The Amazing Spider-Man 2 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Video Game Thread - Part 7

[JOE]

The game looks great on the PS4 from what I've seen screenshots of.

 

[SpideyK]

The game looks even better on PC, Joe.

Also, the game looks the best at night.

 

[JOE]

Haven't built my gaming PC yet, it's on my to do list. When I do I'll see if I can pick up a cheap copy by then.

 

[webhead731]

Anyone beat all the combat challenges yet? What happens to them when you do? Does it start over or can you select them individually instead of having to play through each one?

 

[SpideyK]

Haven't built my gaming PC yet, it's on my to do list. When I do I'll see if I can pick up a cheap copy by then.

Okay, cool.

Anyone beat all the combat challenges yet? What happens to them when you do? Does it start over or can you select them individually instead of having to play through each one?

I haven't beaten all the combat challanges yet, but from what I hear, you unlock the Superior Spider-Man suit when you do.

 

[Zaron]

I haven't picked up the game, because I was worried it would be crap. Everything I've been hearing confirms those fears. SM2 remains my favorite game of all time, yet I've so thoroughly given up on anything Spidey. Someone besides Beenox needs a shot at these games.

 

[jonathancrane]

I'll pick up the game-in light of the reviews-when it's $15. Hard to believe I was within a click of preordering it.

 

[Nathan]

 

[First Avenger]

Lol.

 

[kbrooksgohan]

So after playing the new game I redid some of the suggestions I had for the next game. Let me know what you think. Especially since you now know what ASM2 had to offer.

Amazing Spiderman 3 Suggestions

Swinging/Locomotion

1.Bottom of the Swing Mechanic – SM2 - please include this feature. You pressed X to increase momentum. I feel like the swinging is still automated and players should have deeper control.

2.Web Zip Traditional – SM2/USM - I miss the original web zip.


3.Improve Web Rush – I think web rush is a good addition but I would like it if I could chain together rushes to create some true iconic spidey maneuvers and poses. My main gripe with Web Rush is it automatically does movement for me.

4.Controller Rumble Effects – I liked the control rumble in ASM1 when it felt like you were at the bottom of the swing. I also liked the control effect in ASM2 but I think it would be cool if firing the webline had its own effect and actually starting the swing had its own and finally the bottom of the swing has its own effect. Ex: Webline = elastic like rumble. Swing = building rumble. Bottom of the swing = nausea rumble from ASM1.

5.Charge Jump - SM2 – please please add this back in. I want to charge my jump. It might seem stupid but it felt like it was a nice addition. Even

6. Double Jump – SM2 - please add this back in! The jump in ASM1 and ASM2 is very stiff and he jumps straight into the air.

7.Climb Up – Ultimate Spiderman – please give us the ability to climb our webs by pressing a button. This was also seen in the new movie. It seems like the web isn’t real if we can’t interact with it.

8.Looping – SM2 – I would like the ability to loop around poles using real momentum(X) and the ability to loop around tall buildings to get to the top of the building. I used to do this in SM2.

9.Speed Upgrades – SM2 – I think now it is time to give the players increased speed upgrades. Spiderman seems to be moving extremely slow. In the new game you can move faster but the hero menace system almost negates the boost option. If you’re not fast enough to get there what was the point of the upgrade?

10. Speed Blur – SM2 – please refer to SM2. When the momentum/bottom of the swing was used the screen would distort. I feel like this helps to sell the fact that your going faster. I think the little speed lines added in ASM2 don’t do that as well. It’s cool that you can sort of feel it in the control but I think the screen needs to register it too.

11. Iconic Poses – in my opinion Spiderman does not use enough iconic poses during is swings and even after swinging. I think it would be awesome if there was time put into giving him many variations on how he swings instead of the same animation over and over. I think giving us actual upgrade options JUST for poses would be really awesome.

12.Wall Run – SM2 – I think the wall run from Sm2 was more effective than the wall run present in ASM2. The Wall run in ASM2 is almost impossible to do fluidly because it has the same command was swinging.

13.Wall Bounce – SM2 – I really liked this mechanic because I could start swinging and then when I hit the wall I could press x to bounce off the wall. In another circumstance I could bounce between buildings to get to the top of the building. I think it opens up our options.

14. Air Tricks – SM2 – I think this is the ultimate addition. In SM2 Spiderman could upgrade the tricks he could do in the air. It filled is stamina meter but it also helped make swinging and traveling the city more fun. I think this feature should be added but I would like to see more trick options. Preferably more cooler looking tricks. I would also suggest against making it automated.

15. Splat – SM2 – When we fall from a building that’s to high we should lose health depending on how high the building is.

