Superhero games commonly inspire mods, demos, and projects curated by fans. For independent developers, the advanced tools that fans have with accessible engines have produced some fantastic work in recent years and demonstrate what they would like to see implemented into such superhero experiences, such as that of a particular Spider-Man project.In November 2021, a Spider-Man fan project showed impressive animations in Unreal Engine 4, where co-creator gibb09 demonstrated new vaulting systems. This project was made in collaboration with animator Sarp Serter, whom gibb09 praises for all the work he has put toward the demo’s animations, and shows true promise as an experimental project with authentic-looking gameplay. Just recently, gibb09 has shared a fun development update on the project.Cited as Sarp’s idea, gibb09 shares footage from the demo that debuts the ability for Spider-Man to grind, skate, and surf on manhole covers. The mechanic begins as Spider-Man launches downward at the supposed pavement, tearing a manhole cover from the street, and then landing on it into a grind rail. Cool air tricks are also animated using the manhole cover as a skateboard, and Spider-Man is able to turn tight corners while skidding on the manhole cover with webs attached to nearby buildings.
Manhole cover-skating is a mechanic players have requested in a Spider-Man game for a considerably long time, and not only is it functional in gibb09 and Sarp’s project, but it is also animated wonderfully, making it look like it should exist in an established Spider-Man game already. In fact, Fortnite implemented this mechanic into its own unique Spider-Man traversal, alongside its Web-Shooter item. Marvel's Spider-Man's traversal is highly favorable among fans, but it is interesting to hear how fans wish to see it become more dynamic in the future.
Indeed, manhole cover-skating is a unique means of traversal that many fans hoped would debut in Marvel’s Spider-Man, and now hope that it finally makes an official debut in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. But with the amount of sporadic traffic in New York City, manhole cover-skating may be an implausible traversal method. It works in gibb09 and Sarp’s project since there are wide, vacant streets without any vehicles populating them, but Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will not be nearly as empty.
Still, it is incredible to see such impressive animations in this indie fan project, demonstrating what is possible for potential mods or other features. Speaking of mods, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered is set to release on PC in August, and fans will surely come up with even more impressive, new creations and implementations when it does.