• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

How do you make a GREAT Spider-Man game?

N

NotTheGuyYouKill

Member
tumblr_ll87xzaPdl1qk4y1jo1_500.png


The new ASM2 game has been getting a decidedly... tepid release and reception.

So, let's say you get to make a new Spider-Man game, and Activision in all their infinite wisdom... gives you a decent budget and a decent schedule and you don't have rush to meet a movie deadline (LOL!)

How do you make it?

52d2cbf9dd7e0.jpg
 
inb4 Rocksteady

You know, I'd like to pick an... interesting developer. Someone who knows that Spider-Man is rhythmic in combat, someone who can design a camera, get a good physics engine going, and understand the source material. I'm keen to know who Disney picks. If I had to pick a developer... I don't know who I'd pick.
 
Two words: Neversoft & Treyarch.

just played Spider-Man 2 and Ultimate Spider-Man on my OG Xbox. These are THE Spider-Man games!
 
I think the thing that hurts Spider-Man games the most is the web swinging.

It could be really good as a pure action adventure game like God of War but set in the Spidey universe.
 
Large open world with freedom of choice and web swinging. Basically GTA with Spider Man, and more kid friendly, of course.

Also, many many different costumes and Carnage/Venom modes where you can commit murders.
 
At this point, I wouldn't make it open world. I'd try something different. Tbh since Spiderman 2, they've all just tended to merge into one.

I'd do something like the Strider 2.5D reboot in the vein of the old megadrive Spiderman vs Kingpin rather than spending years building a comprehensive 3D world and focus on getting the atmosphere pitch perfect. Set a budget, set a development time of one year, get a team who love the brand and up, up and away.
 
- Don't add annoying robots and traps in the middle of the air, blocking swinging routes.
- Get rid of photography.
- Have multiple swinging styles/layouts.
- Make the web actually stick to buildings.
- Make it fun. (I miss the pizza delivery missions.)
- Or copy/upgrade Spider-Man 2 for current gen and change the missions and story.
 
Take the swinging from PS2 gen's Spider-Man 2 (with some improvements to the physics), add a combat system that is more like Bayonetta than Batman Arkham series, create a varied bunch of enemies to fight against, mostly 1-on-1 boss battles against human-sized(-ish) characters instead of giant robot spiders or whatever + side-quests should have the kind of races/time-trials/other get-somewhere-quickly ones that SM2 had.

Cheddahz said:
Make it like this

1-a56dffspidermancover.jpg
Click to expand...

Ewww. Please no. It might've been decent as a PS1 game at the time of its release, but no way should they take anything from that game nowadays.
 
Great swinging controls + physics, a fun story (doesn't really need to be tethered to any branch of Spidey in general) and a high level of polish.

Throw in some cool unlockables like new costumes, secret optional episodes (DLC isn't needed) etc. and you've got yourself a winner I think.
 
You know I feel really sorry for treyarch
They seem to be stuck in a COD making cycle for eternity. I feel that treyarch has some great ideas for games and it was shown via zombies mode in COD.
As an example the combat in SM 3 . While in the state it was released is absolute wank, if you look at the concept behind it where the 3 attack buttons flowed into one another and the air combos it sounds great ( on paper) .
Also they seem to have understood the web swing on their second try.
 
There have been a handful of really fun Spiderman games. Many cited. I don't think it'd be that hard to do something for today. Getting the art right might be a challenge.

I was never really into Spiderman so I have no clue what a good game narrative would be. But that's the real draw back for me. Shlocky writing.

It should probably feature photo journalism though. I love taking pictures in games.
 
KJRS_1993 said:
That Spiderman 2 game was cracking.
Make that game again, just more awesome, and I think I'd be more than happy :P
Click to expand...

Yup.

Spiderman 2 with a GTA5 NPC AI routine and more than 20 different event types.

Doesn't take much, there have been quite a few excellent spiderman games in the past.
 
SM2's Webslinging was so ridiculously fun. The last SM game I had played before that was that PS1 game, and while that was ok, SM2 sold me.

Do that, put in some better combat, and if possible improve the open world, and you've got a kickass game.
 
- Web swinging from Spider-Man 2.
- Combat system from Arkham games mixed with Web of Shadows.
- Rockstar quality open world New York.
- Get a comic book writer to do a respectable story for it (NOT Bendis).

Nothing wildly dissimilar to some of the spidey games that have come before, just make it a quality product, not a cheap rush job.
 
Should go either 2 ways:

1) Just cause 2 grapple + open world game design

2) Metroidvania that calls back to the classic beat em' up Maximum Carnage + platforming that makes awesome use of something like this:

super_metroid_2.gif
 
Sojgat said:
- Web swinging from Spider-Man 2.
- Combat system from Arkham games mixed with Web of Shadows.
- Rockstar quality open world New York.
- Get a comic book writer to do a respectable story for it (NOT Bendis).

