Spider-Man

Spider-Man’s Backpacks Bring The Web-Slinger Down To Earth

Spider-Man is chock full of collectibles. You’re meant to grab tokens from fighting crime and clearing out bases to upgrade and build new suits for Peter Parker. My favorite collectible, though, is the mementos you find in Peter Parker’s backpacks around the city. These backpacks aren’t hard to find; they’re not especially cleverly placed or…

Spider-Man Makes Us Want To Swing With Style

Swinging around in the new Spider-Man is so much fun, it’ll make you look past the Ubisoft-style collect-a-thon. We discuss that and much more on this week’s Kotaku Splitscreen First, Kirk and I talk some more about Destiny 2‘s Forsaken expansion, addressing the question “how much should creators listen to fan feedback?” and talking about…

I Really Want To Help Spider-Man Find All His Backpacks

Spider-Man has done the unthinkable and turned me into a completionist. I hate busy work and repetition, and I’ve never 100%’ed a game in my life, but Spider-Man’s various idiosyncratic collectibles changed all of that. As I said in my review, I enjoyed most of the side missions, but I especially loved hunting for Peter…

Spider-Man‘s Take On Police Feels Out Of Touch

Spider-Man has taken on his share of street thugs and supervillains, sometimes teaming up with the police to face down foes and rescue the people of New York. While Spider-Man on PS4 undoubtedly shows Spidey’s allegiance to his community, it also casts him as a big fan of police and their tactics that sometimes conflict…

Spider-Man‘s Windows Are Amazing

When you live in a giant city like New York, you stop noticing certain things. Spider-Man for the PS4 lets you swing 80 stories above the city, but it still takes time to indulge in little details that remind me of the life that happens all around that I usually tune out. One of my…

It’s Easy To Miss One Of Spider-Man’s Coolest Audio Details

In the PS4’s very good new Spider-Man game, Peter Parker spends a lot of time web-swinging through Manhattan in pursuit of truth, justice, and collectables. As he flings himself about, he frequently gets calls from friends on his radio, and he responds differently depending on whether or not he’s exerting himself. I bought Spider-Man when…

Wedding Proposal Hidden In Spider-Man Unravels, May Be Patched Out [Update]

A Spider-Man fan who asked to have a marriage proposal put into the new Spider-Man video game got his wish, but things fell apart for the couple and it may now be removed from the game. Back in May 2018, Tyler Schultz sent a tweet to Insomniac Games, the studio behind Marvel’s Spider-Man, with a…

A Tour of Spider-Man’s Marvel Universe Easter Egg Locations

Now that Spider-Man is out, there are a ton of really cool nods to fellow characters within the Marvel universe that also call New York City home. I swung around the city and captured ten of my favorites to give newcomers a little tour of the city. There are no story spoilers in this video,…

The Comic Book Touches That Make Spider-Man‘s Photo Mode So Much Fun

Spider-Man is finally out, as is its day-one patch which adds in a spectacular photo mode. It’s worth taking a second (or maybe several hours) to mess around with, thanks to a number of special bells and whistles that play perfectly into the game’s comic-book roots. We’ve seen a lot of great photo modes recently,…

Tips For Playing Spider-Man

You might have heard there’s a new Spider-Man game out today. You might have also heard it’s very good. For those who have decided to try out this little old game for themselves, I have some guidance to offer. Spider-Man is a surprisingly approachable game, but beneath the surface there are a lot of systems…

Spider-Man: The Kotaku Review

Insomniac Games’ new Spider-Man adventure on the PS4 is a fun comic book brawler with some good story beats elevated by a system of acrobatics that features some of the most intuitive and exhilarating movement I’ve ever experienced in a game. It’s extremely fun, if you’re okay with a version of New York City that…

A Spoiler-Free Primer On The Characters In The New Spider-Man Game

Spider-Man for the PlayStation 4 is a game worth playing, even for someone only vaguely familiar with the popular comic series and its six movie tie-ins. If that’s you, here’s a handy little guide to the characters you need to know to get the most out of Insomniac’s web-slinging adventure. Before we get started, a…

We’re playing Spider-Man live on Twitch. Join me and Ethan as we swing through New York City. Join us in chat! 

Marvel’s Spider-Man Teaches You To Think Like Spidey

Many Spider-Man games have done a great job making you feel like everybody’s favorite webslinger, but Insomniac’s latest game takes it even further by encouraging you to think like him, too. Swinging on webs is crucial to any Spider-Man game, and it’s also a big reason why Spidey makes for such a great character to…

‘Shop Contest: Bring Me Pictures Of Spider-Man

We’re getting a brand new Spider-Man game soon, and I think that we need some new perspectives on the ole Web Head. Spider-Man’s a menace. Much like that dastardly Captain Toad, Spider-Man goes around the world just doing whatever the hell he wants, and there’s nothing that ordinary people like you and I can do…

People Who Haven’t Played Spider-Man Are Mad The Developers Took Out A Puddle

They say there’s no use crying over spilled milk, but what about spilled water? That, according to a contingent of Spider-Man fans, is worth a fuss of superheroic proportions. The new Spider-Man game is mere days from leaping out of developer Insomniac’s imagination factory and into our living rooms, but even though it’s not out…

Now That Amazon’s Pre-Order Discount Is Gone, Games Are Coming Back

One of the most common questions we’ve received over the past few months is some variation on this: “Why isn’t [game I want to pre-order] available on Amazon?” Now that Amazon has ended its 20% pre-order discount policy, that question may no longer be relevant. This afternoon, developer Insomniac Games announced that the upcoming Spider-Man…

Sony’s Spider-Man PS4 Is Very Nice

On September 7, Sony will be releasing this Spider-Man PS4 console in the US and Canada. It’ll cost USD$399/CAD$499. The bundle includes a Spider-Man themed PS4 Pro console, DualShock and a copy of Insomniac’s Spider-Man game. We used to get a lot of custom, limited edition consoles, whether they were colour schemes or branded offerings…

Swinging Through New York City As Spidey Feels Effortless

The New York Insomniac created for Spider-Man is just about everything I’ve hoped for since the 2001 Sam Raimi movie with Tobey Maguire. The buildings are all very tall, divided between glass skyscrapers and old brick high rises. In between, there are alleyways bathed in the warm glow of a setting sun that never seems…

Everything Sony Showed At E3 2018

Tonight at Sony’s PlayStation E3 press conference, they showed off a handful of games including The Last of Us Part II, some more Spider-Man, and the gorgeous-looking Ghost of Tsushima. They also announced Nioh 2. Good night for samurai games! The show was logistically odd, as attendees were herded through a couple of different locations…