Oyoung is happy to see Mister Negative return

Taking to Twitter, Stephen Oyoung — who voiced and played Mister Negative in the original game — celebrated the news, sharing the moment his character appears in the trailer with a celebratory “he’s back!” message.

The new trailer, which arrived yesterday from San Diego Comic-Con 2023, had a brief moment where Miles Morales runs into Mister Negative (aka Martin Li), wearing what looks to be a prison jumpsuit and sporting longer hair. In the trailer, Miles is clearly angry with him, yelling that Li doesn’t know what he’s taken from Morales.

In the original game, Li is one of the early antagonists that Peter Parker faces off against, and plays a pivotal part in the story. Li is the employer of May Parker and helps run F.E.A.S.T., but secretly runs a criminal organization known as the Inner Demons. After defeating Li in the game, he disappears, but his arrest is confirmed later in the game.

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Spider-Man 2 pushes traversal speed on PS5

Over on the PS Blog, senior game director Ryan Smith said that Insomniac utilized the PS5’s “power and speed” to bring something people have seen in the comics and movies to the game.

“Swinging is the core of our Spider-Man traversal, so we designed the Web Wings to work with swinging and complement it,” Smith explained. “That way you can weave back and forth between the two to build up speed and height.”

Using Web Wings in conjunction with wind tunnels is one way for players to go across the map “super-fast and really push the speed of traversal.” Ryan added that this was one of Insomniac’s goals and the team is excited for players to try the Web Wings out.

“Thanks to the power and speed of the PS5, Web Wings add another layer to our traversal system and change up how you look at getting around the different parts of the city,” Ryan concluded.

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The Spider-Man 2 PS5 accessory pre-orders go up soon

Pre-orders for this special red and black PS5 (with a matching DualSense) go live on July 28 through PlayStation Direct and select retailers, but it’s not clear how much it will cost. And it’s also being released on September 1, a month and a half before the actual game. Despite that gap, it still does come with a download code for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 that can be redeemed when it launches on October 20. This version also includes the game’s various pre-order bonuses.

Those who already own a PS5 don’t need to shell out for a whole new console in order to get a Spider-Man 2 PS5. Sony confirmed that the DualSense and console covers (for both the standard and digital version of the PS5) will also be sold separately. The pre-order and release dates are the same across the accessories, too. The designs on said accessories are, according to Sony, meant to “reflect the intensity of the symbiote and its capacity for transformation and power.”

Sony did something similar for the 2018 PS4 game. It sold a special red PS4 and PS4 Pro with a white spider insignia that were both coincidentally also announced at Comic-Con.

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The Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 story trailer has leaked online

After a tantalizing tease from Insomniac, the trailer found its way online. It shows a handful of characters like Mr. Negative, Harry Osborn, and Mary Jane Watson, in addition to Peter Parker and Miles Morales, that latter of which is sporting a new haircut. Miles is also being forced to face Mister Negative, the man who killed his dad in the first game.

Narrative director Jon Paquette said this conflict is a source of drama in the game. Creative director Bryan Intihar also explained that Peter and Miles are a “well-oiled machine” and that this game takes place nine or 10 months after the last game (it’s unclear if he means the 2018 title or Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales).

The trailer also strongly implies that Harry is Venom, as many had figured. This was heavily hinted at in a post-credits sequence, as players found out that Harry wasn’t traveling during the events of the game, but actually suspended in a tank full of fluid getting treatment for an illness. A small symbiote tendril sticks to the tank before it cuts to black, foreshadowing what was to come.

As for the panel, Insomniac showed concept art of Venom. Tony Todd, who voices Venom, also called it the most exciting voice acting he’s done.

“Venom was fun to do. I wanted to make sure there was a joyous quality in his destruction,” said Todd. “I wanted a sense of joy and tenacity and deliciousness!”

Venom is also quite prevalent in the PS5 accessories that Insomniac announced during the panel.

