It has been a long time, but the webbed wonder is finally getting ready to swing into a new adventure in Spider-Man for PlayStation 4. Being developed by Insomniac Games (Ratchet & Clank, Sunset Overdrive), the title has become one of the more anticipated gaming ventures dropping in 2018.

As comic and gaming fans alike grow more excited for the still-unnamed game's debut, there are questions surrounding the project and what to expect from the product upon its arrival. It's for these reasons that Screen Rant has decided to take a look at the release date, trailer, news, and rumors surrounding Marvel Games' latest Spider-Man title.

Spider-Man PS4 Release Date Set For September 2018

Insomniac Games' Spider-Man PS4 releases on September 7, 2018 for PlayStation 4. As an additional note for anyone hoping that this game will make its way over to other platforms, such as the Xbox One or PC, Spider-Man will only ever be on PlayStation 4. This is because Sony Interactive Entertainment is publishing the title for Insomniac and Marvel Games.

What Kind of Game is Spider-Man PS4?

spiderman ps4

Players will be taking on the role of Peter Parker when they finally get their hands on Spider-Man for PS4, but he won't be the rookie he's been portrayed as in other romps. Instead, users will be introduced to an experienced Parker that has been webbing baddies and fighting crime for roughly eight years – making him 23-years-old during the events of this game. Still, the crux of the game will focus on the duality of the Marvel hero as he juggles his life as Peter Parker and alter-ego Spider-Man.

Looking to honor the roots that Marvel's Spider-Man has within some of its more critically acclaimed video game entries, Insomniac's version is an open-world adventure with several different mission types – including side missions. The entirety of New York City will be available to swing around in right from the very beginning, which means that players won't have to complete story-focused quests in order to gain access to the entirety of the standard map.

Of course, traversing through the world may seem comparable to the beloved PlayStation 2 titles developed by Treyarch – the same studio responsible for the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – but there have actually been a few tweaks to the webbed method of transportation itself. While previous titles under the Spider-Man label utilized preset animations for swinging, everything about how Peter Parker will be traversing his environment is based on physics and his in-game placement of webs on buildings as he swings. At least, that's according to the official Insomniac Games twitter account.

Spider-Man PS4 Has Quick Time Events But Not Many

During the E3 2017 demo, fans quickly noticed that there were Quick Time Events during a pivotal action sequence. This immediately got some concerned that the timed-button press mechanics would be a focal point for the final game and its (presumably) many confrontations, but Insomniac Games' Twitter clarified that this was strictly part of "a set-piece blockbuster moment" and that the meat of the final game will remain "combat and traversal."

Spider-Man PS4 Has Playable Mary Jane, But What About Miles Morales?

spiderman ps4 miles morales

Featured at the end of Spider-Man's E3 2017 demo was a cameo that may have flown over the heads of some gamers that either aren't well-versed in the universe surrounding the Marvel web-slinger. Following an intense helicopter chase scene, a teenager appears on-screen with his mobile phone – seemingly enamoured by the hero that he just witnessed saving the day. That individual is none other than Miles Morales, who fans will recognize as the person that takes on the mantle of Spider-Man alongside (and after) Peter Parker in the comics.

It's still unknown if Morales will suit up as Spider-Man in Insomniac's title, but it would be odd if the hero-to-be didn't play a larger role considering that he was featured in the game's first major, and not to mention public, gameplay demo. Insomniac creative director Bryan Intihar has previously refused to confirm or deny if Miles Morales will be playable, but that didn't stop him from opening up about that fact that Peter's iconic love interest, Mary Jane Watson, will be playable:

"We've confirmed that you can play as Peter Parker, and Mary Jane Watson is more than just a person in the story. You can also play as her at certain parts of the story as well. What would you imagine a reporter might do, and what kind of situations can they get into?"

This sounds almost like a detective/reporter role for Mary Jane, as the character has taken on the role of a broadcast journalist in past comics. The extent of how her playable scenarios will pan out remains to be seen, but it provides an interesting twist and hope that Miles may not be all that far behind.

