Insomniac’s Spider-Man Games Are Great, But I’m Sad About What Could Have Been

The first time I had heard of Insomniac Games was with the Marvel’s Spider-Man series. It’s shameful, not only because I hopped on board the Insomniac bandwagon after it got Marvel famous, but because I was also brought up on Ratchet and Clank on the PS2 yet never realized that Insomniac was the mastermind behind it. They were some of my favorite games, and yet, thanks to my impatience and eagerness to whack robots with my giant wrench, I skipped through the fancy studio logos, preventing myself from learning who was responsible for the creation of this platforming masterpiece.

Like many others, I believe that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a masterpiece and one of Insomniac’s greatest games. I’m glad that Marvel tasked them with the creation of the Spider-Man games, as not only is it clearly the developer for the job, but it has so much passion and reverence for the source material. However, the more I’ve looked into Insomniac Games, the more I see a lot of missed potential. It isn’t that the developer has failed in any degree, but rather that its current trajectory has meant it stopped working on some of its lesser-known franchises, especially Resistance.

Resistance 4 Could Have Been Great

It Would Have Given Insomniac Another Shot At Its Incredible FPS Series

I got into the Resistance games rather late, long after it had finished. I’m guilty of being more familiar with its similarly dark and macabre FPS twin, Killzone – another PlayStation franchise canceled too soon – but nevertheless gave Resistance a try when I finally caved and subscribed to PS Plus for a few months. It is striking just how different Resistance is to anything else Insomniac Games has created, putting it on a similar yet ironically inverse trajectory to Naughty Dog, a studio famous for its light-hearted action games, before moving into the extensential nightmare that is The Last of Us.

While I may have missed the boat when it came to the Resistance franchise, I am saddened to see that it never got a follow-up on the PlayStation 4, and continues to be absent on the PS5. During an interview with Kinda Funny Games, the outgoing CEO and original founder of Insomniac Games, Ted Price, discussed how the team had actually pitched Resistance 4 to Sony, only to have it shot down. Price lamented that due to “timing and market opportunity“, there was no real interest, even despite the fact that the team were passionate about the project.

Upon listening to the interview, I found myself profoundly nostalgic for this game that never existed. It wasn’t so much that my longing for the franchise drew me to it, although Resistance’s alternative history plots are engrossingly enthralling, evoking a cross between Gears of War and Wolfenstein that shamefully hasn’t been replicated well since. Rather, it made me think about how different Insomniac Games could have been had it gone down that road. Because, as much as Insomniac Games makes some of the best PS5 games with the Spider-Man series, it used to be known for so much more.

Insomniac Is More Than Just A Marvel Studio

It Is Responsible For Incredible VR & Third-Person Games

Many, like myself, will likely know Insomniac Games for creating the Ratchet & Clank series, including the phenomenal Rift Apart, which still remains one of the best showcases of the PS5’s power. Of course, there’s also the iconic and beloved Spyro series, which I firmly believe is far better than Naughty Dog’s Crash Bandicoot. Some may even know it for creating the somewhat spiritual predecessor to Marvel’s Spider-Man, Sunset Overdrive, a hectic, over-the-top third-person action game with a lot of laughs and a huge focus on lightning-fast movement.

However, it has also been quietly developing a series of lesser-known yet nevertheless brilliant, or, at the very least, interesting games. One that I had always been aware of, but had never realized Insomniac Games was responsible for, was Fuse. Admittedly, I always mistook it for the supposed Halo killer, Haze, although the two couldn’t be more different. Fuse was a failed, yet nevertheless fascinating futuristic co-op shooter that saw Insomniac venture into uncharted territory and take risks. It was a bold move, one that, again, feels like a far cry from the brilliant Marvel’s Spider-Man series.

It all paints a picture of a developer that is so much more than merely a Marvel machine, and that’s what I find myself feeling so nostalgic for.

Insomniac Games has also developed several VR titles for the Oculus Rift, including Stormland, The Unspoken, Edge of Nowhere, and Feral Rights. It also created a social RPG for Facebook called Outernauts, and a 2D Metroidvania called Song of the Deep. I won’t lie and say that I knew these existed, and I suspect that only those fortunate enough to afford a VR headset know about most of them. However, it all paints a picture of a developer that is so much more than merely a Marvel machine, and that’s what I find myself feeling so nostalgic for.

How Insomniac Could Look Different Today

We’d Be Getting More Original IP

A screenshot of Rivet and Clank looking with concern in Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart.

I’m not about to say that PlayStation purchasing Insomniac Games has ruined its legacy. After all, many of its older games are either too obscure, critical and commercial failures, or owned by other studios. Insomniac Games bringing its decades of experience in a variety of genres to its Marvel games has made them the enormous successes they are today. However, I can’t help but think about how different the studio would be today if Sony had never bought it, had it remained independent, had Resistance 4 been made, and had it continued on its trajectory of producing unique third-person experiences.

Something tells me that fans probably wouldn’t have gotten Fuse 2. However, Insomniac would likely have continued producing new VR titles alongside a potential sequel to Sunset Overdrive, a game that garnered a lot of critical acclaim upon launch. It also would likely have produced even more new IP, while funding its more experimental ventures with collaborations with its third-party partners, including Sony. In many ways, I feel like this alternate future could have been more exciting, as it would have seen Insomniac be free to try its hand at more unique games.

Spider-Man in his black Symbiote suit in Marvel's Spider-Man 2

I’m Still Waiting For Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Biggest Teaser To Pay Off

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 teased an awesome gameplay feature but didn’t follow through with it. I’m still waiting for Insomniac to give us more.

I also love the Marvel’s Spider-Man series and the risks it has taken. If I had a time machine and somehow the ability to convince Sony not to buy Insomniac Games, I’m not sure that I would. In that Kinda Funny Games interview, Price mentions that the team is still passionate about Resistance, and that, as Sony owns the rights to it, fans could see a sequel in the future. I hope that Insomniac Games gets to continue making Marvel Spider-Man games while also trying its hand at its own IP so we get more of that Ratchet & Clank magic.

Source: Kinda Funny Games/YouTube