Why Swinging in Spider-Man Feels SO Good | Game Mechanics Explained

[@polygon]

Want to see more game mechanics explained? Check out how the developers made Horizon Zero Dawn's bow feel so good: bit.ly/HorizonZeroDawnBow

[@paradoxacres1063]

The Horizon Zero Dawn bow video was pretty good. I've rewatched it countless times :)

[@tommyruggeri4513]

It makes you FEEL like Spidah Man

[@littleratfella6857]

Wait, you can be Spiderman in this game?

[@nicktubara]

More like spider cop 😛

[@DrMuffin1080]

It really seemed like they were struggling not to say that in this video

[@DanielAlvarez-gs5yj]

It makes you *fëêl* like Spider-Man

[@talalali5626]

Dunkulees Back At It Again

[@aaron2778]

I'd love the web swinging even more if there was fall damage. You'd feel the risk of your actions

[@derek5384]

True, though I think the idea is that this is a more seasoned and experienced Spider-Man and thus wouldn't sustain fall damage

[@paradoxacres1063]

YES exactly! There was fall damage in the _Spider-Man 2_ video game if I remember correctly. Risk just makes everything more awesome lol

[@notyouagain7220]

Sakura Spider-Man can’t die from falling just like a real spider he would have to jump off the World Trade Center memorial or Dubai tower lol

[@sash9249]

Yeah nah not for me. Spidey doesn't fall. And it's more accessible this way.

[@kenshuei]

It would be great if you could toggle it on and off, just to see how good of a web swinger you are, or if you Gwen Stacey yourself.

[@brandonwhitaker8468]

I'm glad that mechanics like this are given a lot of attention. Spiderman has more sensory appeal than a lot of superheroes. Like, Superman can fly and it's awesome, but Superman has never made me want to fly as much as Spiderman has made me want to catapult through NYC.

[@Adrianinked]

I miss the running in the ground when swinging too low that they implemented in a previews game (cant remember exactly if it was ultimate, spiderman 2 or web of shadows) but it looked really cool and more realistic that just never touching the ground no matter how low you swing.

[@knightghost1782]

It had that in spider-man 2 and if I remember correctly running on the ground while swinging will slow you down like mad and will mess you up. Insomniacs goal was to make sure you feel like Spider-Man who is pro at swinging. Think of it like Sonic too. You just wanna keep going and going in style without slowing down or messing up but it requires skill to do that.

[@milk5002]

Adrián Fulcar they had this on a mobile game for amazing Spider-Man 1

[@exrandu2655]

These videos are great but we miss the old style of videos too. Please bring them back alongside this stuff. ;.;

[@elieandshayaradia-carlos7139]

i love watching through these videos so much - it's so cool to hear about the smaller stories and logic that builds up to a big game like this

[@robinabspoel]

I genuinely love these videos, and the effort that clearly goes into making them… but I miss Polygon. You all are some of my favourite content creators in the world, and am thankful for the joy, positivity and inclusivity you bring into this world. What makes this channel great is all your personalities, the unique chemistry you have together, and the unique humor and culture you created. I hope we get to see more of you again in future videos. Of course, you don’t owe us anything, and I have faith in you as creators. But I felt I needed to get this off my chest.

[@tapirman111]

Love these videos! Also props for tracking down somebody who worked on a game that came out like 15 years ago. That's dedication.

[@paradoxacres1063]

The Skyhooks from *_BioShock Infinite_* also felt like you were on an awesome roller coaster! :)

[@MadameButterfli]

I really love these analysis videos, but I miss my good goof team time :(

[@ryanw3874]

Yeah, the long form let's plays and the McElroy boys are the main reason I subscribed to polygon

[@aqishmokhdzir3809]

MadameButterfli hhuuuuuu

[@donniedorko3336]

I really didn't like the "xheating physics" mechanics. I 100% agree that it should be there as an option (even the default option) but I reeeeeeeeeaaaaaally want a Spiderman game with zero forgiveness that I can spend weeks and months mastering. Not because it would be hard, but because of all the weird tricks you'd be able to come up with with a system that isn't teying to guess your intentions. This is super especially true with the vr games.

[@rootyful]

I love how in love the Polygon team is with the swinging across all publications

[@Scrap-Bran]

I like how Polygon highlights the bad swing physics ( 2:30 ), why cant spider-man run along the ground or just do a hop and back flip and spring himself back up when he gets to close to the street. the part where he "hovers" makes the game feel like crapbreaks the feeling of "the roller coaster" , Spider-man 2 had the run along the ground thing, And it was cool, Miles does it in Into the Spider-verse and it looks cool and smooth. I hope the second game has more to it in the way of web swinging

[@joshnewton2650]

Been playing since release and have loved every second. Only recently have I grown tired of the “one swing and jump” style of swinging. Anyone else feeling this? I feel like there should be an easy option to swing from one web to another without a “release/jump” mechanic.

