There are a lot of PlayStation titles that feature or red web-swinging hero. While there are a couple of big names, there are some that generally missed the mark when it comes to quality. However, we can all agree that nothing has been really done to shake up the formula. While it’s understandable that if one shouldn’t fix what’s already working, having the same gameplay and mechanics for nearly every game can make things feel stale.
Which begs the question, what can Insomniac do to liven up the new Spiderman game? Although we’ve seen trailers of the upcoming game, nothing has really stood out. You’re still the web-slinging hero and you still fight baddies in the city. Not exactly much change. So that’s why I’ve come up with a list as to what can be done to give the new Spiderman title its own identity.
Situations Where Spidey Can’t Always Rely on his Standard Abilities
We’re so used to the fact that Spidey can swing across buildings and cling to walls that there isn’t that much sense of urgency when going up against baddies. Now imagine a situation wherein you can’t just jump or swing around to safety and instead face your enemies head-on. Although I understand that Spiderman’s web is what makes him the cool and agile superhero that he is today, but over relying on it can take away any sense of innovation or thrill when it comes to combat.
So imagine Spidey taking on a bunch of enemies while being stuck in an environment like a dessert or any area that’s devoid of structures or materials that he can latch on to. And imagine another similar situation but instead, there are enemies that are immune to web attacks. Something like that can force the player to take on enemies with a different approach, allowing one to think deeper on what needs to be done in order to win.
Taking on Dangerous Engagements Meant for Spiderman as Peter Parker
It’s clear that the new title will allow players to play as both Spiderman and Peter Parker and that’s great. While it’s nice that we get to see the quieter side of Spidey’s life aside from the usual one that’s full of thrills, it would be nice to see how Peter would handle situations that are meant to be taken on by Spiderman.
Imagine if Peter was stuck in an area where there are too many people that prevents him from changing into his suit and hiding his identity. And let’s say that this particular area is suddenly taken over by whatever criminal or villain is in the area. Basically, a situation where you have to take things head-on as a normal human rather than a superhero. It would be nice to see what Peter can do in certain situations where he can’t use his Spider abilities or ones wherein he’s forced to use it discreetly.
Something like that can force players to think about the next logical step to ensure that Spidey’s identity remains intact, thus making the game feel a tad more realistic.
More In-Game Consequences for Certain Actions
If you can interact with the NPC’s within the city, then wouldn’t it be nice if doing certain actions can cause other positive or negative experiences? For example, you accidentally kill a certain character during a particular sidequest. During a particular segment of the game, you’re given something like different dialogue or an alternate path simply because you let that sidequest character die. Tying certain in-game elements together can really make the player feel as if he or she were actually a part of the game. So if we have something like that or even close, then that can make the upcoming Spiderman title a must-buy.
And there you have it, a couple of things that Insomniac can do to innovate the next Spiderman game. If any of these were included an possibly fleshed out, then we’ll most likely have ourselves one heck of an exclusive.