 Following last year's movie-tied Spider-Man 3 and kiddie-focused Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, we thought Activision might give the Webhead some time off. Thankfully, the publisher has no plans of granting the comic book do-gooder a vacation; in fact, web-swinging wannabes can wear virtual spandex later this year in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. We met with the game's executive producer, Graham Fuchs, and—in our best J. Jonah impression—grilled him on Peter Parker's latest gaming go 'round.
WIZARD: Can you provide some details on Web of Shadows' story?
GRAHAM FUCHS: It's a comic-based title…New York City has been invaded, S.H.I.E.L.D has declared martial law—they're evacuating the city. Luke Cage is making a last stand in Harlem, Kingpin is holed up in his stronghold in Midtown, gathering his forces to battle the invasion. The player is Spider-Man in the middle of all this, and it's really up to them to decide how they want to deal with the invasion.
Is it at all based on any specific comic book or movie, or is it a totally original story?
It's not tied to any particular storyarc. And that's been great because it's really given us the freedom to work in the elements of the comic we wanted, as well as introduce stuff that works with the mechanics of the game.
Spider-Man 3 was criticized in terms of visuals and gameplay; some felt it was a lot like Spider-Man 2 with a slightly prettier paint job. Can we expect something different from Web of Shadows?
Yes, we've put in a whole new combat system, one that gives players the ability to fight the way Spider-Man should fight; a real ability to control, upgrade and evolve Spidey throughout the game. Depending on what fighting style you prefer, you'll be able to focus on specific areas in improving Spidey. We're also really taking advantage of the verticality of the city—our combat designer feels this is the most 3D Spider-Man game ever. You'll be able to start a fight on the ground, continue fighting up the sides of buildings, and onto the rooftops…really taking advantage of the vertical city. It's just a whole new system that'll feel more acrobatic and Spider-Man-like.
Is it using any of the same fighting or web-swinging mechanics as previous titles?
It's all new; everything's been evolved and improved.
What kind of jump can we expect in terms of audio and visual presentation?
The whole city has been rebuilt. It's absolutely fantastic…a great leap forward in terms of visual quality.
Can you talk about the creepy stuff enveloping the building that we've seen in the trailer and screens?
I don't know [Laughs]…what is that?
How about villains?
Well, it takes place in New York, so you're going to run into a lot of heroes and villains. And who chooses to be on your side may be determined by your actions.
How about other characters like Mary Jane, Aunt May, J. Jonah? Will we see them?
New York's in trouble, and all of Spidey's friends and family live there, so I'm sure we'll see plenty of those folks.
The last game, Friend or Foe, was aimed at a younger audience. Can we expect a more mature outing for Spidey this time?
Yes, this is definitely for the more mature Spidey fans. |
