Spider-Man is one of, if not, the famous faces of comic book heroes and superhero films of all time. The character is iconic in movies and comics, and the time has come for him to dominate video games, the success of the single-player Marvel’s Spider-Man games of Insomniac has ushered in a new era of story-telling, and as ambitions grow, so does risk. The canceled Spider-Man: The Great Web could have added something new to the franchise.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: The Great Web Would Have Introduced The Use Of Vehicles
Recent layoffs and cancellations of projects both announced and unannounced have caused a bit of controversy with Sony internally. As the company wanted to expand and break ground on the live service space with its well-established franchises, they had the case of cold feet and backed out leaving multiplayer games about The Last of Us and Spider-Man to dust. These projects were meant to elevate the IP even more by including features that were absent from previous entries.
The dream of having a multiplayer Spider-Man game seemingly died with the cancellation of The Great Web, fighting crime and doing side activities alone was already fun in the previous games but being able to do so with friends could have been better.
The multiplayer title would have introduced an alternative traversal method through motorcycles and maybe other vehicles. Insomniac has already perfected web-swinging and made it better in the sequel and added web wings that allow the Spider-Men to glide the city skylines with great speed. Vehicles could have been a nice option for those who are interested in an up-close look at the streets of the Big Apple.
While it may not be the most popular choice given that fans adore web-swinging, adding multiple options would have been a nice change of pace. The use of vehicles was already highlighted in numerous Spider-Man projects like Jessica Drew in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
No Webs? No Problem! Insomniac Would Have Offered A Sweet Pair Of Wheels In Spider-Man: The Great Web
There can be several reasons why this project was canceled, perhaps Sony feared it would meet the same fate as Marvel’s Avengers or any other live-service game with a declining player count over time and they feel safer by sticking to the counterproductive formula. Playing safe would not help the franchise or the studio grow because they fear change.
Sony and PlayStation used to pioneer greatness in their first-party games during the PS4 era but seem to fear it now more than ever as they refuse to abandon their roots but also struggle to adapt. The company is trekking down a dangerous road where the world is more open to multiplayer games, they are spread too thin and the leaks of canceled games are only making things worse.
Helldivers 2 was a success, so don’t they have the same faith in one of their most popular franchises? Insomniac could have made the greatest superhero crossover of all time if they adapted Secret Wars in Marvel’s Spider-Man: The Great Web. For a company that talks about greatness, they sure do have a funny way of ruining it for cost-cutting reasons. Are you upset about the Great Web? Let us know in the comments below!
