Marvel's Spider-Man is being modded to look like it did during its gameplay presentation during E3 2017, and now I'm having flashbacks of one of the dumbest video game controversies in recent memory.
If you're fortunate enough to have replaced your memory of Puddlegate, or better yet were too busy caring about real-life things to have ever noticed it, here's a quick refresher: Marvel's Spider-Man was shown off at E3 2017 and, soon after it launched on PS4 in September of the following year, it drew criticism for having some visual changes that seemed to include fewer water puddles than the E3 showcase had.
The resulting rallying cry was mockingly dubbed Puddlegate, but since the game was pretty much universally praised, not only for its stunning representation of New York City but also its technical performance and gameplay, the whole thing dried up pretty quickly. The game's developer, Insomniac Games, even added puddle stickers as a cute little reference to the non-controversy.
Well, not everyone's entirely over the situation, as NTD Modder has published a video showcasing their "Marvel's Spider Man 2017 E3 Gameplay MOD RESTORATION Project." The footage demonstrates the modder's custom shader, changes to Spider-Man's suit and combat animation, and addition of visual effects like trails and blue sparks. According to the modder, as well as plenty of comments praising the changes, it looks more like the Marvel's Spider-Man footage was saw during E3 2017 than what the final product offered.
To be clear, the mod nor the modder make any mention of puddles in any materials I could find, but one can't help but be reminded about the discourse around that particular E3 and simply feel thankful that we've moved onto more substantive discussions around video games in recent years.
The YouTube video above has all the links you'll need to kit out your PC copy of Marvel's Spider-Man with all of that E3 2017. For my money, the PS5 remaster is more than pretty enough, but I'll admit I'm impressed by the dedication here. Six years later, folks who were bummed by the visual changes can finally play the Spider-Man game they were promised, and I'm very happy for them.
In other Spidey news, the Marvel's Spider-Man 2 release date has leaked by the Venom voice actor.
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