Summary
Spider-Manis a superhero that naturally lends himself to a video game adaptation, and over the years there have been plenty. Since 1982, Spider-Man has appeared in a vast array of video games, ranging from cameos in fighting games and team-ups, to more than his fair share of starring roles in both original and movie tie-in games. But whileSpider-Manhas had some enjoyable video games over the years, the hero was lifted to new heights with 2018’sMarvel’s Spider-Man.
A studio best known for creatingSpyro the DragonandRatchet and Clank, Insomniac Games had the difficult task of making a AAA Spider-Man game, and by all accounts, it pretty much knocked it out of the park. But while Insomniac’sSpider-Manseries is still going strong, it might be time for another studio to have a proper crack at the Web-Head.
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The Case for a Spider-Man Game Under a New Developer
As mentioned up top, Insomniac Games has been knocking it out of the park with itsSpider-Manseries. Though they’re not perfect,Marvel’s Spider-ManandMiles Moraleswere both considered to be pretty great superhero titles that really captured the feel of the source material, while also giving some familiar characters and plot beats a fresh new spin. And from what fans have seen so far, it seems as thoughMarvel’s Spider-Man 2is going to do exactly the same yet again.
Right now, it seems as though Insomniac could keep on makingSpider-Mangames forever, though that might not be the best idea. Though it’s had some stellar previews, many fans are a little disappointed withhow similarSpider-Man 2looks to its predecessors. And whileMarvel’s Spider-Man 2will still probably be a great game, it keeping a bit too close to the original 2018 game could lead to a stronger feeling of repetition this time around, a feeling that would presumably only grow stronger with each new InsomniacSpider-Manentry.
It might be time for a different studio to have a go at the Spider-Man license. While Spider-Man naturally lends himself to a big, bombastic open-world action-adventure game, that isn’t the only genre that the character can appear in. Recently, Firaxis proved withMidnight Sunsthat Spider-Man actually works quite well in a turn-based strategy setting, and though hisgameplay inMarvel’s Avengerswas far from perfect, Crystal Dynamics did prove that the hero works well in a larger multiplayer setting where he can interweave his own special abilities with other superheroes' powers.
Insomniac Games has proven that it can create great open-world Spidey adventures, but for the sake of variety, it would be great to see the Wall-Crawler in a few alternate gameplay settings between Insomniac’s entries. With over 60 years of comic book source material to pick and choose from, there are plenty of opportunities for a unique Spider-Man game. For instance, Firaxis could borrow the character for his very own turn-based strategy game, or Crystal Dynamics could try and redeem itself with a multiplayer Spider-Man game centered aroundthe Spider-Verse. And that’s just the start of Spider-Man’s possibilities in the gaming landscape.
A studio like IO Interactive could create a Spider-Man Noir stealth game, or an Indie developer likeBlasphemous' The Game Kitchen could make a throwback 2D Spider-Man side-scroller. Another studio could even try its hand at making an open-world Spidey action-adventure like Insomniac’s, albeit one set in a different continuity and centering around different characters, such as Spider-Man 2099.
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