It would be an uphill battle to argue that Insomniac Games isn’t on something of a hot streak right now. They’ve been a big name in the video game space ever sinceSpyro the Dragonon the original PlayStation, and have continued to put out quality titles ever since. Following the releases ofRatchet and ClankandMarvel’s Spider-Manon the PS4, they quickly became one ofSony’s premier first-party studios, and fans of their games have been eagerly awaiting their next moves.
Spider-Man: Miles Moralesproved that the studio has a clear understanding of what makes Spider-Man so fun to play as, while also showing that it can tell interesting stories about the character. Plenty of fans are wanting the next installment in the franchise to focus on both Peter Parker and Miles Morales taking control of both iterations of Spider-Man. While that wouldn’t be a bad move by any means, it might be worth Insomniac’s time to continue exploring the other faces of Spider-Man and there’s no better character to focus theMiles Morales' follow-up on than Jessica Drew, A.K.A. Spider-Woman.
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Exploring the Spider-Verse’s Powers on the PS5
While the gameplay is generally the same betweenMarvel’s Spider-ManandSpider-Man: Miles Morales, both Peter Parker and Miles Morales play differently than each other giving both games their own sense of identity. The many iterations of Spider-Man all have different combinations of powers andMiles Moralesintroduced two more to the player’s arsenal: the venom strike and invisibility. Adding another spider-person to the mix as the focus of the next game would help keep the individual games feeling fresh and new in the way that Morales' new powers felt like a welcome addition to the originalSpider-Manformula.
Jessica Drew has similar powers to the rest of the Spider-Verse (wall climbing, web-slinging, super-strength, etc.), but uniquely can glide using the web-made glider wings on her suit. Incorporating that into the web-slinging that was so prominently featured in the previous games would do a lot to change up an already fun mechanic that might be beginning to stagnate. Additionally, she hassimilar venom strike powers to Miles Morales, so Insomniac could continue exploring new ways to incorporate that into the game without having to stick with Miles as the primary protagonist.
The PS5 Spider-Man Extended Universe
Marvel is known for its infinitely deepcast of rotating characters that Insomniac’sSpider-Mangames drew on for inspiration. Between villains and tertiary characters, both games share a lot in common with their comic counterparts. Spider-Woman is an excellent character who was instrumental in Miles Morales' journey to becoming Spider-Man in his original comic run. While his in-game backstory may differ greatly from that of the comics, including Spider-Woman as a new big player in the world would continue fleshing out the “anyone can wear the mask” mentality that’s so integral to the Spider-Man story.
Jessica Drew in the comics is already well acquainted with a lot ofthe cast introduced in bothSpider-Mangamesso she would fit right into the pre-established universe. There’s plenty of established Spider-Woman canon that Insomniac could choose from that fits with the world the studio has been creating with the first two games. She trained under Taskmaster who appeared inMarvel’s Spider-Manthrough several side missions and she also worked as an Avenger for some of her superhero career. BothSpider-Mangames have teased the existence of the supergroup when visiting Avengers HQ, but they’ve been notably absent from the games. Jessica Drew could be holding down the fort while they’re away and get dragged into a Spidey adventure by the two established Spider-Men.
There are many different ways that Insomniac could go that would make Spider-Woman an interesting addition to the series. It’s currently unclear exactly what the studio has in mind for itsnextSpider-Mangameas there’s been no official announcement regarding its development. Hopefully onceRatchet and Clank: Rift Apartreleases, there will be news in the coming months.
Marvel’s Spider-ManandSpider-Man: Miles Moralesare now available on PS4 and PS5.
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