Spider-Man PS4: 5 Things It Did Better Than The Arkham Series (And 5 Things It Did Worse)

Spider-Man uses the formula established by the Arkham series to its advantage, especially when it comes to combat. This formula was perfected by Rocksteady in their Batman games and it is incredibly difficult to top such a high bar.

Arkham Asylum’s combat was fluid and tight. You felt fully in control as Batman, directing his every move and landing every kick and punch in a satisfying rhythm. Rocksteady improved upon an already stellar combat system by adding quickfire gadgets and varied enemies to the fight, a formula only improved upon in Arkham City. Many have tried to emulate the flawless fighting mechanics but none have ever come close enough… except for themselves.

Arkham Origins saw Batman wield shock-gloves allowing him to execute instant knock-outs. In Arkham Knight, the ability to swap between allies was introduced. This brought a whole new dynamic to finishing moves and strategy needed to take down a room full of bad-guys.

Spider-Man takes all of the above (minus the dual play from Arkham Knight), repackages it and applies it to its own combat system. This isn’t to say that’s a bad thing, it just doesn’t do enough with it. Spidey has his own array of quickfire gadgets, his web-shooter and a more aerial approach but that’s about it. Rocksteady cemented a standard of how third-person action games should utilise combat and Spider-Man does good enough but no better than any Arkham game.

Winner: Batman