Comic-Con 08: Spider-Man: Web of Shadows Interview - “Play However You Want”

by Chad Lakkis on July 27, 2008 at 1:00 am

We sat down with Graham Fuchs, Senior Executive Producer on Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, to talk about some of the key elements in the latest addition to Activision’s Spider-Man videogame library.

What exactly does the game have to offer fans who grew tired of the movie based adaptations, and will it be the title that helps old webhead regain his grip, as he climbs to videogame greatness? Find out after the jump.

For those who are familiar with the camera system in the movie based Spider-Man games, how would you say your camera system is different?

We put in a new camera system for this game. There is a lock on camera now. So, as you saw in the demo, the enemy you have targeted has a red glow around it. Which means that, if you have someone locked on, you can swing all around, and no matter what you do, be it climb up a wall, or jump around in the air, your target will always remain centered on the screen.

We felt that one of the problems in previous Spider-Man games was that, since Spidey can jump and move around so much, and so quickly, you often lost site of the enemy. So this new camera system kind of fixes that.

Can you explain the yellow wisps that seem to emit from Spidey’s limbs as he moves through the air, and do they actually mean something in the game?

It’s really just a new effect system. We wanted to give the combat a little more of a visual punch and flare to it.

You have mentioned that, in other versions of the game, the swinging and fighting mechanic felt separate. Can you elaborate on that, and explain some of the things you have done to rectify that disconnect in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows?

Sure. The developer, Shaba, had a lot of experience working on Tony Hawk titles before taking on this project, and they really wanted to bring that “extreme sports” feeling to the game. Elements such as creating lines out of the environment, and always having a feeling of constant motion.

So you can actually go from swinging through the city, and then immediately — the moment you see an enemy — you can go right into an attack. In fact, one of my favorite moves in the game is called the “swing kick”. You swing through the city, and if you see a guy, you can target him, and then while you are still swinging, just go in and kick him. It knocks him back a block, which I find pretty cool.

You guys have mentioned previously that it has been your goal for quite some time now to create a 3D battle system, and that you feel that Spider-Man is that perfect platform. Can you speak about that a little?

Sure. In making the game, we sort of worked at it a little bit backwards. We asked ourselves, what are the sort of things that we want to do in the game, and then we built the enemies and environments around that.

We wanted to be able to fight guys on the wall, fight guys in the air, etc — and that essentially helped to inspire the symbiote invasion concept. This storyline really allows Spider-Man to let loose.

So instead of just facing thugs, you are going to start facing more and more powerful enemies as the game progresses, that have the same or similar abilities as Spider-man. This really allows you to take advantage of the city’s verticallity, and adds to the games overall depth. Our lead combat designer calls it the most 3D game ever.

How will the combat system work? Can you talk about the different types of attacks that will be available to a player?

Sure. The red suit is based much more on speed and agility, and focuses on web based attacks, while the black suit is based much more on strength and power, and allowing you to perform ichor moves.

So really, gamers have the option of two different styles of combat. You should be able to play however you want, being in complete control, and feeling comfortable.

It’s similar to when you play a fighting game, some people like to get in close, others like to attack more from a distance. So depending on what suit you are playing in, you should really get the feeling that you are building the Spider-Man you want to build.

Will you start off with all the attacks, or will you essentially upgrade them as you go?

The game allows players to upgrade Spider-Man based on the style of play they choose. You complete missions and gain experience. That experience can then be used to upgrade your strength moves, or wall moves, etc. It’s really up to you, and how you decide you want to apply it.

Certain videos depict Spidey dodging several shots being fired at him in slow motion. Specifically, one features The Vulture firing his wing blades at him in funky angles. Is that an in-game cinematic, or is that actual gameplay?

Yeah. That’s actual gameplay.

What can fans expect in terms of villains? Classic Villains? Any villains created specifically for the game?

Venom is leading the symboite invasion, and Kingpin is trying to repel the invaders for his own personal reasons. We’ve shown Vulture, and there will be other villains, some of which have yet to appear in a Spider-Man game, we just aren’t talking about them yet.

What about other Marvel Heroes?

So yeah, we’ve got the Wolverine. We’ve got Luke Cage. and there are a couple other heroes that we’ll start revealing as time goes on.

You have mentioned being able to change suits on the fly. How is that being worked into the actual story?

In the beginning of the story Spidey is reinfected by the alien symbiote, but this time he is in total control of it.

The caveat of the black suit is that it gradually corrupts you the longer you wear it, and its effects, along with other choices you make in the game, will dynamically effect the storyline. So that is how the suit is being worked in.

How large is the world itself compared to other sandbox type games, and even other Spidey games?

You know, I never know how to answer that questions … Big? [laughter]

How much of the game will consist of cinematics? Are you guys handling the story process in a different way? i.e. dialogue laid over actual gameplay?

There are cinematics in the game, but beyond that, I can’t really say exactly how much, or what percentage really. I can say that the game offers a lot of gameplay.

Beginning to end, how many hours can a gamer expect to get out of this game?

You can play for a while. Not only are there the missions, but you have the sandbox gameplay, fighting crime in the city, and other things to do. Also, the more you fight crime, the more experience you gain. In other words, if you the type of gamer that really wants to max out Spider-Man, you can go around and fight crime, racking up experience to upgrade your character. It could take you a while.

Previous Spider-Man games involved saving a small child’s balloon, etc. What types of side-quests do you have planned?

In Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, the city gameplay really revolves more around fighting crime in the city — there wont be any saving balloons or anything like that.

Any notable voice actors in the game?

Being that this is a comic book based game, and not a film based game, we sort of just went for quality voice acting.

There is a lot of buzz right now circulating around the Dark Knight movie. Lots of people are saying it crushes all of the Spider-Man films. Who do you think would win in a battle between Spidey and the Caped Crusader?

Wow — that’s one for the ages. Since we are working on a Spider-Man game, I would have to say Spidey. [laughter]

Finally, we have something here at Ripten we are trying out called “Ten Second Rip”. This is your chance to explain what makes your game great in ten seconds or less. Ready?

This is the best combat system that has ever been in a Spider-Man game. I think that people are really going to dig it because it allows you to actually fight the way you see Spidey fight in the films and in the comics, which hasn’t really been done before.

http://www.ripten.com/spiderman-web-shadows.flv

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