25 Crazy Things Only Experts Know You Can Do In Spider-Man PS4

Spider-Man has been one of the most anticipated video games of this year, and now that it’s finally hit stores it seems to have taken the world by storm. Spider-Man’s video game outings haven’t been stellar in recent years — his only successes have been one or two sleeper-hit console titles amidst many forgettable mobile games and downright failures. However, Insomniac Games’ take on the web-head has reinvigorated the character’s video game livelihood. Never before has it been so fun to swing around New York City and keep the neighborhood friendly.

For this list, we’ll be talking about all of the things you had no idea Spidey could do in his newest interactive adventure. Obviously, you’re going to swing around and take on villains, but the game is so dense with content and secrets that crime-fighting only scratches the surface. There are plenty of Easter eggs, side missions, and hidden features that the trailers haven’t revealed, and some that the game itself doesn’t even tell you about!

We’ll be covering some of the obvious ones for people who haven’t yet purchased the game, deep-cuts that players might just be discovering, and everything in between.

Have no fear, though– we won’t be spoiling the game’s story aside from the first few minutes. This list will focus on gameplay features and maybe some characters involved, but your Spidey senses can rest easy knowing the game’s twists and turns won’t be found below.

Ready to swing into the good stuff?

Here are 25 Crazy Things Only Experts Know You Can Do In Spider-Man PS4.

25 Swap Suit Powers

If you haven’t yet purchased it, you’ve probably already heard about the game’s vast array of collectable Spidey suits. Spider-Man can unlock dozens of different costumes throughout the game, and each one comes with its own special ability.

Thankfully, if you like a certain suit but hate its unique ability, you’ll be pleased to know that Suit Powers are totally interchangeable. Want to rock the Avengers: Infinity War suit but hate the “Iron Arms” power that comes with it?

You can keep the costume, but swap out the power for something more suitable to your play style.

This feature is a godsend, as some of the Suit Powers are way more useful than others.

24 Subway Travel

Spider-Man actually has a fast travel system, though it’s one you’ll probably never use.

Using the map to fast travel from location to location will have Spidey take the subway like every other New Yorker, complete with the blank stare and exhaustion that comes with it.

Swinging is so satisfying that you’ll probably never decide to take the green line uptown, but if you’ve ever short on time and patience, feel free to hop on and do something else while the next area loads.

Once you get acquainted with the swing system, though, traversing the city by web will become second nature.

23 Web Hang

Players may not realize they can strike this iconic Spider-Man pose anywhere in the city. Hanging upside-down has no real use in the game’s stealth or combat systems — it’s simply a more stylish way of stalking enemies and surveying environments.

While on any ceiling, press L2 to hang from a web.

Stealth attacks can also be performed from this position, though it’s often easier to use other methods for taking down bad guys.

Peter can also lower himself down on the web — but don’t expect him to give anyone an upside-down kiss in the rain.

22 Use Drones

Insomniac’s take on Spider-Man isn’t the wide-eyed high school student of the films, nor the genius tech magnate of the comics. He’s somewhere in the middle — young, yet just beginning to outfit his friendly neighborhood crime-fighting with gadgets and gear.

As a result, one of the game’s many web-gadgets is the Spider Drone — a little bot that will fly around and support Peter in combat. The drone comes with a small turret to take on enemies and even acts as a distraction.

Filling a room with these little guys can really help with crowd control, especially if enemy numbers become overwhelming.

21 Switch Suits On The Fly

This one is obvious for experienced players, but for those of you debating whether or not to pick up the game, this feature is a fan favorite. The game’s collection of suits is one of its biggest selling points, and cycling through them is only a button-press away.

Unlike previous games, which usually treated costumes as Easter eggs, this game allows players to change suits on the map menu without having to leave the game or go to a certain location.

Switching suits in Spider-Man is akin to using a new weapon in a role-playing game.

It’s not a secret, but a tool that is conveniently equipped on the fly.

20 Listen To J. Jonah Jameson’s Podcast

In this version of the Marvel universe, Jonah is not the editor of the Daily Bugle, but rather its former editor, as well a prolific author and podcast personality. He’s the host of “Just The Facts with J. Jonah Jameson” — a conspiracy  theory “news” podcast where JJ takes callers, throws tantrums, and slanders the web-slinger.

Not only does this parody similar radio shows in the real world, but it feels like the perfect modernization for the stingy paper editor.

His podcast will play between story missions to reflect on the game’s events, though players can “unsubscribe” in the Options menu if they find him a little grating.

19 Play As Mary Jane Watson

Peter Parker’s one true love is a major character in the game’s story and a playable avatar. No, she’s not an unlockable costume or anything like that.

Mary Jane has her own dedicated segments littered throughout the experience.

In this continuity, Mary Jane isn’t a model or an actress, but instead a determined and daring journalist. She’ll help Peter throughout the game by following leads on her own stories, which usually requires her to sneak into a guarded area using the game’s stealth system.

Not only is this a nice break from playing as Peter, but it’s also a great twist on a character who isn’t usually the most proactive crime-fighter.

