With a new Spider-Man ride on the way to Disney California Adventure, I thought it would be fun to take a look at another place you can get your Spider-Man fix until the new Disney expansion opens. . . Games!
If you own a Sony Playstation 4, there is a good chance you have a copy of the Sony Interactive/Insomniac Games/Marvel Games’ Spider-Man. Released in September 2018, the game has sold over 9 million units, has won countless awards from the industry and is highly regarded among audiences.
Believe it or not, this title is not associated with any live action feature and is not based on any particular comic book version of Spider-Man. Instead, the team at Marvel Games and Insomniac Games combined their creative forces to release a title that pulls together many different elements from the deep history of the character. It is not quite an origin story as Spider-Man, voiced by Yuri Lowenthal, has been doing his job for about 8 years.
He knows how to fight, and is a veteran with his web shooter. His reputation is well established in NYC. The game does however introduce us to Dr. Otto Octavius, voiced by William Salyers, before he becomes the infamous Dr. Octopus. Other major characters introduced in the game include NYPD Captain Yuri Watanabe, voiced by Tara Platt, and Martin Li / Mr. Negative, voiced by Stephen Oyoung.
The performances created by all of the actors are really amazing. The voice actors do more than read their lines, in many cases they also do the performance capture for the animators to work with, similar to a live action film. Sony spared no expense in creating a tent pole game. They would set the standard for all future Marvel games, and even all comic book games to match. Getting to this stage was no easy task. Insomniac Games was known for their original releases, they didn’t have much history working with an established IP. Ratchet & Clank, Resistance, Sunset Overdrive, and Spyro the Dragon are just some of the titles that helped put the studio on the map. Seeing if their team could create a game that captured the essence of Marvel’s most popular character would bring out their best.
Spider-Man has appeared in arcade, console and PC games for decades, yet not all of those titles were very memorable. The character really hit his stride in 2000 on the original Sony Playstation. Developer Neversoft had a smash hit game called Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater. The studio made Spider-Man a hidden character in the Tony Hawk sequel, complete with web shooting skateboard tricks!
Audiences didn’t know it yet but the studio was also working on a Spider-Man game for publisher Activision. A studio named Treyarch would take over the character not long after. Treyarch created Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004) for the Playstation 2 and Spider-Man 3 (2007) for the Playstation 3. These three games were based on the Tobey Maguire live action films. They expanded on the graphics and game play and were well received by players. Each version of the Spider-Man game managed to better capture the feeling of swinging through the city, or fighting as the hyper-strong but equally limber Web Head.
When there wasn’t a movie in the works Activision would experiment with the Spider-Man formula. Ultimate Spider-Man (2005), also by Treyarch, was noted for its cel-shaded graphics. This game looked much more like a comic book than previous titles. It even featured cut scenes that were framed like comic panels. Audiences not only got a chance to play as Spidey, but also as his arch-rival Venom. This opened up the possibilities for audiences. The game played differently for each character, audiences they could feel the power of Venom versus the finesse of Spidey. Then there was Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (2008) by Shaba Games and Treyarch. The story in this game was unique in that it allowed audiences to explore a good and bad path for the character, essentially turning Spidey into a villain if they wanted. It would be a few years before fans would see the character return.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) by Beenox, was based on the live action film featuring Andrew Garfield. Activision’s license for Spider-Man would expire in 2014. It was the same year that Amazing Spider-Man 2 was released in theaters, there was no game tie-in.
Sony and Insomniac would take over shortly after and start development on an entirely new title. The new Spider-Man would harness the power of Sony’s established platform, the Playstation 4.
The recent Spider-Man game is among the greatest comic book titles every released. Not only that, it ranks among the best games ever made. Everything that game veterans would expect from a big budget title were included. It is a visually stunning game, with brilliant animation, smooth control, and engaging combat. Insomniac Directors Brian Horton, Bryan Intihar, Marcus Smith, and Ryan Smith made sure it had the pacing, and spectacle of a AAA title. They kept audiences engaged in the main story, while still allowing players to freely explore a virtual NYC. Writers Jon Paquette, Benjamin Arfmann and Kelsey Beachum crafted a story that has as much depth as entire season of a television series. The acting was great, in addition to the actors mentioned above there were some stand out performances by Nancy Linari as Aunt May, Laura Bailey as Mary Jane Watson, and WDW Adventurers’ Club alum Darin de Paul as J. Jonah Jameson.
Insomniac worked closely with the creative voices at Marvel while crafting their own take on the Spider-Man mythos. There is an advantage to being free from a specific movie or comic book tie-in. If and when Marvel or Sony reboots their movie franchises they do not have to change the face of their characters. This does not prevent Insomniac from taking elements from every version of the Spider-Man universe, including the classic cartoons, and putting their own unique spin on it. There are many secrets to unlock in the game, and that is all I will say about it. The experience works well for people that are new to the character, as well as lifelong fans of Spidey.
Having a smash game was not enough however for Marvel or Sony. To keep players hooked they released three additional chapters in the form of Downloadable Content (DLC) at the end of 2018. Episode 1, “The Heist”, featuring the Black Cat was released on October 23. Episode 2, “Turf Wars”, featuring Hammerhead was released on November 20. Episode 3, “Silver Lining”, featuring the Silver Sable was released on December 21. In my house there was no game that was played more over the holiday season. If you haven’t picked up Spider-Man I cannot recommend it enough.
The Spider-Man game is a satisfying stand-alone experience, a true game of the year contender. To appreciate everything that went into the game I recommend picking up the hardcover Marvel’s Spider-Man The Art of the Game by Paul Davies, published by Titan Books. In addition to some exclusive art and renders, there is also a ton of insight from Insomniac Art Director Jacinda Chew and a great introduction by Marvel Games VP and Creative Director Bill Rosemann.
Although we are well into 2019 Marvel has just released a new comic book series based on the game. Spider-Man: City at War is in comic book stores now. Issue #1 came out March 20. Issue #2 is scheduled for April 17, #3 on May 29, and #4 on June 19. If you enjoyed the game, or would like to supplement the experience, this series is for you.
Written by Dennis Hopeless (All-New Captain America, The Amazing Spider-Man, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Dr. Strange), penciled by Michele Bandini (The Amazing Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, X-Men: Gold), and cover by Clayton Crain (Ghost Rider, The Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Carnage, Guardians of the Galaxy). There are also variant covers by some of the best artists in the industry. Even if you are familiar with the game, there is still a lot to learn about in this series. There is no word on a game sequel, but as soon as there is expect to hear about it on MiceChat.
Are you a Spider-Man gamer? What’s your favorite Spidey title?
Spider-Man coming to Disney California Adventure
Did you know a Spider-Man ride will be part of Disney California Adventure’s Marvel Land expansion? It’s true. The web-slinger will be the main attraction in the new land.
You can read all about it right here on MiceChat:
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