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Spider-Man 2’s Venom will be different, according to Insomniac

Various members of Insomniac gave the scoop to Entertainment Weekly. Creative director Bryan Intihar talked about how anxious he was in casting Venom since he knew it would be “so anticipated and people would have a lot of opinions on it.” Intihar heard a few of Tony Todd’s lines in the trailer for 2021’s Candyman film and noticed that Todd had actually submitted an audition for the role of Venom.

“Everything we talked about [with] Venom — that sense of strength, that sense of fear, that sense of overwhelming, so different from Peter — Tony embraces that completely in the performance,” said Intihar.

Intihar elaborated on Todd’s performance, saying that it helped the team “feel more confident” in the character’s design.

“For us, Venom is the host plus the symbiote,” said Intihar. “You don’t get Venom without both of them being bonded together. What Tony represents is that bond. I think, if anything, casting Tony made us feel more confident in the visual design of the character.”

Intihar also talked about how Insomniac wanted to do something different from what it did with Doc Ock in the first game. And, according to him, Venom fits that bill.

“We wanted to try something very different, and I don’t think you can get much more different from Doc Ock than you do Venom,” said Intihar. “It’s about power, it’s about strength, it’s about being slighted, it’s about Peter being involved much more in the creation of Venom. I think that’s what attracted us.”

Senior narrative director Jon Paquette chimed in and noted that the symbiote provides a lot of great fodder for Peter Parker’s struggles of being Spider-Man.

“One of the things that is great about Spider-Man as a character is he’s always got to make sacrifices,” said Paquette. “The symbiote provides a lot of grist for that mill, so to speak.”

Senior art director Jacinda Chew spoke about designing Venom and how it was a challenge to nail the basics from the spider insignia to whether or not he has lips, as the goal was to make him scary yet somewhat relatable. She then talked more about the character and, while strangely phrased, explained the allegorical meaning behind Venom.

“It’s really interesting when you start thinking about what makes him different than Spider-Man,” Chew says. “The symbiote is often known as an allegory for the darkness that the host is fighting against. So what makes him an anti-Spider-Man?”

Insomniac will have more to say about Venom during its Comic-Con panel scheduled for 2:30 p.m. PT in Hall H on July 20. It might have some other tidbits about the game as a whole, but it is titled “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: Symbiotic Relationships,” so its clear where its focus will be. The panel will have Intihar, Paquette, and Chew, as well as game director Ryan Smith and Marvel Games VP and creative director Bill Rosemann. Various actors will also be there, including Yuri Lowenthal (Peter Parker), Nadji Jeter (Miles Morales), Laura Bailey (Mary Jane Watson), and Tony Todd (Venom).

The studio has been rather cagey about Venom after his very brief debut in the first trailer. It said that the host isn’t Eddie Brock and has only shown him in one screenshot since. Insomniac is seemingly trying to keep the character and other parts of the symbiote under wraps, which has made the alleged leaks and speculation all the more rampant.

The post Spider-Man 2 Devs Explain How Venom Is the ‘Anti-Spider-Man,’ New Screenshot Released appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

The curious case of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, PS5’s SSD, and PC HDD

Explaining why Rift Apart was only releasing on PS5, Insomniac Games said back in 2020 that the console’s SSD made it possible to have seamless dimensional shifts and insanely fast loading — something that could not be achieved on dated hardware. Yesterday, Nixxes Software detailed Rift Apart’s PC port, revealing that the game “can be enjoyed using an HDD and the minimum system requirements,” while recommending using an SSD for best results.

Folks flocked to Twitter, Reddit, and even PS Blog to ask why Rift Apart wasn’t possible on PS4 if it didn’t require an SSD after all. Some even demanded a PS4 version.

“Well, since you don’t need the ‘ultra mega fast’ SSD from the PS5 to play this game, I am waiting for a PS4 version,” wrote one user. “But this was only possible on PS5,” wrote another. “Traitors,” wrote a third.

We reckon Insomniac is more well-versed in game development than PS Blog users, but what do we know.