18 Interact With Pedestrians

You could be forgiven for not knowing that Spider-Man can interact with his fellow New Yorkers. Take a walk on the ground and explore the city — you’ll find that Peter will greet citizens, take selfies with them, give out some high fives, and occasionally they’ll even provide tips on local crime.

Sure, the feature is a novelty that might wear off quickly, but sometimes it’s nice to take a break from the high-speed swinging to experience a pleasant and grateful New York.

Not every pedestrian is a fan of the wall-crawler. Occasionally, spending time on the ground will incur the wrath of thugs with a Spidey-based vendetta.

17 Catch Pigeons

With so many things to collect in this game, you won’t be surprised to hear that pigeons are also up for grabs.

A side mission has Peter track down pigeons that escaped a rooftop pigeon coop.

The pesky flying rats are scattered throughout the city and they move way faster than any normal pigeons should.

They act as web-swinging challenges, dodging and weaving between buildings at high speeds as Spidey chases them. Getting close enough will allow for their capture, and earn you a bit of XP along the way.

There are lots of similar challenges in the game, but these can be quite frustrating for more inexperienced web-swingers.

16 Repel Rockets

All the Spidey senses in the world won’t make the game’s rockets less frustrating. Missile launcher enemies are no more cunning than the other goons, but those rockets can really complicate a fight. It doesn’t help that some of the enemies can be so dumb that they’ll fire at point-blank range. Thankfully, the game offers a skill to counter them.

One of Spider-Man’s high-level skills lets players repel rockets by webbing them up and swinging them back at enemies. It acts like any other web throw, but it can be executed as soon as the rockets are fired. It’s perfect for combating swarms of enemy henchmen.

15 Web-Swing Tricks

Spider-Man takes a lot of inspiration from Insomniac’s previous parkour-based shoot-em-up, Sunset Overdrive. Like Sunset, Spidey’s moveset is focused on  traversal that is both efficient and stylish. While there are plenty of skills that upgrade the swinging itself, there is even one that allows Spider-Man to do tricks in the air.

Unlocking the skill will allow Peter to pull off flips and spins in between web-swings.

Tricks can be strung together in short combos, and landing them even awards experience points!

Don’t expect to string together thousands of points, but a handful of well-timed tricks can help players skim their way to the next level.

14 Laboratory Work

Several puzzles and mini-games can be found throughout Spider-Man that put Peter Parker’s science skills to the test. He is a genius, after all.

His work at Octavius Industries has him test experimental prosthetic limbs by analyzing substances and rewiring electronic circuits. Spidey will also have to hack Oscorp radio towers all over the city to intercept their signals. Each of these tasks come with their own unique puzzles and rewards.

None of these mini-games are particularly challenging and they don’t quite feel as exciting as breaking up a robbery, but they’re a nice break from the action and a clever nod to Peter’s other passion.

13 Change The Time Of Day

While the game doesn’t have a dynamic day-and-night cycle like many other open-world games, progressing through the story will change the time of day in New York and even alter the weather. However, completing the game allows for the time of day to be selected at will.

This is especially useful for unfinished photography side quests, and it’s just a nice option for creating those perfect moments in Photo Mode.

After completing the story missions, head to any of Harry Osborn’s rooftop research stations.

In the left corner of the room will be a terminal that allows you to change the time of day.

12 Collect Peter’s Backpacks

Peter Parker is always in a hurry to save the day, regardless of homework and school projects. As a result, Peter has lost a lot of backpacks over the years from having to suit up and spring into action at a moment’s notice.

Peter has left backpacks webbed up all over the city — in alleyways, on rooftops, under bridges — so you’ll spend a lot of time finding them all. Seeking them out is a must, as not only provide XP and resources for suit-crafting, but also tend to contain Marvel universe Easter eggs.

Each one comes with a unique narration. Give these a listen to catch references to the wider Marvel world.

11 Clean Up The Environment With Harry Osborn

Where is Peter Parker’s best friend? Well, Mary Jane is present and accounted for. However, Harry is a different story.

In Spider-Man, Harry Osborn only shows up in side missions through on-screen messages that he left for Peter.

The messages all detail various Oscorp research projects that Harry requires assistance with.

These messages activate side quests where Spider-Man must clean up toxic waste, reduce the city’s smog, save the New York aquatic life, and plenty more good-hearted odd jobs. Each one rewards the player with Science Tokens, which can be used to craft new suits and upgrade web-gadgets.

10 Defusing Bombs

Taskmaster, Marvel’s favorite mercenary copycat, has come to New York to take on Spider-Man. He’s left dozens of challenges around the city for the web-slinger to tackle, so Taskmaster can watch him and learn his weaknesses. These tasks come in different varieties — combat challenges, stealth challenges — but the most prevalent one is bomb disposal.

Taskmaster has placed timed explosives all over the city, and it’s up to Spider-Man to deal with them before their timers reach zero. Taskmaster will have you swinging around the city in a frenzy to defuse each bomb before anyone can get hurt.

9 Play As Old School Spidey

There are plenty of noteworthy Spider-Man suits to collect, but this might be the most unique.

Players can use a costume known as the “Vintage” suit, which gives Peter a refreshingly retro look for nostalgia-lovers.

