We are about 2 weeks out from the release of one of the most anticipated titles of 2018, and the marketing campaign is ramping up. Insomniac Games’ PS4 exclusive title Marvel’s Spider-Man has long been given the star treatment since its reveal, as Sony consistently markets the popular superhero title as one of the few central pillars of its single-player lineup. Our writer’s hands-on impressions at Comic Con in July left mixed reactions, but the newest trailer seems promising nonetheless.
Hoping to dominate the holiday season with the beloved comic book character as a system-seller, the company has strategically released information and trailers to sustain hype for the game but not so far as to generate advertising exhaustion. During the San Diego Comic Con, the Marvel panel generated a slew of new info regarding bonuses and story content. So naturally, the latest trailer revealed one of the game’s most important aspects – the open world.
This trailer is unique in its execution of exposition. Instead of using a traditional narrator, Insomniac opted for a conversational style of giving info in the form of Peter Parker calling into a radio station to defend Spider-Man against the tirades of J. Jonah Jameson. The radio show host accuses Spider-Man of treating New York City like a playground, lambasting the way that his vigilante antics attract even more chaos to the city.
Throughout this back-and-forth, footage of the masked hero swinging and diving his way through the city highlights his jaw-dropping mobility and the gorgeous backdrop of NYC filled with vibrant details. Fans with keen eyes have observed that the trailer also subtly shows off the Avengers Tower, Dr. Strange’s Sanctum, as well as the Wakanda Embassy, teasing the potential of future crossover events or perhaps setting up an extended universe of some kind. Either way, the possibilities are perhaps the most understated part of the trailer.
While we don’t know whether the world is static, or if every nook and cranny is interactive, we do know that the NPCs are fairly dynamic in the way they can interact with our protagonist. The trailer also features the iconic quote by Uncle Ben, along with visually spectacular scenes of the versatile combat system.
Marvel’s Spider-Man will launch September 7 for the PS4.