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The Spider-Man 2 panel will feature some of the actors and creators

As detailed on Marvel’s website, the panel will kick off in Hall H on July 20 at 2:30 p.m. PT. Creative director Bryan Intihar, game director Ryan Smith, narrative director Jon Paquette, and senior art director Jacinda Chew are among the Insomniac Games employees that will be there, alongside Marvel Games VP and creative director Bill Rosemann. Yuri Lowenthal, Nadji Jeter, Laura Bailey, and Tony Todd are the actors attending, who play Peter Parker, Miles Morales, Mary Jane Watson, and Venom, respectively.

The panel itself only comes with a small description that ties into the title and notes that it will go into “Insomniac Games’ take on the monstrous Venom and how the symbiote plays a role in the sequel.”

The symbiote has been a big part of Spider-Man 2’s pre-release marketing cycle. After being teased in the debut trailer, it was featured heavily in the game’s extensive segment during the PlayStation Showcase. The team then said the symbiote suit was “borderline brutal,” and Jeter noted in convention panel that symbiote powers were “everywhere” in the sequel.

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When is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 appearing at San Diego Comic-Con?

San Diego Comic-Con runs between July 20-23, 2023. While Marvel has revealed some of the panels that will be running at SDCC, all we know is that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will be appearing at the show. The company has promised more information on Spider-Man 2 and Marvel Snap soon.

Rumors are already predicting we will see the official Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 story trailer at the show, which will then be made available on social media platforms. Meanwhile, players are hoping for more gameplay footage at the show, despite already being treated to a lengthy gameplay demo at the last PlayStation Showcase. Some are even wishing for a playable demo at the show despite Insomniac confirming there would not be a PS5 demo before its release date on October 20.

Only Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Marvel Snap have been confirmed for the show, but others are hoping to also get a cameo appearance from Marvel’s Wolverine. No movies or TV shows have been named to be appearing at SDCC, but we can perhaps expect to get more news or even footage of Captain America: Brand New World, Thunderbolts, Blade, and the untitled Deadpool movie. Movies like Fantastic Four, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and Avengers: Secret Wars are likely to be too far into the future to make too much of an impact at the show.

For now, Marvel has said there will be a livestream broadcast, giveaways, signings, Marvel Unlimited subscription offers, and exclusive merchandise from The Official Marvel Store. A full schedule of panels, additional signings, and events will be revealed soon.

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Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 theme is all about coming together

The Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 theme, titled “Greater Together,” was officially debuted over the weekend at The Game Awards 10-Year Concert in Los Angeles, a one-night event that featured live music from some of the biggest video games of the last decade.

Alongside some classics from titles like God of War, The Last of Us, and more, the very first performance of the Spider-Man 2 theme was played, with the song later uploaded to Spotify.

You can listen to the theme for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 below:

Musically, the song acts as a coming together of sorts for both Peter Parker and Miles Morales. The song begins with Peter Parker’s theme from the first game, before Miles Morales’ theme from Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales slowly takes over. Then, the two songs merge, coming together for one big track.

So far, not a ton is known about Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, but we do know that the game will feature some “brutal” combat, as well as a significantly larger map than the first game. The game will also not have any co-op in it despite some rumors pointing to the contrary.

The post Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Theme Song Revealed, Listen Now appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Will Spider-Man 2 PS5 get a PS Plus Premium demo in the future?

A handful of fans were disappointed by Insomniac’s response, but worth noting that neither Spider-Man 1 nor Miles Morales received a demo. A Spider-Man 2 demo may have been welcome, but it wasn’t expected.

Sony has been adding its recent first-party games — including last year’s juggernaut God of War Ragnarok — to the PS Plus Premium trials section. We therefore won’t be surprised to see a Spider-Man 2 trial added to the service. However, there is no guarantee that this will happen, and no word on how long it’ll be before a trial is added, if there is one planned to begin with.

Those who aren’t familiar with Insomniac’s Spider-Man can get their hands on Spider-Man Remastered or Miles Morales for the PS5 to get a feel of things.

Spider-Man 2 will release on October 20.

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