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‘Spider-Man’ swings onto the PlayStation 4 at E3

By Brad Jones June 14, 2016

Last night, Sony’s E3 press conference confirmed rumors that a new Spider-Man game is in development exclusively for the PlayStation 4. The new title is being put together by Insomniac, the studio responsible for the Ratchet and Clank series and the Resistance franchise.

It might seem like high time for the web-slinger to make his return to the world of video games, now that the blockbuster Captain America: Civil War has helped start the process of returning the character to former glory. However, it has been confirmed that the new title will not have any ties to existing cinematic adaptations.

That facet of the project is made quite clear by Spider-Man’s suit, which is quite different from the versions we’ve seen on the silver screen. His trademark red-and-blue get-up is emblazoned with a large white spider in place of the standard black arachnid, immediately distinguishing this Peter Parker from the one in Marvel’s cinematic universe.

Spider Man Screenshot — Image used with permission by copyright holder

This could well be a good thing for Insomniac’s Spider-Man, as it means that the studio isn’t confined in terms of the game’s storyline or the characters that are involved. While next year’s Homecoming movie seems likely to feature the Vulture as its big bad, the game can cherry pick from the superhero’s impressive rogues gallery.

However, there’s no word on which villain (or villains) will make the cut. All that we know at the moment is that the game will cast each player as an experienced hero who has been around the block once or twice, both Spider-Man and Peter Parker are playable, and the game’s version of New York City is an open world to explore at will.

Insomniac has apparently been hard at work on Spider-Man for quite some time, but there’s still no word on a potential release date just yet.

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Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…

Gaming

Don’t ignore Spider-Man 2’s side missions. They’re the best parts of the game

Miles checking his phone in spider-man 2.

With Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 out, you might be tempted to devour Insomniac’s new superhero adventure as fast as possible like a hungry Venom. I wouldn’t blame you. The sequel’s sprawling story is a complicated web of threads that beg to be untangled. It’s tempting to zoom from mission to mission, ignoring all other side activities until New York City has been properly saved from Kraven’s wrath.

If you find yourself in that boat, consider this a PSA: Don’t skip out on Spider-Man 2’s side missions. Though they aren’t as glitzy as the main campaign, the sequel’s best moments are consistently tucked away in quieter quests that emphasize compassion and community support over comic book violence. They’re the moments that best illustrate what it truly means to be a superhero.
Community support
Just like the previous two Spider-Man games, Insomniac’s open-world take on New York City is filled with optional storylines. Early on, Peter and Miles can stop to clean up a mess left by Sandman or take up jobs as local photographers. These aren’t just empty checklists to complete; even something as simple as collecting every Spider-bot in town leads to some kind of narrative payoff that’s usually worth seeing through to the end (especially since a 100% completion only takes around 35 hours).

Gaming

The best Suit Tech upgrades in Spider-Man 2

Spider-Man soars through the air in a biomechanical suit in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 doesn't hold anything back when it comes to expanding on everything done in the first game. You have two Spider-Men to control, more districts to explore, tons of side quests and activities to do to gather upgrade materials, more skill trees, and gadgets, and on top of all that there are Suit Tech upgrades. By the time you unlock them, you may feel overwhelmed with the number of things to invest in, but these may be the most important upgrades to keep track of. Like the shared skill tree, these upgrades apply to both characters at once and can make the difficulty curve of the game far smoother by buffing up some very important stats on your characters. If you're feeling a bit burned out on all the options Spider-Man 2 already throws at you, we'll break down the best Suit Tech upgrades you should unlock ASAP.
Best Suit Tech upgrades

Suit Tech upgrades apply all unlocked buffs to both characters and are divided into unique categories. Each one has a tree that takes more resources to unlock the higher-tier upgrades, but it also has two branches. You always unlock both options in a branch when you reach them, but can only equip one at a time.
Health
Speccing into health is your first and top priority. The main buffs here are the Amazing, Spectacular, and Ultimate health upgrades that each increase your base HP by 10 points. You may not feel health is all that necessary to buff in the early game, but once you start facing bosses and the late-game grunts who are far more aggressive, you'll be begging for more health at all times.

Gaming

How to get Rare Tech Parts in Spider-Man 2

Peter and Miles perched next to each other in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

The amount of upgrade materials in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 can make your head spin at times. From all the different tokens, parts, and plain skill points, it can be hard to keep them all straight, let alone where you find each one. The game does a decent job of letting you know what rewards any activity on the map will give you by highlighting it, but when you're hunting for Rare Tech Parts it can be a pain to slowly scroll around looking for a way to snag some. Plus, if you want to be efficient in getting them, it will take even longer. Here is how you can get Rare Tech Parts in Spider-Man 2 so you can get your upgrades done and save the day.
Best ways to get Rare Tech Parts
Technically Rare Tech Parts aren't any harder to get than other collectables like City Tokens, but are "rare" because you get them in much smaller quantities than normal Tech Parts. If you're hunting for them, your first stop should be any of the Prowler Stashes. These unlock very early in the story after Miles talks to his uncle and is sent to one to demonstrate how they work. Once you know how to solve the little environmental puzzles, they won't take you too long to get through, and they continue to appear as you move through the story. You get three for each you open.

Hunter Blinds are your next best source for Rare Tech Parts, giving five for any you complete, and are basically the opposite of Prowler Stashes. Instead of a little environmental puzzle to solve, these are combat (or stealth) focused encounters, so you can swap between them to add some variety to your Rare Tech Parts grind!