[@GAMINGBLAZE]

amazing spider man 2 game did exactly the same thing but it is underrated

[@renilol705]

You forgot to mention the vibration when getting near the ground. Makes it feel much more immersive

[@paradoxacres1063]

Awesome video, Polygon! But......is it OK if I say it'd be nice if you *told us who's narrating the video* next time? It's just really nice to know who makes & narrates the video we're watching is all :)

[@hannahjayne8566]

I'm not sure if you're actually curious (or if you're just pointing out the lack of credit) but I'm pretty sure it's Simone de Rochefort.

[@paradoxacres1063]

@Hannah Jayne Maybe it's just me..but is it not _more_ professional to just credit who made & narrated the video? I mean, I know who Simone is (even though I've only just started consuming Polygon videos 2 months ago lol)...but I was having trouble guessing if it was her voice or Jenna's voice (or some other lady). If she didn't show her face at the end I would've never been 100% certain it was Simone =/

[@polygon]

I think we are going to start doing credits screens to alleviate this exact problem! Not sure when we'll implement them though. In the interest of further credit, Brian edited this one.

[@paradoxacres1063]

@Polygon Thank you! That sounds awesome :) (Also, I'm sorry if my post sounded harsh. I swear I tend to sound angrier online than I actually am in real life)

[@mihsan660]

1:05 "make you like a human pendulum" interesting how peter and miles discuss the idea of swinging being like riding a pendulum in-game in the dlc

[@scrubsweep]

I feel like the gamecube’s Ultimate Spiderman felt far better. As the more polished version of Spiderman 2, i feel its the perfect middleweight ground between spideyps4’s floaty and somewhat slow method and spideyps2’s unpredictable whipping about.

[@NYSOUN]

Finishers in Shadow of Mordor/War. Perfectly timing a power move in Smash sending the opponent in another galaxy. The fully upgraded grapple hook in Arkham Knight. Bullet time in Red Dead. Kind of everything that requires momentum and a release is satisfying af ;)

[@wilmcvey3665]

Man, I love these videos. Y'all are the best.

[@birdiest.pierre4804]

hmm. this video makes me want this game even though I've never been a big Marvel fan. it just looks so satisfying.

[@JustNel]

Bro, when Spidey moves in the background 😩

[@eatbolt42]

Right up there with Kratos’ axe, etc: So many of the games we love have iconic weapons.

[@chrnnk]

Please keep doing these videos, this is some of the best stuff out right now

[@dearratboy]

It really makes you feel like a rollercoaster

[@buzzdash]

Web swinging in this game is like crack cocaine. I’m at school and all I can think about is getting home to swing again

[@benavid1]

Yesssss! I love this series! God of War’s and Horizon’s analysis were so good. Soon as I saw the thumbnail for this I had to click.

[@faherty87]

just found this channel. love your videos

[@npcflip]

simone!! this is so good!!!! im loving these videos!!!

[@coreo881]

Lovely vid, would love more goofs tho.

[@Somethingbloody]

I'd love to see one of these on the climbing in Assassin's Creed. I rock climb, and the first time I played original AC and Altair actually grabbed onto and stepped on actual physical features of building rather than designated climbing surfaces I was blown away. But focus on the evolution from AC1 to AC:Unity. Syndicate/Origins/Odyssey have moved away from the core experience into something else entirely, starting with Syndicate just giving you a grapple and carriages to skip climbing altogether.

[@MrMoustacheNinja]

Really cool video 👍🏻

[@younus9298]

The good thing about no fall damage if you fall is that the flow of swinging doesnt het interrupted by dying. Plus Spider-Man in the comics knows how to swing.

[@AcidentalStaffwriter]

Boy this is just Vox: Video Games now huh?

[@TakkoAM]

Polygon operates under Vox Media

[@AcidentalStaffwriter]

@@TakkoAM that's the point, polygon used to feel like it's own special thing that just so happened to be a subset of vox, but now it's lost all uniqueness and just feels like it might as well be on vox's main channel

[@mitter352]

This is a good video. Certainly better than majority of gaming videos out there

[@TakkoAM]

AcidentalStaffwriter Ah, yeah I see what you're saying now. Yeah, Vox is all about these explainer style videos lol

[@adriankschan94]

Potential energy isn’t what drags you upwards. Potential energy is what is built up the higher you are. You meant to say kinetic energy.

