Having a photo mode is pretty much part and parcel of any AAA video game these days, and Spider-Man is no different. However, Insomniac are teasing a little healthy rivalry when it comes to topping their competitors with the snap-happy side content. They’ve even got a certain Ghost of Sparta in their sights (or should that be lens?).
While shooting the you-know-what on a Twitch stream, the developers opened up about the game’s photo mode (head to 43:30 for the exact moment, webhead fans but, honestly, the whole stream is a treasure trove of new reveals) and how they will answer questions about it in detail ‘at a later time.’ They did, however, offer up a little snippet as to how things were going.
‘Every Sony first-party game has to up the other one,’ joke Insomniac, with a nod towards the boom in photo mode’s popularity stemming from Horizon Zero Dawn and, latterly, God of War. ‘So we’ve got to beat God of War now… It’s like a big, weird contest.’
Whether Spider-Man will actually one-up the competition remains to be seen, but I wouldn’t put it past them pulling out all the stops to serve up the best-looking photo mode around. After all, taking photos is as in Peter Parker’s DNA as much as that radioactive spider.
E3 2018: Who is Spider-Man’s Mystery Villain?
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Who is Spider-Man's REAL Big Bad?
Let's get to the bottom of this...and bring me pictures of Spider-Man!
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The Kingpin
Perhaps the safest bet of the lot, as it's already been confirmed that Kingpin (real name: Wilson Fisk) enjoys a sizeable role in Spider-Man.
And given his ties to the city's criminal underbelly, Fisk's villainous team-up certainly makes sense from a business perspective – get rid of Spider-Man, and criminal hijinks can continue unabated.
Is he the game's true big bad? It's possible, but we're more inclined to believe it's actually...
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Norman Osborn
Norman Osborn, the straight-laced politician who's running to be the next New York Mayor by the time Spider-Man kicks off.
That would certainly explain the genuine surprise heard in Peter's voice ("Wait! You?) at the tail-end of Monday's trailer, and we all know that comic book villains have a habit of hiding in plain sight, only to be outed as lawless criminals. It's basically Scooby-Doo, albeit with less ghosts.
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Doctor Octopus/Otto Octavius
Another close candidate, not least because of his ties to the Sinister Six in Marvel Comics.
Doc Ock is also one of the few Spidey characters capable of crafting new, tech-savvy suits for each of his accomplices, and his grudge against Peter Parker is really the stuff of legend at this point.
There is one caveat, though; how does Peter Parker recognize Octavius in the game? Remember, Insomniac haven't openly confirmed Doc Ock's involvement, so file this one in the rumor cabinet for now.
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Mysterio/Quentin Beck
Another Spider-Man foe who has stealing headlines of late is Mysterio (real name: Quentin Beck) no thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal's casting in the film sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming.
And while that doesn't have any impact on Spider-Man, necessarily, it's worth noting that Beck's illusions and trickery can be cinematic as well as intriguing, opening up plenty of gameplay possibilities if the dev team at Insomniac want to push Parker's spider-sense into overtime.
Mysterio also has strong ties to the Sinister Six, but again, if the game's off-screen antagonist is the one true ringleader, then it's more likely that the Raft's prisoners fall under the command of another Spidey villain.
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Venom/Eddie Brock
Arguably one of Parker's greatest ever foes, Venom (Eddie Brock) is a character who needs no introduction. He's also poised for a spinoff movie of his own this fall, meaning Brock is currently high on everyone's watch list.
Not only that, Insomniac has refused to rule out a potential cameo from the infamous symbiote, though to be fair, Eddie Brock's raging alter-ego was never known for its organisational skills.
Osborn and Octavius are still the prime suspects, then...
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Miles Morales
Admittedly the biggest curveball of the lot. Mile Morales is in Insomniac's Spider-Man game, though his role appears to be more akin to fan service than that of a top-secret villain.
