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We’d love to know how many man-hours Insomniac Games has invested into Spider-Man’s web swinging system. The reality is this: there’s no point in making a Spidey game if you can’t get the traversal right, and it’s telling of the franchise’s disappointing video game legacy that PlayStation 2 title Spider-Man 2 is still considered the pinnacle of the series.

Until now, that is. Game Informer has published the first parts of its cover story, and the PlayStation 4 exclusive is sounding unsurprisingly ace. And yes, that all-important navigation seems like a key part of the upcoming title’s appeal, as it balances accessibility with creative freedom, making the entirety of Manhattan a sandbox for you to zip around in.

According to the magazine, the controls work as such: R2 allows you to run or fire out a web to the nearest building. When in a swing, you press X to jump out, and you can either web-zip off objects or fire off another web. Pressing R2 and L2 in conjunction takes you to the nearest perch point, where you can pause or "boost" off. You can also press L3 to dive, and use circle to “round” corners.

The takeaway from Game Informer, who got hands on time with the title, is that it’s fluid and fast – but most importantly, it’s skill-based. This means that, while the title’s easy enough to pick up and play, it allows for more creative manoeuvres once you get to grips with things. Even more pertinently, there’ll be upgrades that you unlock throughout the campaign designed to enhance your options.

Combat sounds similarly acrobatic, with environmental objects like barrels built into the system. You’ll build up a combo allowing you to execute finishers similar to in the Batman: Arkham games, but mobility is the key to the fighting system as you whip from one foe to the next, taking them down one at a time.

As has already been revealed, there’ll be multiple suits in the game, including one inspired by Punk Spider-Man which will allow the hero to whip out a guitar and shockwave enemies with its sound. Apparently, other suits will have similarly unique abilities. And it’s worth noting that you will also play as Peter Parker and Mary-Jane throughout the campaign.

With regards to the open world itself, it’s sounding a lot like a Ubisoft collectathon. You’ll be able to take photos with the civilians that populate New York City, but you’ll also need to snap golden cats. There’ll be various bombs placed by Taskmaster that you’ll need to defuse, as well as rucksacks to recover and much, much more. Strongholds controlled by Kingpin? Check.

You’ll gain experience points by completing everything, which in turn will feed back into the character progression system. There’ll also be various gadgets that you’ll unlock, including a drone which can shoot its own webs. And that’s pretty much the bulk of the new details; do give Game Informer a click because they’ve put together this huge preview. Sounds good, doesn't it?

[source gameinformer.com]