Nothing wildly dissimilar to some of the spidey games that have come before, just make it a quality product, not a cheap rush job.
Click to expand...

Where do I preorder?
 
Codiox said:
Two words: Neversoft & Treyarch.

just played Spider-Man 2 and Ultimate Spider-Man on my OG Xbox. These are THE Spider-Man games!
Click to expand...

I was actually going to comment Ultimate Spider-Man here as well. That imo as well as Spider Man 2 were among the best, though I still prefer the cel-shaded graphics of Ultimate.

From the footage I've seen in the new game, the city just looks so...empty. I know gameplay wise that doesn't really affect anything, but it makes it look shitty...and budget.

Beenox made a great title with Shattered Dimensions. It didn't need open world gameplay to be good. As soon as they were enlisted to start making the movie games, things went downhill.
 
Eggbok said:
- Don't add annoying robots and traps in the middle of the air, blocking swinging routes.
- Get rid of photography.
- Have multiple swinging styles/layouts.
- Make the web actually stick to buildings.
- Make it fun. (I miss the pizza delivery missions.)
- Or copy/upgrade Spider-Man 2 for current gen and change the missions and story.
Click to expand...

No.
 
I would honestly pay 100+ dollars for a great SM game, and I'm one stingy dude. It's silly how no spider man game has surpassed (or gotten close to) SM2 yet. I replayed some yesterday and was surprised by how nigh perfect it is.

Just improve on SM2 and give it it's own story, and we've got a gdlk experience.
 
How time restricted is the development usually on these ? Is it still a year between games ? If so I'd like to see Activision actually give their developers more time on the licensed games instead of treating them like projects purely to boost their financials. I'm still amazed that Raven Software and High Moon Studios managed to put out licensed games as good as they did under them before being gutted and relegated to COD map pack duty.
 
Sojgat said:
- Web swinging from Spider-Man 2.
- Combat system from Arkham games mixed with Web of Shadows.
- Rockstar quality open world New York.
- Get a comic book writer to do a respectable story for it (NOT Bendis).

Nothing wildly dissimilar to some of the spidey games that have come before, just make it a quality product, not a cheap rush job.
Click to expand...
This is the kicker. You can't try to just tie it to a movie, and you need to give it time for a QUALITY developer to really be able to polish it.
 
As many others have said, the webslinging is obviously a top priority.

Other than that, I think the most important thing is the writing and voice acting. Spidey needs to be spouting witty one-liners all the time. They should make me laugh, and there should be enough of them to not get too repetitive. Spidey's all about the personality.
 
As said before, if a developer spend all the necessary time to make THE open world swinging game then the tough part is half over. Spiderman moves like no one else and it's exhilerating when done right. Make it physics heavy and not casual - you have to figure out the best place to plant webs and such, how to build speed and momentum. This would be pure joy.

After that, what makes Spidey different from most other heroes is that balancing his life with hero work is hard. If you could tap into that, dealing with a bit of poverty, with exhaustion due to over-work, these are the best, most impactful Peter Parker stories.
 
Capture Spidey:

MOMENTUM
- Spidey 2 style web swinging (one web button, one swing/turbo button)
- Spidey sense with dynamic camera
- Add improvisational quality of spidey combat by using environment

JUGGLING LIFE
- Persona Style day cycle
- Make choices between relationships, saving the city and school
- Real impact to the things you don't do (failed relationships, accidents, etc)
- Infamous style photo mode, and you see your work via Daily Bugle papers

LIVING CITY
- A dense New York with people living their lives
- Crowds react to spidey when they see him swinging
- Crowds gather, take pics, etc when a spidey fight is happening
- Nods to the Marvel Universe

ONE PERSONAL STORY
- Focused on one main villain with a few minor ones
- Centered around growth of Peter
- Not tied in with a movie
- Spidey style quips

Separately, it could be interesting if a spidey game was about Miles Morales
 
Spider-Man 2 swinging physics
Open world
Not rushed

They seem to have a lot of trouble with that last one. You'd think they'd learn something from the success of the Arkham games, but I guess shitting out a movie tie in for cheap just makes more sense than taking your time and creating a great, polished, high budget game from a money making point of view.
 
sucker punch would be a good fit. they would get enough time from sony to make a proper game and time it around the release of amazing spiderman 3 the movie
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

  • Poll
How many games do you complete?
46
167
Fermbiz replied
  • Poll
Do you think Sony lets Bungie make another new game after Marathon?
2
65
829
Begleiter replied
Spider-Man model appears to tease new PlayStation game in now-deleted post
Rumor  2
72
596
Mr. PlayStation replied
Pretend for a minute you’re Tim Sweeney. How do you make EGS relevant?
2 3
142
1K
TheLikou replied
Can we get remasters of the PS1 Spider-Man games?
2
61
945
VulcanRaven replied
Top Bottom