The Vintage outfit channels the art of the late and legendary Steve Ditko, as well as Spider-Man’s first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15. The cel-shaded suit even features a dotted texture, making look as if this Spider-Man really did swing off of comic book pages.

The suit is available after level 41, and it comes with the ability to batter enemies with really, really bad quips. Yes, really.

8 Upgrade Web Swinging

It may sound obvious, but new players may not realize how much the web-swinging can actually be upgraded.

While the game comes with a skill system that builds up Spider-Man’s different abilities, an entire skill tree is dedicated to swinging and traversal.

For the best experience, players will want to invest skill points there early on, or risk clunky and slow movement during the game’s more-intensive chase segments. Seriously, some of the traversal skills totally change the way you swing.

Definitely go for the Charge Jump and Point Launch skills as soon as possible. They add height and momentum to every trek around town, and you’ll really feel like Spider-Man in the process.

7 Track Down Black Cat

Amidst the game’s plentiful side activities is a mission solely focused on tracking down Black Cat.

Felicia has left stakeout positions all over New York City in a surprisingly obvious fashion. Spidey has to locate them all and retrace her steps to figure out exactly who she’s robbed and where she’ll be headed next.

Case the places she’s robbed and find her calling cards.

Investigating her trail completely rewards the player with a unique suit, while Black Cat herself is already slated to appear in “The City That Never Sleeps” — the game’s first downloadable content pack, scheduled for release this coming October.

6 Take Photos

While Peter Parker’s days as a photographer at the Daily Bugle are over, Spider-Man allows for plenty of sightseeing, high-flying selfies, and dozens of sticker and filter options. Of course, the photography feature is only aided by the gorgeous and photogenic recreation of Manhattan. You’ll spend lots of time admiring it from the ground, as well as taking photos of it in mid-swing.

Not only does the game have a dedicated Photo Mode for players who want to compose some cinematic Spider-Man moments, but the game uses photography as a key gameplay element.

You’ll take photos for evidence, for tracking down missing persons, for logging special locations, and more.

5 Visit Actual New York City Landmarks

Okay, yes, obviously you’ll find New York landmarks in a Spider-Man game, but geographical accuracy matters. Thankfully, Spider-Man does not disappoint.

New York City in video games can be a touchy subject for actual game-playing New Yorkers. Grand Theft Auto IV successfully miniaturized New York but Spider-Man‘s recreation of Manhattan is just as great.

Aside from a few changes, the landmarks are faithfully recreated with surprising accuracy.

We’re not just talking about skyscrapers here — Museum Mile is pitch-perfect, Columbus Circle is delightfully tweaked, and you can even find Alexander Hamilton’s grave in the cemetery of Trinity Church. They even recreated the constellations on the ceiling of Grand Central Terminal! Nice touch, Insomniac.

4 Listen To Doc Ock’s Audio Diaries

As Otto Octavius’ lab assistant, Peter will have to spend a lot of time working at Octavius Industries. Here the player can find puzzles to complete as well as some Easter eggs, but none are as interesting as Ock’s audio diaries.

Lying around the lab are several tape recorders. Each one is either a personal log or a peer review where Otto will discuss Peter’s job performance. He only ever seems to have high praise for his young assistant, but it’s fun to have a listen to the supervillain in-the-making.

Doc Ock will either gush about how Peter is invaluable help, or go on an ominous rant about the future of his plans.

3 Scan Newspapers For Easter Eggs

The newspaper dispensers on the New York City sidewalks are interactive, as opening one will give you a paper with a headline that reflects the story’s events. You could be forgiven for not realizing this, as the game rarely provides any incentive to travel using the street.

With that said, it’s nice to stop swinging every once and a while to take a walk like a normal person, if only to grab a newspaper.

Each one is logged in the game’s collectable list, where headlines can be viewed.

Sometimes they contain other Marvel universe Easter eggs, so don’t forget to grab them!

2 Save Your Enemies

This technically isn’t something the player actively does, but rather something Spider-Man does that players might never notice. Spider-Man doesn’t take lives (as a general rule, at least), and the game reflects that.

As such, anytime an enemy is put in a deadly situation — whether it be kicked into debris or thrown off a building — Spider-Man will always web them to safety. The game actually forces this, even if Spider-Man isn’t nearby to help.

For example, try web-throwing an enemy off a building and watch closely. Eventually, the enemy will magically get webbed onto a nearby surface so that they don’t hit the ground.

1 Visit Marvel Universe Locations

Spider-Man’s world wouldn’t be complete without nods to the rest of the Marvel universe. Dozens of Marvel references are scattered around the city for the player’s enjoyment, ranging from obvious landmarks like the Oscorp building, to deeper cuts like the Alias Investigations or the Wakandan Embassy.

Most of these locations can be found in the Landmark quests, while others are meant for the hidden “Secret Photo Ops” missions.

While it’s tempting to climb around Avengers Tower all day, make sure to visit Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum or take a selfie with the Wall Street Bull — or in this case, Lockjaw from the Inhumans!

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Did you know about all these hidden features in Marvel’s Spider-Man? Make sure to leave a comments and share your thoughts!