Spider-Man is coming back to PlayStation – but will it feel as free as the original?

Developer Insomniac previewed its forthcoming Marvel superhero spin-off at E3, but can it live up to brilliance of the first PlayStation classic?

Spider-Man is Marvel's most performative superhero. He uses the city like a stage, his movement is balletic and self-conscious, and there is a clear separation between the costumed hero and the child actor behind the mask. In a lot of ways, it's the perfect dynamic for a video game - and in August 2000, Californian developer Neversoft realised this with absolute precision.

Its Spider-Man title, released on the original PlayStation, was built around the same engine used in the groundbreaking skateboard sim Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. This gave the Marvel hero incredible freedom and manoeuvrability as he swooped over the streets of New York City, but it also accentuated the sheer fun and creativity of Spider-Man's movement. Some 17-years later the Web Slinger is back with a similar concept, but in a very different era. This is the Marvel tie-in a heck of a lot of people have been waiting for.