If you’re a Marvel fan and a PS4 player, you’re probably eagerly awaiting the system-exclusive Spider-Man title. You’ll also probably be glad to hear that the developers have taken inspiration from some of the best superhero games in living memory: the Arkham titles.

Now, sure, in the movie world, Marvel are in a league of their own. You may have heard of a little upcoming movie called Avengers: Infinity War, for instance, which hits theaters at the end of next week. It’s sure to be a runaway smash, just like every other instalment from the MCU. When it comes to video games, however, it’s a DC character that has held dominance in recent years.

The Arkham games (starring Batman, of course) are widely regarded as not only great superhero games, but super solid action adventures in their own right. Players ‘felt’ like Batman, and that’s really what it’s all about. As such, it’s darn encouraging to hear that the developers of Spider-Man PS4 are keen to concentrate on all of these traits in their own game.

Speaking to The Telegraph, the title’s Creative Director, Bryan Intihar, voiced his admiration for everything Rocksteady achieved with Arkham. Asked if he saw Batman’s much-loved outings as competition, he said, “No! They inspire! Those games inspire us. I look at those games but I don’t look at specific features, I look at the quality, not to mention fulfilling the fantasy of being Batman. Our goals are to make sure people say our game is on their quality level.”

Marvel DC Crossover- Spider-Man PS4 Was Inspired By Batman Arkham Games
Via: Push Square

This is a crucial element. After all, when you’re playing as Spider-Man, Batman, the Incredible Hulk or whoever, the most important thing is that you feel powerful. Games are a power fantasy at heart, after all, and you’re playing with some major power here. What was so disappointing about Superman 64? The fact that you were flying the almighty son of Krypton through a series of hoops, like it was Baby’s First Crappy Flight Simulator.

There’s no danger of that here. As the report continues, the Spider-Man we’ll be playing as throughout is 23-years-old, with six years of experience as the web slinger under his belt. As such, he knows his darn way around combat, the city itself and, most importantly, his powers.

According to The Telegraph, “It’s immediately apparent that extended development time is being well spent: web-swinging in Spider-Man is sensational. A complex physics model means the character himself functions like a pendulum, allowing you to glide along the avenues and alleyways of the city with unprecedented fidelity and take corners in wide, sweeping arcs.”

This is a facet of being Spider-Man which has previously been handled quite well, in games such as 2004’s Spider-Man 2. If the devs can nail it, along with the sections where you control Peter Parker himself and Mary Jane (yep, she’s playable too), all while ensuring that New York City is the vast, bustling playground we’ve been promised, then… well, we’ve got something truly phenomenal on our hands here.