[@Theiwillsee]

I'm hearing so many good things about this spider man. Must try

[@asee818]

Theiwillsee it's a MUST

[@sorax2871]

I finished it its a must bro go get it

[@princeofchaos7]

Loved the horizon & god of war videos too. Really in depth look at core mechanics

[@Stevonicus]

I really loved this video coupled with the latest Polygon Show episode.

[@michaelfigueiredo2741]

Love this video

[@ElJorro]

Just watching it in playthroughs is fun!

[@koliman1588]

It makes you FEEL like Spider-Man.

[@jadonparan4508]

Theres only 3 words to describe this video *IKR*

[@connormcclenathan8490]

Man, Spider-Man is the best game of 2018 so far, in my opinion

[@miasma1718]

i love that you guys make these

[@yourfriendlyneighbourhoodl6206]

This channel is Dope 👌🏿🔥

[@BurnoutsAndBourbon]

I’m absolutely in love with these analyses! Seriously, could watch 2 hours of these. Expand

[@GuppiAttack]

Is there a playlist of these videos?

[@alexanderjones5109]

I'm not very far in the game yet cuz I've spent most of my time swinging around the city lmao it's so good

[@hyx6817]

thanks

[@ryanw3874]

What's happened to polygon? I feel like there's a change going on, that its spark is dying, that its culture has changed.

[@neferpitou.]

I didn't see the hovering before but now I can't unsee it but is there a way to remove the hover and still make it great

[@Ehlihr]

i looove analysis videos, also more clearly connects you to vox media i guess? but i really enjoyed this!! hopefully y’all can find the balance in your videos :D

[@PowerL1N3]

Best Video Games with well done game mechanics: -Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2019) -Need for Speed (2015) -DOOM Eternal -Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2X -Tony Hawk's Project 8 -Rainbow Six Siege -Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain -Metal Gear Solid V Ground Zeroes -Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots -Battlefield 4 -Mortal Kombat 11 -Street Fighter V -Tekken 7 -Street Fighter III 3rd Strike -DragonBall FighterZ -Killer Instinct (2013) -Dead or Alive 6 -Ghost Recon Breakpoint -Assassin's Creed Unity -Red Dead Redemption 2 -Marvel's Spider-man -Far Cry 3 -Ninja Gaiden Black -Ninja Gaiden II -Devil May Cry 5 -Devil May Cry 3 -Devil May Cry -Vanquish -Metal Gear Rising Revengeance -Sekiro Shadows Die Twice -Sonic Mania Plus -CupHead -Streets of Rage 4 -Nioh -Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations -Jet Set Radio Future -Lost Planet 2

[@juanjuri6127]

for some reason i clicked expecting Simone to describe Spiderman's webs as having a "meaty thwip"

[@theversatilehunter3651]

Just here to say I also miss real polygon

[@catchtherainb0w503]

But is it filled with the exaggerated swagger of a black teen?

[@pjarce8925]

It really makes you feel like Spider-Man

[@Giablo1]

the swinging is perfection

[@thirium9141]

1:17 *WEE!*

[@chairface9388]

This is really cool. Can you do one on the weapons in resident evil 4? Particularly the reload animations and the bolt action rifle - why does it feel so good?

[@drewtube6838]

I love Roller Coasters, So I guess I will love Spider-man PS4

[@paradoxacres1063]

Skyhooks from _BioShock:Infinite_ also felt fun like roller coasters :)

[@clairecohen3178]

I'm loving these videos a lot!

[@Shloeb]

This game is a masterpiece

[@pllayerdois]

So basically it's good bc it's like a roller coaster. Saved you 4 minutes of life.

[@littleratfella6857]

But does it let me FEEL like Spiderman?

[@MartinJHenebury]

Non-physical webswinging cough Spider-Man PS4 cough sucks. Not only is Spiderman PS4 SLOWER than Spider-Man 2 and Web of Shadows by a LOT, it has inconsistent momentum factors. Dives do NOT always give you momentum boost. All it is is a screen blur effect to make you look like you're going faster and the web line cling time extends. Point Launching is far faster and more efficient than webswinging in Spider-Man PS4. (Consider that the races themselves actually REQUIRE point launch to touch circles stuck on poles). Levitating above the ground is stupid. Where is running on the ground or sliding while webslinging like in Web of Shadows? There is zero skill involved in Spider-Man PS4 webswinging, especially considering point launch web is faster.

[@moopshcelroy]

I need this.