16. City – please make the city bigger so that the web lines are long enough.

Next up will be Webbing.

 

[Tim]

I like your suggestions, added my own thoughts to them:

So after playing the new game I redid some of the suggestions I had for the next game. Let me know what you think. Especially since you now know what ASM2 had to offer.

Amazing Spiderman 3 Suggestions

Swinging/Locomotion

1.Bottom of the Swing Mechanic – SM2 - please include this feature. You pressed X to increase momentum. I feel like the swinging is still automated and players should have deeper control.
They should just overall make a proper physics based swinging mechanic. Weblines have their own physical properties (elastic, bend, collisions etc.) and the speed boost will come automatically if you swing properly. X should be used to charge a jump and then let go to catapult yourself out of the swing (like SM2/3).

2.Web Zip Traditional – SM2/USM - I miss the original web zip.
Could easily be achieved by tipping the triggers instead of holding them down, don't know why they didn't include that one. Maybe they thought web rush is enough, which it clearly isnt. I had a lot of problems with web rush the past few gameplay sessions (mainly glitching into buildings causing incredibly awkward web rush moments).

3.Improve Web Rush – I think web rush is a good addition but I would like it if I could chain together rushes to create some true iconic spidey maneuvers and poses. My main gripe with Web Rush is it automatically does movement for me.
Exactly! Suggested this ages ago. Why not have the normal web rush interface and then give us the option to place markers down with a button? They could limit it to 2 markers, upgrade it to 5 etc. so we can create our own controlled web rush path. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Suggested it years ago after TASM1 but no dice so far.

4.Controller Rumble Effects – I liked the control rumble in ASM1 when it felt like you were at the bottom of the swing. I also liked the control effect in ASM2 but I think it would be cool if firing the webline had its own effect and actually starting the swing had its own and finally the bottom of the swing has its own effect. Ex: Webline = elastic like rumble. Swing = building rumble. Bottom of the swing = nausea rumble from ASM1.
I barely notice any rumble, could be me using the DS4 with emulator (even though I felt rumble in the intro mission). But this should definitely be a big gameplay element for immersion.

5.Charge Jump - SM2 – please please add this back in. I want to charge my jump. It might seem stupid but it felt like it was a nice addition. Even
I don't get why they even removed the charged jump from TASM1, having trouble jumping on a higher story platform in certain levels due to that. The upwards web pull is unreliable and glitchy.

6. Double Jump – SM2 - please add this back in! The jump in ASM1 and ASM2 is very stiff and he jumps straight into the air.

7.Climb Up – Ultimate Spiderman – please give us the ability to climb our webs by pressing a button. This was also seen in the new movie. It seems like the web isn’t real if we can’t interact with it.
I was actually expecting this, I could SWEAR they posted a facebook comment detailing exactly that. Must've been cut last minute or a mixup between marketing/devs.

8.Looping – SM2 – I would like the ability to loop around poles using real momentum(X) and the ability to loop around tall buildings to get to the top of the building. I used to do this in SM2.
Should be fairly easy once they decide to add physical properties to weblines and add proper physics based web swinging.

9.Speed Upgrades – SM2 – I think now it is time to give the players increased speed upgrades. Spiderman seems to be moving extremely slow. In the new game you can move faster but the hero menace system almost negates the boost option. If you’re not fast enough to get there what was the point of the upgrade?
Speed upgrades should be a thing of the past with proper physic based webswinging seeing as the momentum should come naturally.

10. Speed Blur – SM2 – please refer to SM2. When the momentum/bottom of the swing was used the screen would distort. I feel like this helps to sell the fact that your going faster. I think the little speed lines added in ASM2 don’t do that as well. It’s cool that you can sort of feel it in the control but I think the screen needs to register it too.


11. Iconic Poses – in my opinion Spiderman does not use enough iconic poses during is swings and even after swinging. I think it would be awesome if there was time put into giving him many variations on how he swings instead of the same animation over and over. I think giving us actual upgrade options JUST for poses would be really awesome.

12.Wall Run – SM2 – I think the wall run from Sm2 was more effective than the wall run present in ASM2. The Wall run in ASM2 is almost impossible to do fluidly because it has the same command was swinging.
Don't see how they could do this due to their controller setup. What should be the sprint input to go wall running?

13.Wall Bounce – SM2 – I really liked this mechanic because I could start swinging and then when I hit the wall I could press x to bounce off the wall. In another circumstance I could bounce between buildings to get to the top of the building. I think it opens up our options.

