- A Bigger Map
Spider-Man PS4 featured the most realistic depiction of New York City in the history of video games. Landmarks like the Empire State Building and Times Square were rendered in photo realistic detail. The Manhattan skyline provided the player the ability to truly take on the role of Spider-Man and web-swing through the concrete jungle in a way that has never been captured in video games. However, the player was restricted only to Manhattan Island. Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island were off limits to players. Insomniac Games designed such a realistic version of Manhattan that one can only imagine what they would be able to do with the Big Apple's other boroughs. The addition of the other boroughs would also provide a much different environment for Spider-Man to traverse. The player would have to figure out how to get around the city quickly without having to rely on Manhattan's skyscrapers.
2. A Better Paced Story
The story for Spider-Man PS4 was one of the highlights of the game. The story was surprisingly emotional and felt like a movie that would fit well into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In fact, it was one of the best Spider-Man stories that's been told outside the films. However, the story was poorly paced in terms of boss fights. With the exception of the Shocker and Mister Negative, all of the boss fights in Spider-Man PS4 were in the final couple hours of the game. The next game should try to spread out boss fights a little more to keep the story from becoming uninteresting. A potential sequel should also avoid having all of the major plot points take place in the last few hours of the game
3. More Creative Boss Fights
The boss fights in Spider-Man PS4 were hit and miss. The boss battles where Spider-Man was forced to face two villains alone was truly unique for the superhero video game genre, where the player normally faces only one villain at a time. Insomniac did a good job in this regard of differentiating Spider-Man PS4 from the Arkham series. However, the boss fights between the Shocker, Mister Negative, and the final part of the Doctor Octopus boss fight proved to be repetitive as all it required the player to was to memorize the the boss's basic attacks dodge and then counterattack. In fact, the fight between the Shocker and Doctor Octopus were practically identical. The Doctor Octopus boss fight also slowed to a crawl in the final few minutes and was just a boring quick time event. Insomniac should get more creative with boss fights by taking them out of closed off environments and placing them into the heart of New York City. They also need to be less repetitive in order to keep the player on their toes.
Spider-Man PS4 featured some interesting and obvious hints that the rest of the Marvel Universe exists in this world. Avengers Tower is one of the tallest buildings in the game and Dr. Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum is tucked away in a quiet Manhattan neighborhood. These hints have laid the groundwork for some of Marvel's other heroes to make an appearance in a sequel (there are actually rumors circulating that this is the beginning of a Marvel video game universe). Obviously, certain characters wouldn't be suited to be featured in a Spider-Man game due how they are positioned in the Marvel Universe. Characters like Thor or Rocket Raccoon would be a bit out of place in a Spider-Man game. Certain characters like Iron Man or even Captain America could be used in a small cameo role if utilized properly. Iron Man would be better suited for this as he and Spider-Man already share an interest in science and technology. If Insomniac were to feature a Marvel superhero (or superheroes) more prominently in the game, they should probably go with a street level hero like Spider-Man. The two most logical character to feature in this role would be either Daredevil or Luke Cage. Daredevil and Spider-Man have a long history of sporadically teaming up in the comics, so this would be a good fit and match the tone that Insomniac has given to their Marvel Universe. Potential storylines could also incorporate Daredevil's alter ego Matt Murdock and revolve around his profession as an attorney for the New York City's downtrodden. Perhaps a side mission in the game could include Spider-Man helping Daredevil exonerate a client of Matt Murdock that has been accused of a crime he didn't commit. If Insomniac wanted to feature Daredevil more prominently they could have Spider-Man enlist his help for his fight against the Kingpin. Luke Cage would be another interesting option because his bullet proof skin and superhuman strength are far different from Spider-Man's and could make for some interesting gameplay during combat. Luke Cage's job as a hero for hire could be incorporated into a side mission by having Cage dupe a gullible Spider-Man into helping him out on a job.
5. More Villains
Spider-Man PS4 featured an excellent cast of villains that all had unique personalities and motivations for fighting Spider-Man. Electro was motivated by pure greed, Rhino was motivated by finding a way to escape the robot exoskeleton that he's trapped in, and Doctor Octopus was driven by a jealous rage towards his former business partner, Mayor Norman Osborne. Insomniac could use the Doctor Octopus and Norman Osborne feud as a way to introduce the Green Goblin. Perhaps, Norman Osborne grows so desperate to defeat Doctor Octopus that he tests a secret formula on himself that turns him into the Green Goblin. Another villain that can be introduced is Venom. In the end credits scene, a gravely ill Harry Osborne is shown in suspended animation inside a tank and his covered in what appears to be a stringy black substance. What if this substance is actually the Symbiote that becomes Venom? This could be an interesting spin on the character, but I would be surprised if Marvel actually lets Insomniac deviate that far from the source material. Another minor villain that could be introduced and has an amazing amount of potential is the Sandman. Sandman's powers could be make for an absolutely epic boss fight that would look amazing on the PS4 or on a next-gem platform.
What did you think of this blog post? What do you want to to see in a Spider-Man PS4 sequel? Feel free to leave a comment and follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheWacoKid6
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