[@alexinatree]

I thought I had already seen this video but turns out what I had already seen was Pat's E3 Spiderman coverage! Definitely doesn't seem like the same video, just narrated by Simone instead of Pat.....

[@saiabhishek5228]

Such a damn good game

[@jashawngaming2677]

Best game ever made 🕸

[@pirovanomg]

Dear Polygon, Game Mechanics Explained is the best series ever.

[@hitomtom4278]

Did everyone just forget about about web of shadows?

[@dj2neo]

Shouldn't have watched this. Now all I'll see is Spidey hovering above ground every time I web up close to the ground.

[@therandomguy2441]

This is why polygon sucks people. Swinging is not a rollercoaster effect, it's a pendulum effect. Rollercoaster is on rails, spiderman should not be in rails. And insomniac spiderman is literally in rails when he swings, which is why swinging in this game is awful.

[@yoyo21926]

Damn, I need a PS4

[@paradoxacres1063]

Same :(

[@luisburciaga1230]

Anyone goes to the six flags featured in the beginning of the video?

[@sash9249]

It does feel soooooo good.

[@TEMSproductions]

Really wanted to know the math :(

[@Scrap-Bran]

also the really repetitive music every time you start swinging gets annoying, i had to mute the music just to get threw the game.

[@15puzzleee]

Super cool !!!

[@sorax2871]

I am gonna sell it but i dont wanna stop swining

[@loganlaperriere7513]

I wish the new Spider-Man game was for xbox😔😔😔

[@insayno]

Sell your Xbox, buy a PS4. The best games are on this side though.

[@BiggieJ4224]

So basically, this entire video encapsulates that most people have a skill issue….. got it

[@Beeevaaa]

Simone you TOTALLY stole this from Ashley ;)

[@Beeevaaa]

everyone should listen to The Polygon Show

[@samsonraj6500]

It's no way as good as arkham Knight

[@trazzzzz]

That's really sly. The way Fristrom's response on web swinging is superimposed over video of the new game's, to subtly imply that it's similar. Unfortunately though, it's not even close.

[@giggitymaster8799]

I rubbed one out to your voice

[@rahul1215]

App 🏪

[@ryanoco7]

Imo it's dumb you can't hit the ground hover wtf

[@FireOccator]

It doesn't.

[@ameilasinclaire9413]

If you think the swinging is good you should try the swimming!

[@jopdancing7320]

I still think spider-man 2 web swinging is better it's more active and not paying attention well result in falling or slamming into building there's a failure state a challenge it's better than this assassin's creed garbage where you will never fail.

[@jopdancing7320]

i said ''assassin's creed garbage'' which is harsh but i still stand that the more active web swinging in spidey 2 is better.

[@benclaflin5171]

I would describe this as the exact reason why it feels *SO BAD*. Spider-Man should not hover. The broken physics was a terrible idea, and makes the entire experience feel cheap and arcade-y.

[@TheHongKongHermit]

Ben Claflin The overwhelming public consensus is that's good though. If you ain't feeling it, then fair enough. In this case it is you that is the outlier.

[@saitenotoshuitsnaini]

i, too, was expecting an automatic assisted web shots when they ask about it. but i wouldn't said the hovering made it bad.

[@vincentxu8217]

If you really value physics that much you should realize that physically there’s no way you can shoot webs that far and that fast, not matter what the web fluid is, it’s too light to overcome air friction. So the whole thing cannot happen if physics is the priority. I’m glad Insom did the right thing and put FUN first.

[@Bleagle]

Haven't played the game yet, but loved Spider-Man 2. This hover mechanism immediately caught my eye and didn't feel right. I can see the advantages and will of course still buy the game, but mastering the more realistic physics in SM2 was so rewarding! You had to actually plan your route ahead or otherwise risk losing speed/come to a complete stop because the buildings around you just weren't high enough, or you shot your web too late. They could add a harder, more demanding mode to the game (also add fall damage!) via updates, but I doubt they will - the target group for that feature is probably too small.

[@knightghost1782]

It doesn't bother me. It helps reach great distances and height and helps you time your web swinging just right. Plus if we're gonna complain about spider-mans physics not being realistic enough then you're In for a big disappointed. Spider-man is fictional. It's not possible to gain spider powers. I would try avoiding games that hover such as DMC and the old god of war games.

[@theninjaassassin4468]

1080p 60fps mode on the Pro please! Or at least... in the next game. 30fps is a disgrace for a Spider-Man game. Web of Shadows is 10 years old and runs at 60 ffs.

[@musty8748]

The swinging has horrible physics

[@lilrice7865]

I shouldn't have watched this video