New 'Marvel's Spider-Man' Video Showcases Acrobatic Combat

PlayStation's latest video for Marvel's Spider-Man is all about the web-slinger's stylish combat and how the game's creators turned him into an acrobatic fighter.

Featuring commentary from Marvel Games and Insomniac Games over some gameplay showed off some of Spidey's best moves, the teams behind the game discussed their vision for Spider-Man. The hero's known for his nimble moves with quips peppered between punches, though his earliest fights after becoming a hero are usually rocky in movies and in comics. Marvel Games and Insomniac Games decided to skip that part though and fast-forward to a version of Spider-Man who's already been in plenty of fights and is combat-ready.

"So from the beginning, we really wanted to show that in our game, that this is not a rookie Spider-Man," said Bill Rosemann, executive creative director for Marvel Games. "He's been eight years now as Spider-Man, so he's experienced, he's in possession of all his powers, and right from the get-go, you're ready to kick butt."

Part of Spider-Man's combat kit that the developers discussed was his gadgets, a staple in the hero's arsenal that includes a variety of drones, web-based attacks and other devices. Players will unlock these as they progress through the game and are able to upgrade them along the way through improvements such as higher capacities, more damage, and increased areas of effect. Insomniac Games is no stranger to putting gadgets in its games, and Insomniac Games art director Jacinda Chew said doing that in Marvel's Spider-Man was a natural decision.

"Gadgets for us were a no-brainer," Chew said. "We think about what we need. Do we need a stealth gadget? Do we need a trap gadget? Do we need an AOE type of gadget? And then we start sorting the gadgets by what is necessary or useful for gameplay."

Insomniac Games game director Ryan Smith added to the gadgets discussion by saying that they made sure players can use the tools in a variety of ways. The Trip Mine, for example, can either be stuck to a surface for a stealthy web-based takedown or can be stuck directly to an enemy that'll be yanked towards an object when the beam is crossed. That other object can even be another enemy which will cause the two to slam together and be incapacitated.

Stealthy takedowns are also part of Spider-Man's kit along with environmental takedowns that make use of players' surroundings. Three different skill trees and the gadget upgrades allow for players to customize their abilities as they progress so that everyone's Spider-Man feels a bit different from the next.

Marvel's Spider-Man is now available for the PlayStation 4.