Insomniac on Its Approach to Designing the Symbiote Suit

Insomniac Games delved into the origins of the suit's concept, the team's approach to the costume's design, and the impact the Symbiote suit will have on the game in terms of both the story and gameplay mechanics.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2's gameplay trailer, revealed at the recent PlayStation Showcase provided glimpses of the game's narrative and gameplay mechanics as well as showcased Peter Parker wearing the Venom suit.

In an interview with IGN, Insomniac’s creative director Bryan Intihar and game director Ryan Smith discussed the origins of the suit's concept and how the development team at Insomniac approached the design of the Symbiote costume.

Fans who played the original Marvel's Spider-Man may find themselves pondering why the Symbiote suit didn't make the cut as one of the unlockable costumes in the game. Speaking to the outlet, Intihar shed light on the reasoning behind this decision.

According to him, during the development of the first Spider-Man, the team had discussions and debates about whether to include the suit or not. Additionally, the team was pondering whether to integrate it solely as a visual element or to delve deeper and explore the broader potential of its inclusion.

Eventually, they came up with the decision that the Symbiote suit deserved its own dedicated game, which is why Insomniac consciously chose not to include the suit in the first Spider-Man game, opting instead to preserve the concept for the sequel so that the suit could take center stage there.

Historically, the Symbiote suit has primarily been used as a cosmetic feature in video games. However, in Insomniac's version, the suit comes with distinct and aggressive abilities, setting it apart from its previous representations.

Smith explained that the team viewed the Symbiote as a symbol of power and transformation within the game, so they aimed to envision powerful moves and explore how they can be integrated with the Symbiote tentacles, resulting in a significant shift in the overall gameplay experience.

According to the developers, players will immediately notice a distinct contrast in Peter's gameplay between his regular suit and the Symbiote suit as the Symbiote suit will introduce new gameplay abilities that were previously unavailable.

"The Symbiote punch is gonna really impact a single target [and] stick them to walls, whereas the Symbiote strike launches a bunch of enemies up in the air. And so that’s something that lets you shift gears in Spider-Man combat… It’s something we didn’t have before that we could bring with the Symbiote,” Smith said.

While there were concerns about the Symbiote suit being too powerful in the game, Intihar and Smith assured fans that the game's balance has been carefully adjusted. They emphasized that they made the game maintain a suitable level of challenge, while also ensuring that players would have a satisfying gameplay experience.

Additionally, the developers highlighted that the Symbiote suit would not only affect the game's mechanics but also have a significant impact on the story. It will provide players with the opportunity to witness the transformation of Peter Parker's personality and explore how it influences the people around him.

Apart from sharing insights into the Symbiote suit introduced in the sequel, Insomniac Games also participated in several other interviews with various media sources where it shared additional details about the title, including information about the game's darker story elements, the expansive map, and nuances of skill trees.

You can find the developers' interview with IGN here. Also, don't forget to join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.

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