Scaling up in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: how Insomniac created a new version of Lizard
blog.playstation.comWho is Spider-Man without a devious rogue’s gallery of Super Villains to battle? Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is already bringing the heat with longtime fan favorites like Kraven and Venom. But they’re not the only familiar faces that protagonists Peter Parker and Miles Morales will encounter. Among the antagonists is a villain who has been an understated favorite of fans for decades: Lizard. And just like the other headliners in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, getting Lizard’s look and movements down right took a lot of effort.
“The first thing we always do when we look at a Marvel character is reference the comics,” says Jacinda Chew, senior art director at Insomniac Games. “And then from there, we collaborate with Marvel to put our own spin on it. It can come from the gameplay, or because of the narrative.”
In this case, players will notice that Lizard appears in two different forms. “There’s a more classic Lizard, which has the lab coat, the pants,” Chew continues. “He’s smaller and human-sized. He’s also able to communicate to Peter. But our version of Lizard–he’s leaner, meaner, bigger and greener, in all ways. He’s not wearing clothing, and he’s lost all humanity. So, we’re not able to communicate with him. That’s a really big difference.”
The graphical prowess of the PlayStation 5 console makes all of Spidey’s foes look more impressive–you’ve already seen the terrifying level of detail of Venom’s impossibly sharp fangs and slimy tongue. But what about Lizard’s reptilian skin?
“We looked at a lot of lizard skin for research,” replies Chew. “The thing about lizards in real life–their skin’s actually really dry. Most people who looked at our Lizard kept initially saying ‘he’s not slimy enough.’ But I think it’s a nod to what people
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