Marvel’s Spider-Man Closes PlayStation E3 Showcase In Style (VIDEO)
After an absorbing but peculiar opening to their conference at E3 2018, PlayStation closed with another crowd favorite. A new extended trailer with gameplay for Marvel’s Spider-Man at E3 2018 debuted, providing players with a comprehensive look at the combat system.
The seven-minute trailer opens with Spidey and Officer Yuri Watanabe (aka Wraith) approaching the Raft prison via helicopter. Electro, who has started a riot inside, begins firing lightning at our heroes. Once inside, Spider-Man sees the carnage Electro has wrought, and we get our first extended taste of all the abilities we will have at our disposal.
The free flowing combat system immediately calls to mind the Arkham series. Spider-Man’s full agility is on display as he slides between the legs of combatants and flips backwards off of columns and walls. A Spidey Sense indicator flashes above Spider-Man’s head when enemies prepare to swing. A few well-placed punches and kicks lead to aerial combos with his web shooters. Above all else, Spider-Man is faster than his enemies, and players will rely on speed and agility rather than brute force to take down villains.
In addition to the fight sequences, Sony treated its audience with an extended chase sequence between Spider-Man and Electro. Players will need to time their webs perfectly to keep up with fleeing super villains and dodge incoming projectiles. Whether swinging through the air or swinging his fists, Spider-Man maintains his trademark wit and hurls jabs at his aggressors. Sony and developer Insomniac Games have vowed to make the most authentic Spider-Man game possible since the title was announced. From the agile combat to the light humor to the relationships between characters, they definitely attempted to live up to that promise.
Electro, Rhino, Vulture, Scorpion, and Mr. Negative all make appearances in the trailer, but none are capable of taking down our hero on their own. Someone has brought these villains together to take down Spider-Man. Of course, the trailer cuts to black before the big reveal. Showing off five legendary villains in a trailer hints that many other surprise characters should be expected upon launch. Creative Director Brian Intihar previously indicated that Venom may make an appearance, but he seems too obvious for the Big Bad.
The trailer provides us with our first real sense of the game’s comic book inspiration as well. A similar prison riot takes place in the New Avengers’ “Breakout!” storyline, with Electro leading the charge (pun fully intended). Those issues, however, also include Captain America and many other heroes. Nothing in the trailer indicates the other Avengers will make cameos, but we can’t rule it out just yet. We do know Mary Jane will be a playable character at certain points, so color us hopeful that we’ll get to throw a shield around.
Marvel’s Spider-Man releases on PlayStation 4 on September 7, 2018. Preordering the game earns players lots of digital swag, including Spidey’s suit from The Avengers. Ordering the Collector’s Edition will get you even more awesome content.
What did you think of the combat system and web slinging action? Who do you think is the unrevealed villain? Will we get to see Cap and Company? Give us your best theories in the comments below, and follow DFTG on Twitter for more E3 updates!
Drew Weissman230 Posts
Drew is a freelance writer for DFTG. He's the former Managing Editor of Haogamers and has been published in the Chicago Tribune and The Paragon Journal. He also edited the novel Three Brightnesses and Artist Journey: Rachta Lin (2016 and 2017 editions).