14. Air Tricks – SM2 – I think this is the ultimate addition. In SM2 Spiderman could upgrade the tricks he could do in the air. It filled is stamina meter but it also helped make swinging and traveling the city more fun. I think this feature should be added but I would like to see more trick options. Preferably more cooler looking tricks. I would also suggest against making it automated.

15. Splat – SM2 – When we fall from a building that’s to high we should lose health depending on how high the building is.
Don't get why they add a safety net either, maybe they think it's not really "Spider-Man like" to go splat.

16. City – please make the city bigger so that the web lines are long enough.
They should overall work on the proportions of elements in their game. Spidey looks too big compared to the rooftop of the Oscorp tower. Will most likely change with next gen only and them expanding upon what they have. Would be sick to roam in a 1:1 scale NYC one day, even though it'll never happen.

Next up will be Webbing.

Wrote up my own thoughts/feedback on their official forums, might aswell post them here:

Web swinging:
It's a HUGE step up from the boring swinging we had in TASM1, thanks for that. But it's still not where it should be, a few points on how you could improve it in future titles:
- It feels too similar to the one found in TASM1, at times it feels like it's simply the TASM1 swinging with anchor points (way too static). Please consider giving the weblines physical properties (they should be elastic and bend etc. when you hit a lamppost, not no-clip through them or even go through whole buildings). They also don't seem to always attach to structures (central park still haunted by webs that extend past trees into the sky). The swinging should be properly physics based so you gain momentum ("bottom of the swing mechanic") then there's no need for a boost input.
- We can use both triggers for shooting web, why are we limited to boosting when we swing from an e.g. right-hand webline? I'd love it to be able to shoot a webline with my left hand while swinging with the one I shot with my right hand. Change the boost to the jump button or remove it alltogether by adding proper momentum/physics.
- Change the indoor web-swinging mechanic to ONLY show up in indoor levels. It breaks the immersion when you are swinging from the sky in a parking lot level.

Web rush:
I still love the web rush mechanic (even though it feels like you downgraded the radius?), I only have one request:
- Multi-point web rush: How about opening the web rush overlay and then you can highlight your point as usual OR you can use a button to "mark" a spot, then the next one and so on. That way you could create your own, controlled web rush path? Upgrades could be included to limit the amount of points you can set (2 points at first, upgrade to 5 points etc. later on?).

Webbing:
I know a lot of people want more control over the webbing.
- So why not add weblines too instead of web bullets? Hold the web button to shoot a continuous webline that covers a thug with webbing? Move your left stick around in a circle to start a web rodeo with the thug?
- We have a crosshair for web-rush, why can't we use it for webbing? Web a guy in the face and he tries to get the webbing off ("stun him that way"), web a guys left/right hand (and you effectively web him to a wall if he stands near one or you web his weapon rendering it useless for a few seconds). Web his foot to make him stuck? Web his genitals to stun him and so on? You could use the L1/LB button to enter a webbing mode where time slows down a bit and you can aim properly and keep the automatic web aiming for when you are in combat. The web-pull could be added to the aim at a gun, hold web button and then pull your left stick back? That way you remove the guys weapon. Shoot a weapon on the ground to cover it with webbing (okay getting a bit too complex here but you know where I'm going at).

Story:
Not much to say here, only that I didn't really enjoy the story. It felt bland next to the one found in the movie. You should've either done a completely unique story not related to the movie at all or do a proper movie tie-in story (like Spider-Man 3) with the Kingpin part included as a side-arc. I don't see any reason you couldn't have done it this time around. You only made the story worse by having Harry/Electro in it without Gwen etc. I would've most likely liked the story if you didn't include Electro or Harry, but the way it is now I didn't really like it, sorry. It also felt pretty cheap like you didn't have much time creating it (or it could be related to the fact that the visuals feel pretty dated and dragged most of it down with the cheap looking encounters), like it was thrown together.
//EDIT: I could pin-point why I didn't really like the story. No damsel in distress, no loved one in danger. Almost every open-world Spidey game I liked (Raimi Spidey tie-ins, TASM1) had someone you cared about in danger. I thought Harry could fill that role in this one but he kind of destroys that chance by being so ignorant.

