Spider-Man PS4: 10 Things It Must Learn From Batman Arkham
8. Build A New Universe
Sony
Of all the things Rocksteady absolutely nailed in their games, the idea to create a new universe has to be the one they perfected most.
Today, the Arkhamverse is one of the most recognisable interpretations of Batman's world. It has its own vibe, aesthetic and tone, borrowing from both Batman: The Animated Series and the comics to create a uniquely captivating take on Gotham City. Yes, it lost some of its edge when it transitioned from the gothic inflections of Arkham Asylum to the sci-fi approach of Arkham City and Knight, but it was still Rocksteady's world - one that allowed the developers to pool all of Batman's most iconic depictions to impart their own mark on the character.
For Spider-Man, it looks as though Insomniac are doing the same. Peter's older, he has his own costume designed specifically for the game, and it seems as though the developers are intent on building their own version of New York. Marvel Games exec Bill Rosemann remarked just the other week that designs for an entire Marvel games universe could soon be realised as well, meaning that the book won't just end with Spider-Man alone.
Any chance we could get a Daredevil game that's part Ace Attorney, part Sleeping Dogs? Pretty please?
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
