Marvel's Spider-Man 3 faces the challenge of designing its own universe
Although Insomniac Games could take different directions for Marvel's Spider-Man 3, its open-world setting in New York may have a different future.
While Insomniac is focused on the development of Marvel's Wolverine, it also has a sneak peek at Marvel's Spider-Man 3. Not only do the leaks point to a bright future for the franchise, but the success of the second game has helped ensure an admirable trilogy in the series. Although there are many directions that the developers could take the story, the third version may face a difficult challenge and a big obstacle in its open world structure.
Insomniac has taken players to the big city of New York in three different games. It makes for a great experience, but there's so much more the studio could use in this iconic city. The creators can't take Spider-Man away from New York because he's always called it home. So, it looks like Insomniac has a big decision to make regarding the design of its game world.
The first version of Marvel's Spider-Man introduced the players to New York City well, and the feeling of surfing and swinging in it was enjoyable. Insomniac also provided players with the island of Manhattan with all the iconic landmarks one would expect. Additionally, it features a variety of classic Marvel buildings, including the Daily Bugle, the Sanctum Sanctorum, and even the Avengers Tower. Now, if you combine these with the exciting gameplay, it's easy to see why this is one of the best superhero games ever.
Players experience a wintery New York in Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Then Marvel's Spider-Man 2 took the series to a whole new level by letting players explore Brooklyn and Queens. But that leaves Marvel's Spider-Man 2 with only two other locales to explore, the Bronx and Staten Island. While it would be interesting to see them again, it's likely that after spending three games in the same city limits, it's time to show something new.
A New York City expansion for the next Marvel's Spider-Man game makes sense, but it might not be different enough for players to enjoy. There have already been criticisms that different parts of the city look similar, so it may be time for that to change. However, taking Spider-Man away from your city can turn out to be a big mistake if not handled carefully enough. Spider-Man has always called New York City his home, and almost every movie and game takes place within the confines of this city. Just like Batman and Gotham City, Spider-Man and New York City have become inseparable over the years. The Marvel Cinematic Universe even tried to change a lot with Spider-Man: Far From Home, but while the film received good reviews, the absence of Manhattan was contrary to what fans expected. Since then, no one has attempted to do the same thing again.
In fact, taking Spider-Man away from New York City might be too risky for Insomniac Games. But after three games in Marvel's Spider-Man franchise, players deserve more variety. As the franchise moves forward, Insomniac will likely have ways to expand the city to keep it interesting. This may leave developers in a quandary. Here's hoping the creators find a way to balance the classics of the franchise with fresh content.