Side-Missions:
Huge thanks for having them continue after the story. Now on to what I didn't like:
- Hero or Menace sounds nice on paper, it's a huge pain in the a** playing the game though. I didn't even start exploring the map yet due to the constant crimes showing up and the crimes that expire on the other side of the map (theres no way you'll ever be able to complete all crimes) draining my hero karma. I'm kind of a sucker for karma based games (so I'm kind of doing all crimes that pop up nearby to combat the karma loss), so that's a positive point but it really feels like work and I don't want it to feel like work.
- If you keep the Hero or Menace system, rework it and add a weight parameter to the crimes. If I have to pick between a deadlock and a petty crime I should surely go for the deadlock? No news channel would ever report about 2 thugs beating eachother up when there was a deadlock nearby and Spidey stopped it. Now if you turn the situation around and the player would go for the petty crime you could punish him for neglecting the deadlock/not making it there in time (if the player can manage to do both, good for him).
- Variety is key. The crimes look way too similar (always the same car you chase with the same russian mobs etc.). The best crime is the burning building but even that gets old pretty fast.
- LOADING SCREENS, the most annoying thing out there. I don't see why you have to play a cutscene explaining the crime (some kids breaking in, pretty sure the petty crimes in TASM1 had no loading screen...?) and the loading screen after every crime is really really annoying. You should really consider re-writing your side-mission system to work without loading screens. I don't want to hop on a police car chasing an imaginary thug just to start the mission. Have you watched the new Spidey movie? In the begin he swings around and you can see a lot of cop cars a few blocks away. The gamers want that, the action should already take place when you are nearby to trigger it. It'd add another fun factor to the game (reaching the cop cars and the car(s) they are chasing). If you don't want to get rid of the news-report, how about displaying it in a small window near the HUD? It could be a small smartphone playing the newsreport? Also wouldn't it be sick to swing through NYC and see a burning building without having to jump on a fire truck? The loading screens should really only be for starting story missions, not for the side-missions.
- More smaller crimes, how about some window cleaner falling down a building and you web rush to rescue him? Hell I'd even love it if there was the occasional kid being bullied in an alley and your sole appearance makes the bullies run away? The smaller crimes should be a lot more common, a burning building should be the highlight (or a deadlock). It destroys the immersion when there are 5 buildings on fire.

Costumes:
Nice for the people who want them, I'm more of a movie type guy. I play with the default costume 24/7. I love the detail for the costumes though and the only thing I want to request is a repair option in your closet. Your suit shouldn't auto-repair every time you visit your safehouse, make it an option to repair your suit when checking your closet?
Other than that, it wouldn't hurt if certain costumes had real gameplay advantages. A symbiote suit could heavily boost your strength/jumps and change the webbing colour to black?

Overall gameplay:
- Please add charged jumps back. I liked them the way they were in TASM1, the longer you are holding the jump button the higher you jump. Why was this removed? The upwards web-pull isn't as reliable as a charged jump.
- Happy with the combat, it's a bit glitchy at times but I'm happy with it (some complain it's too hacky though)
- I love how you made every boss fight unique this time around (even though they kind of lacked the wow factor somehow)
- The AI is pretty dumb but I'm sure nothing you can't change in a sequel potentially running on next gen only.

Visuals:
It's really nice when you swing around but the moment you stop and check the cars/citizens/building textures you instantly know the focus was last gen. I'm almost certain this will improve a lot when last gen is slowly phased out and only current gen remains. Spideys suit is top notch, no complaint there.

Details/Easteregg:
I'd really love to have eastereggs in the games. I don't know, we had a few in TASM1 but they were related to side-missions only. I was totally expecting some kind of broken down antenna on the top of the Oscorp building or claw marks (or atleast the cooling liquid things the lizard fell in being dented). There are so many opportunities for you to add eastereggs all around the city yet we never seem to get them (or we just don't find them because we are busy with trying to keep your hero karma hah). Was also expecting to see the Oscorp power grid with the clocktower somewhere on the map but no dice it seems. That's what I loved about the Treyarch movie tie-ins, Spider-Man 3 had so many many details that connected the game with the movie. The church, Harrys penthouse, the tower under construction where the final battle takes place, Petes apartment, Daily Bugle enterable etc.
Maybe you could go back to that somehow by getting rid of loading screens for most interiors? Would be sick to seemlessly enter Harrys penthouse via a window. Interiors are fun to explore if done right (The clockwork tower would've been the first place I'd go to).