Spider-Man PS4 Features Some Familiar Villains

Kingpin Insomniac Spider-Man game

As a lesser-known villain, Mister Negative (the mastermind behind a villainous gang called the Inner Demons) acts as a foil that ties into the theme of duality in Insomniac Games' Spider-Man, especially since the villain also has a civilian alter-ego known as Martin Li – a man responsible for running homeless shelters in New York City – a la Peter Parker.

Fortunately for fans, there will be other baddies making their way into the game. Outside of Li, Wilson Fisk (a.k.a. The Kingpin) will be present – albeit from behind bars. Despite Spider-Man having locked up the villain prior to the opening of the title, it's safe to say that Kingpin will have a plot cooking during the events of the game, and that could lead to a slew of other familiar faces making an appearance as well.

Also rounding out the rogues' gallery will be noteworthy villains and anti-heroes like Black Cat and Task Master, both of which offer their own set of missions. Felicia “Black Cat” Hardy will apparently require Spider-Man to locate a hidden cat in an environment with the title and all of it will be building to some sort of event. Task Master, on the other hand, has a series of missions around New York City, with one being the need to locate a bomb and coat it in webs in order to muffle its explosion. Since Task Master can perfectly copy the abilities of heroes and other villains he sees in action, could all of this be building to a confrontation between the two? While Insomniac Games has yet to comment on that, they did confirm that the baddie was watching Peter complete these tasks from hidden points.

Not content on just using bad guys as side quests, others like Shocker will also appear during the main campaign. Signs around the world also imply that Oscorp Industries is alive and well, which could allude to the appearance of Norman "Green Goblin" Osborn. Peter's best friend Harry, however, is away in Europe during the events of Spider-Man, and has opted to leave him with several time-related tasks around the city.

Does Spider-Man PS4 Have Microtransactions?

As a major sore point for gamers, microtransactions are clearly not a selling point for fans anymore. The act of charging for items like loot boxes or in-game armor immediately take away from the experience that developers spend so much time trying to immerse players in. That's why many consumers are curious to see if they'll be required to fork over additional funds in order to secure the entirety of a game they've already paid full-price for, but Insomniac Games knows these concerns all too well.

So, when Insomniac Games' creative director Bryan Intihar was asked about whether or not there would be any microtransactions in Spider-Man his response was “hell no.” There will still be downloadable content added within the game's post-launch period, with one focussing on the aforementioned Black Cat, but price points and further details for these add-ons is still unknown.

Spider-Man PS4's Map is 4 to 6 Times Larger Than Sunset Overdrive's

New York City is big, and Insomniac Games sounds keen on maintaining as much of this scale as possible. According to Insomniac community developer James Stevenson (via GamesRadar), "the map size is probably four to six times that of Sunset Overdrive." While Sunset Overdrive – an Xbox One exclusive game also developed by Insomniac – didn't feature an environment something comparable in scale to Grand Theft Auto 5 or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the beauty was in the level of detail, the means of traversal, and the number of collectibles that filled the world. In that light, this is some exciting news for anyone hoping for additional content to occupy their time outside of the main narrative.

Spider-Man PS4 Could Launch a Marvel Games Universe

Sony PS4 Spider-Man Game Insomniac Games

Marvel Games Executive Creative Director Bill Rosemann was coy about Marvel's Spider-Man game potentially launching a Marvel Games Universe similar to how Jon Favreau's Iron Man kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008, but he didn't rule out the idea either. Considering that Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum appears in the game, and that Square Enix has an Avengers game in the works, it's possible that characters and storylines from these games could one day crossover in a future installment or DLC.

Spider-Man PS4 Is Getting A Prequel Novel

As with many superhero movies, Insomniac Games' Spider-Man PS4 will also receive a prequel tie-in novel that sets up the game's story. Titan Books' Spider-Man: Hostile Takeover will feature several of Spidey's supporting characters and villains, such as "Shocker, Echo, the Blood Spider, J. Jonah Jameson, Mary Jane Watson, and Wilson Fisk – the Kingpin." Along with the story, the novel will also showcase the making of the game, much of which will differentiate from Spider-Man: The Art of the Game, which itself releases after the game hits store shelves. Spider-Man: Hostile Takeover releases on August 21.

Spider-Man PS4 Trailers

Official Website: Insomniac Games