The upcoming Spider-Man game for PlayStation 4 has a great deal of hype behind it, mostly thanks to some impressive E3 showings, the fact that the critically-acclaimed Insomniac Games is behind its development, and how it's staying true to the character. Unfortunately for comic book fans who are holding out hope that Spider-Man will be completely faithful to the Marvel universe, though, we can confirm that its version of New York City is missing an important building.
The Marvel Comics version of New York City features the Baxter Building, which is better known as the headquarters for the Fantastic Four. Bryan Intihar, creative director at Insomniac Games, has confirmed to a fan on Twitter that the Baxter Building will not be seen in Spider-Man PS4's open world New York City, dashing hopes that Marvel's first family would make an appearance at some point in the game.
Some fans may be disappointed that the Spider-Man PS4 game won't have the Baxter Building, but it really shouldn't be a surprise. After all, Disney is still in the process of regaining the film rights for Fantastic Four by buying Fox, and it may be reluctant to promote the characters until it is able to incorporate them into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The game will also be missing another character whose absence could leave some fans disappointed. It's been confirmed that Venom will not be in the game, despite him being one of Spider-Man's most iconic villains, and having a major feature film releasing in October of this year. Like the Fantastic Four, Venom is not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which may play a role in his absence, though that's just speculation at this time.
However, just because Venom and the Baxter Building will be absent in Spider-Man on PS4, it doesn't mean the game doesn't include references to other areas of the Marvel universe. In fact, a promotional newspaper handed out to E3 2018 attendees dropped some hints that the game may feature the likes of Iron Man and The Avengers, or at least make some references to the iconic heroes at some point.
While Spider-Man on PS4 may be missing some recognizable buildings and faces, it's otherwise stacked with familiar Marvel characters and locations. Its gameplay presentations continue to impress, and it will be interesting to see if it lives up to the hype when it releases later this year.
Spider-Man will launch September 7, exclusively for PlayStation 4.