Why Spiderman PS4 could be the game of the year for 2018?

I’ve been a Spiderman fan for as long as I can remember. I had countless figurines, comic books and memorabilia; I watched the 90’s animated TV series religiously every week as a kid and even had the original game on the PS1.

The pre internet era youngster that I was, I also enjoyed the 70’s live action Spiderman series, and at the time, it blew my mind! No longer was Spiderman merely a cartoon or etched into the pages of a comic book, he was an actual man, albeit with a terrible perm, worn shoulder pads and engaging in some of the most cringe-inducing “fight” scenes of all time.

You see, those were the days when Spiderman could only shoot loose fishing nets from his hands, and when a badly choreographed kick would send his foes falling over tables to the sound of an incredibly loud slapping sound and a funky 1970’s bass line. All these years later however, after many movies and video games, we have seen the friendly neighbourhood Spiderman portrayed in a variety of ways, which for the most part, compliment Stan Lee’s original creation.

So when the new Spiderman game was announced as a PS4 exclusive, true fans knew that it had to deliver the dough! This couldn’t be another one of those glossy trailers that reeled you in with its eye popping graphics and cutscenes, only to have the final product lack depth, imagination and substance. cough EA’s Battlefront!. Ooh sorry about that I had some overpriced DLC stuck in my throat.

Anyway, where were we? Oh yeah, so this Spiderman title must deliver what the fans want because the days of cheap superhero titles coinciding with the release of a movie are gone, and could potentially hinder a sequel later down the line.

Spiderman 2 for the PS2 will always be remembered as one of the pioneering products for superhero free roam games. It set the standard for superhero titles, and that standard is now incredibly high.

Spiderman PS4's web swinging alone had players immersed for hours as they stopped petty crimes, swung between high rise buildings as quickly as possible and progressed through the story as both Peter Parker and Spiderman. Since then we have seen many more Spiderman games, each with varying amounts of success and acclaim.

This time around the gameplay that we saw at E3 2017 looked flawless, with beautifully crafted buildings, lighting and special effects, it demanded your attention immediately. Insomniac Games, the development studio behind the Ratchet and Clank series, Resistance, and Spyro the Dragon, have clearly taken the best elements from previous superhero games and have seemingly moulded an original and engaging title.

Judging from gameplay footage they seem to have adopted a similar combat system to the extremely popular Batman Arkham series from Rocksteady.  Physics based web swinging will also be making a  welcomed return as opposed to the Amazing Spiderman’s webs, which magically stuck to the sky every time, presumably coincidentally sticking to passing airplanes with every shot.

Cutscenes, quicktime events and gameplay all seamlessly intertwine to make for breathtaking action sequences. The game allows players to free roam all over Manhattan and promises to be “several times larger” than insomniacs biggest game to date, Sunset overdrive.  This is reassuring as speculation over the size of the map was concerning to some, and hopefully we will see many things to see and do whilst roaming around the city and not just a giant empty space. Upgradeable gadgets and abilities are also confirmed, as well as an original story.

The game’s creative director, Bryan Intihar, has confirmed that the game will not be tied into the movie. This means that although Spiderman Homecoming is already in cinemas, it will not follow the plot of the movie and nor will it be based on any storyline from the comics.

It is hoped that this completely fresh approach to storytelling will pay off for insomniac and deliver something truly memorable. Only time will tell what supporting characters will feature in the game but more will become clear before the games release sometime in 2018. I’m very impressed with what I have seen so far, however with both Insomniac and Sony remaining quiet on many of the game’s key details, there is still much more to know! With games such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and Farcry 5 also set for release in 2018 it certainly has some tough competition. None the less however i’m certain that this title will be one of the biggest games of next year and is certainly one to keep your eye on, especially for fans of the genre.