Peter Parker:
I LOVE how you added small Peter bits to the story & gameplay. But I'd like (not just me) you to take that even further: Peter freeroam gameplay.
I know you said you tried that but it didn't work due to encounters etc. and not being in the Spider-Man suit. I have the perfect (I think) solution for that:
- Walk along the streets, see a petty crime. Add some radius/area check to every crime and when you enter that present us with a choice. Suit up and engage OR Call it a day and ignore. If you engage it loads us into Spidey mode and we can fight the criminals. Once we are done it loads us back into Peter mode and there are a few cop cars, criminals tied up in webbing and cops fencing off the area so you can't walk there as Peter. If you choose to ignore the crime it loads the end part of the mission automatically, but this time around the criminals are handcuffed and you lose heroic karma? Could work for every side-mission that way. Burning building nearby? Engage or have fire fighters take care of it. Cop cars rush by chasing a car? Engage (you spawn on a cop car or nearby in skydive mode) or let them simply disappear by saying no. Deadlock? Criminals are locked up in a car and being driven away if you choose to ignore. Bomb disposal? If you ignore you see a SWAT truck with some bomb disposal squad carrying the defused bomb away. It could be so easy and would've been almost a given the way you handle side-missions in TASM2 (by loading them with a cutscene or triggering them).
- What about story missions? Well depending on whether it's a Peter mission or Spidey just put us in the suit/Peter outfit. It's not like we havent seen him suit up within seconds in the movies/Games already.

Other than that, I only have one more thing to say: Story DLC
I really hope you consider releasing story DLC for this game to fill in the blanks between the movie and the games (I don't see why you couldn't, the movie is out everywhere tomorrow and you wont spoil anything by the time the DLC is out). You'll, without a doubt, have to do it one day if you want to keep the characters more or less the same as the movie. I don't like how you cut out a few characters integral to the movie story in the game, I totally expect you to fill in the blanks via story DLC for this one or at the very least in the next installment. Can't just never mention them again, it'd only hurt my feelings if important characters are only mentioned shortly and don't get any screentime in the games.

Maybe you find something you agree on/find more points I could add to the list on the official forums.

 

[Picard Sisko]

Is this game worth paying full price for?

 

[OriginalMiles]

...depends.

 

[Picard Sisko]

If it's not an immediate "yes" then the answer is pretty much a "no."

 

[OriginalMiles]

I guess it depends on how much you enjoy a sub=par story and good gameplay.

 

[Picard Sisko]

That's a shame because I thought the story was the best thing going for this game. How is the gameplay compared to TASM1?

 

[OriginalMiles]

That's a shame because I thought the story was the best thing going for this game. How is the gameplay compared to TASM1?

Well I'm not that far into the game but so far the story isn't too good.

The Gameplay is much better than TASM 1, but to me, the swinging seems too slow and actually feels more like TASM 1 swinging than it does WoS/SM2/SM3/USM.

It's an enjoyable game, but lacking in some parts. (for now)

 

[Picard Sisko]

In that case I will wait for the price to drop and get it online when I can find it for $20 or so.

 

[SpideyK]

Is this game worth paying full price for?

Not really, no.

It's good, but not even remotely great.

And to anwer your other question - the first game actually felt generally more polished. The story was also muuuuuuuuch better.

I'd say the gameplay is equally good in both games. ASM2 because of quantity, ASM because of quality.

 

[OriginalMiles]

In that case I will wait for the price to drop and get it online when I can find it for $20 or so.

That's kinda what I did.

Yeah, it's really just one of the better movie tie ins, but still feels like a tie in.

 

[Picard Sisko]

The game is currently $40 on amazon. Still too much money.

 

[DorneyDave]

It's so tempting to purchase this after seeing the film last night.

But with MLB The Show dropping Tuesday, I have to hold off.

This game looks pretty bare bones besides the web-swinging.

 

[Airnick]

Is this game worth paying full price for?

It depends, I though the first game was ok but I'm having so much more fun with this one. The web-slinging is SO much better then the first one.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

So far there are a few points I remember more than anything from most comments:

Pros:
Updated webswinging is an improvement
More costumes

Cons:
Somewhat laggy combat controls
A very short game (considering the development time and team, and the lack of filler game in 2013, it makes a bigger con)

 

[KillerMcQueen]

I like your suggestions, added my own thoughts to them:


Wrote up my own thoughts/feedback on their official forums, might aswell post them here:


Maybe you find something you agree on/find more points I could add to the list on the official forums.

I like a lot of those suggestions as well, particularly web zip being present in addition to web rush, web rush does a lot of the same things as web zip but web zip still has its uses. And fall damage is a yes, the safety net comment got me thinking to, it'd be cool if we could use the webbing to literally create safety nets to cushion the fall/bounce off of. perhaps have it be a part of the web rush mode when you hold it in be able to use another button to select objects down below to create a net between. could also be incorporated into saving people falling off buildings or stopping speeding vehicles (would love to see spidey sense be used during car chases so that you have more to worry about than just stopping the speeding vehicle, after all there are other cars/people on those roads). Would love to see some fresh eyes handle a Spidey game that isn't tied to release alongside a movie, so many cool things Spidey can do that'd be perfect for games (basically everything he does is game worthy really).

All that aside I have to say I am enjoying this game though, love swinging around at night in the "big time" suit.