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10 tips to help you take down the villains in Marvel’s Spider-Man
There’s plenty of fighting to be done on the streets and in the skies, but these tips will help you defeat every type of threat in the brilliant new Spider-Man PS4 game.
It's hard to beat swinging around New York City in Marvel’s Spider-Man, but you have a job to do and that means you'll get into a lot of fights. There’s a lot to learn and even more to master, so we’ve come up with some tips to provide you a helping hand when you come against the villains in this great new PS4 game.
1. Know your enemy
Whether you’re swinging into one of Fisk’s hideouts, taking out some petty criminals or a gang of Mr Negative’s demons, there are a lot of different types of enemies and you’ll have to attack them differently.
Standard thugs don’t require too much work, so a simple combination of punches using the Square button will do the trick. Some enemies will fire machine guns at you, so using R1 to fire webbing at them will restrict their movement and tie them up, completely debilitating them.
Thugs carrying melee weapons can only be taken out by punching them hard (by holding Square) to launch them in the air. Continue pressing Square and you’ll join them above ground, connecting punch after punch until they’re no longer a threat. You can also press Triangle to pull them back towards the ground, doing some damage and allowing you to engage with them on the ground as they lie defenceless.
The other type of enemy is the heavy – a bulky and tough goon that won’t feel the normal punches within your arsenal. Use your web to fire constant shots at them so they become tied up, then beat them to your hearts content.
You'll need to learn different attacks to take out the enemies
© Marvel
2. Observe your environment
In combat scenarios, there’s a lot you can use to launch at enemies, be it a thug or one of the game’s bosses. You’ll often see L1 and R1 prompts pop up, meaning the opportunity to do serious damage is an option. There are numerous objects such as car doors, post boxes, and manholes you can throw, as well as scaffolding and pillars that can be pulled down on top of enemies, too.
The beauty of this is that you can do it from the air as well, and by doing it this way it means that there’s less chance other thugs will do some damage to you. Another thing to mention is the ability to attack after jumping at a wall. Wall attacks not only get you off the ground, but they do some serious damage to those watching from below; the environment is your greatest weapon.
3. Listen for the snap
When fighting multiple enemies in Marvel’s Spider-Man, it can become overwhelming and you’ll quite often switch focus throughout. Once an enemy is defeated, you’ll hear a thud – a snapping sound that indicates an enemy is defeated. Listening for this helps you to know how many are left and shows you that you’re making progress within the heated battles.
4. Take a breather
Enemies can come at you fast, and if you’re struggling to find an equilibrium it’s important to get out of the thick of it by swinging out and finding some high ground. Jump out and press R2 to swing away, giving you the option to avoid a potential drubbing.
Being in the air can also give you better opportunities to dive down onto enemies and view the bigger picture; press Triangle to zipline towards a thug and put your focus on someone who’s not part of the gang that was trying to pummel you before. Mix up your strategy in a heartbeat and you’ll never struggle to get the job done.
You may need to escape from battles if you're getting beaten up
© Marvel
5. Spidey senses tingling
Dodging is a huge part of combat, and using Circle at certain points will be vital to your survival. You could be fighting seven enemies at once, and there’s someone outside of your battle who’ll be shooting at you, or a crowbar-wielding goon will be about to take a swing at you. You’ll see a white ‘Spidey sense’ prompt appear above your head, and if you press Circle you’ll avoid the attack. If you dodge at the point the prompt reaches its whitest, it’ll slow down the gameplay for a second and land you more Focus in your Focus bar (more on this later). Not only does this look cool, but it’ll help you dish out more damage and allow you to initiate your suit's power.
It’s also worth mentioning that if you see a white line aimed at you, someone’s about to shoot you. When that line turns red, dodge as soon as you can because you’re about to be filled with bullets (or a rocket or two).
6. Quietly does it
Stealth is a huge part of Marvel’s Spider-Man and an important way for you to clear out large gangs of enemies. Find a vantage point where you can survey the area without being spotted and press R3 to scan the area; any enemies will be highlighted with a red outline.
Pressing L2 and R2 together at parts of the environment will allow you to swing towards them with efficiency if an icon appears showing you that you can. Always be above the enemy or else they’ll spot you and jeopardise your chance and stealth.
Perching above an enemy and pressing R3 will show you if it’s safe to attack. Once you’re in the clear, press Square to execute a Perch Takedown or Triangle to stealthily attack them on the ground. If it isn’t safe you can fire a web at objects to create a distraction, leading surrounding enemies to investigate and leave the poor soul you intend to take out vulnerable.
You can pull off a special attack once you've filled up your Focus bar
© Marvel
7. Get focused
Focus is a type of currency for your power, and it can be gained in several ways. Dodging attacks at the last minute, completing successful chains of attacks, and remaining untouched in combat all build it up, and once you fill a Focus bar you can use a special attack (by pressing Circle and Triangle together) to instantly take out an enemy. These manoeuvres can be done on the ground and in the air – not only are they efficient, but they look awesome. You can also press down on the D-pad to use Focus to fill up your health, so it’s important to keep an eye on the health bar at the top of the screen.
8. Reading the boss fights
Some of you may find that boss fights become repetitive, but this is a good thing, especially when you end up fighting the most iconic ones from the comics. Every boss will fire something at you, or charge at you, so dodging at the right time will mean that they don’t stand a chance of hitting you.
Once they’ve attempted an attack, they’ll normally take a breather whilst they recover, and this will allow you to fire webbing at them. Once trapped up in the white stuff you’ll see a Triangle icon appear above their head. Press it and you’ll pull yourself towards them and be able to beat them up for a few seconds.
There are also chances for you to use the environment against them, so assess the area and see what the boss fight is likely to entail. Almost all of them follow a similar pattern but knowing exactly when to take your opportunities is where the skill lies. Never turn your back on a boss and always pay attention to their attacks because some deal a heck of a lot of damage.
Never take your eyes on an enemy
© Marvel
9. The gadget wheel is your friend
New gadgets will unlock throughout the course of the main story Each one is useful, but you may forget about them from time to time. Always make sure you test them out, even if they’re not for you.
Impact Webbing fires a huge blast of web and instantly pins an enemy to a wall; use this to isolate specific guards and it’ll allow you easier access to the rest of the gang. Electric Webbing fixes control panels, but it also shocks enemies, and the Web Bomb covers large groups of enemies in it, freezing them out and allowing you to jump in and clear shop.
There’s also a Spider Drone that’ll scope out areas for enemies and has some nifty tricks up its sleeve. If you like these gadgets you can upgrade them using tokens from around the city, giving each one more abilities and uses.
10. Grow your skill trees
The final bit of advice focuses on building your skill trees. There are three skill trees in total – Innovator, Defender, and Webslinger. To learn how they’ll help just go into the menu and read up on which perks are unlocked on each tree. Some will help you improve the force of your attacks, and others will give you more of a chance if you’re on your last legs in a fight. Not all the skills will be up your street, but there’s no denying that the more the merrier. One of the first perks you should unlock is in the Webslinger tree, which allows you to use a double zip in the air. This’ll help you get out of heated fights much quicker, as well as getting you into a fight faster.
