even has the ability to jump into the air and rain down a barrage of web-based projectiles, knocking out an entire group of inmates.
He then encounters Rhino followed by Scorpion, both of whom disappear deep into the facility. Spidey must then deal with additional inmates who manage to pick up shields and weapons from fallen security guards. To take out a group, Spidey grabs a shield from an inmate using his web, and then swings the shield in a circle, taking out the inmates in the immediate area. After that, Electro baits Spider-Man, saying, “I thought this was a chase.”
The story then pushes players to follow the villain by running up the wall and though the roof. Once in the open, the gameplay switches to turbcharged gliding and web-slinging action as Spidey chases after his enemy while dodging hurled electrical balls, falling strctures, and exploding buildings. Finally, when Spider-Man captures his prey, Vulture swoops in to ruin the reunion.
With a web splat in the face, Spidey escapes Vulture’s claws only to resume his chase after Electro. Toward the end, Electro once again leads Spidey up a tall, six-sided shaft, forcing players to jump from one side to another to avoid electricity and falling debris. At the top, Electro simply stands on the rooftop, waiting patiently.
After a little banter between the two, Electro is eventually joined by Rhino, Vulture, and Scorpion. Mister Negative, who we’re led to believe is behind the jailbreak, conveniently shows up in his helicopter to join in the Spidey-bashing fun.
“Remember: He said not to kill him,” Mister Negative states without explaining who “he” is. They finally defeat Spider-Man, and in the last moments, Spidey finds out exactly who “he” is, leaving us in suspense.
Spider-Man will feature an open-world New York City where we can freely explore and engage in “activities,” such as thwarting a group of thugs in an alley. The game is a big “narrative-driven experience,” but the team wanted fans to experience that “superhero fantasy” where they can patrol the city and become the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man of their dreams.
Spider-Man will have a “sandbox” nature where you learn the controls, but you can experiment with Spidey’s acrobatics, his web-slinging, powers and so on. That said, each player can express Spider-Man differently, creating loads of various gameplay.
Spider-Man will release on September 7, 2018. For more coverage of the E3 gaming convention, head here.
