Barely a month after the controversial fast travel mechanic of Starfield made rounds on the internet, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is finding itself on the other end of the conversations. The only difference? Its loading screens load so fast to the point that they’re non-existent.
In a recent gameplay footage shared by IGN, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was shown to let players go to any location on the in-game map via the fast-travel mechanic in less than three seconds. As a matter of fact, it only takes this long because of a mechanic that required players to hold down a button for confirmation. Otherwise, Insomniac probably could’ve made fast travel instantaneous.
While this admittedly deserved applause, some couldn’t help but point out that this was Insomniac’s way of “hiding” a loading screen in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, to which, one of the developers who worked on the game had something to say about.
Spider-Man 2's fast travel could be as quick as 1.33 seconds. #SpiderMan2PS5 pic.twitter.com/VYYPQjZHL5
— IGN (@IGN) October 17, 2023
In a reply on ResetEra, Mike Fitzgerald, Insomniac’s director of core technologies, provided some much-needed clarity. He confirmed that the fast-travel mechanism’s “hold-to-confirm prompt” wasn’t masking any concealed load time. In his words, this prompt existed purely to offer players an opportunity to ensure they didn’t misclick. This, he pointed out, was necessary to ensure player usability, a priority that, in his view, is more important than “Internet cred points.”
The skepticism isn’t entirely unfounded. Historically, such instant transitions between expansive in-game locations have been rare, if not unheard of. However, the advanced technological landscape has reached a point where such feats have become possible.
As Fitzgerald mentioned in a follow-up tweet, while discussions about advancements in gaming often revolve around buzz words like frame rates and loading times, the real magic happens when these technologies enhance the narrative, giving players unprecedented experiences and unforgettable moments.
While the speed of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s load times might appear surreal, it seems the game has genuinely harnessed a blend of technological prowess and optimization to achieve it. Beyond just numbers, Insomniac Games sees technology as an instrument for storytelling, aiming to transcend mere mechanics and create lasting memories for the player.
To add another layer to the narrative, this rapid fast-travel isn’t just a gimmick. The game, exclusive to the PlayStation 5, allows its players to navigate from one corner of its vast lifelike recreation of New York to the opposite end in just a few seconds. The brilliance of the PS5, however, isn’t completely out of character for Insomniac. The studio had previously showcased their tech prowess with the release of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
The aforementioned PlayStation 5 exclusive was nominated for Game of the Year in 2021 and earned rave reviews for its use of the console’s proprietary SSD technology. It’s safe to say that the practice has paid off well for Insomniac Games. Although we’re pretty sure that this will, once again, generate controversy once Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 arrives on the PC, similar to what happened with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart earlier this year.
The bottom line is that Spider-Man 2’s fast-travel feature, while groundbreaking, is no sleight of hand. It’s the result of the commitment of the developers to enhance player experience.
With Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s release on October 20, PS5 owners are in for a treat as they get a chance to experience this seamless integration firsthand. This should bode well for the PS5, which is already the best-selling console for every month of the year in the United States.
Here’s to hoping that Marvel’s Wolverine, which is Insomniac Games’ next project, will benefit from a similar feature.
