The Impact of Battle Damage: Why Rocksteady’s Batman Games Excelled While Insomniac’s Spider-Man Games Missed the Mark
The Batman: Arkham games' unique storytelling, set in one night, lends itself to the incorporation of battle damage, while Insomniac's Spider-Man games offer a plethora of opportunities for suit swapping, creating a distinct contrast between the two franchises
Highlights
Marvel's Spider-Man games excel in providing an immersive open-world experience with traversal and collectible hunting.
The highly anticipated Spider-Man 2 from Marvel will offer seamless transitions between Peter and Miles, as well as reduced load times. Although rumors suggest that suit battle damage may not be as prominent as in the Arkham games, Spider-Man's ever-changing costumes present a unique challenge in maintaining consistent damage. Nonetheless, this feature enhances the overall immersion and enjoyment of the gameplay.
Marvel’s Spider-Man exemplified the success of open-world superhero games, and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales built upon this by introducing the Friendly Neighborhood app, enhancing the experience of traversing the open world and collecting items. The games' seamless integration of traversal and crime events made playing as the web-slinger enjoyable and captivating.
With the upcoming release of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, it will be intriguing to see how these elements carry over. There have already been hints about the game's open world, such as incredibly short load times when switching between Peter and Miles, or using fast travel to instantly drop into any unlocked district. Additionally, there may be a feature involving suit battle damage, although this seems to only occur during missions. This distinction highlights a significant difference between the Arkham games' utilization of battle damage for Batman and how it might be approached in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
The Batman: Arkham Games Each Take Place in One Night
Battle damage plays a significant role in the Arkham games, as Batman's suit quickly shows signs of wear and tear. It doesn't take long before scripted events mar the costume, such as Two-Face taking a shot at Batman in the courthouse at the start of Arkham City. While battle damage may not be essential for showing progression, it fits perfectly in the Arkham games because they unfold over single nights.
This setup makes it believable that Batman would wear the same suit throughout the entire game, except for Arkham Knight. The games are designed in a way that players feel like they have achieved everything Batman has within one night, rather than spanning a long period where Batman could gather more tactical strategies and be better prepared for his challenges.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Features Many Chances for Suit Swapping
Instead, Batman must foil supervillains and combat petty crime using whatever resources are available to him, including items he obtains from external sources. For instance, he might instruct the Batwing to drop the Line Launcher into the secret lab located in the Botanical Gardens within Arkham Asylum. Hence, it is enjoyable to observe the progress players have made in the game, which is often reflected in the wear and tear of Batman's cape.
The battle damage in Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man franchise pales in comparison to the immense number of instances where Peter or Miles change in and out of their costumes. Unlike Batman, Spider-Man heavily relies on his regular persona, and being out of costume holds equal importance to the story as being in costume.
In Marvel's Spider-Man and Miles Morales, battle damage is already incorporated, such as in the first game's boss fight against Kingpin. This could lead to Peter replacing his classic costume with the Advanced suit. However, having battle damage for every costume in the game would be burdensome. To avoid this, Spider-Man could easily change into a new suit whenever he goes back into the open world.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 would encounter the same issue if battle damage is included as a feature. Players might not appreciate the effort put into the aesthetic if the tears, holes, and cuts are repaired after each scripted mission. While not crucial, this feature adds to the immersive experience.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is out on October 20, exclusively for PS5.
