Insomniac's suit power in Marvel's Spider-Man.
Telling jokes has been an important part of Spider-Man's character since his appearance in 1962's Amazing Fantasy #15. At the time, comic book characters' dialog was focused mainly on explaining the action on the page so that readers could follow along. While other characters, such as The Fantastic Four, would also become known for their witty banter, Spider-Man became iconic for it. His jokes made fights more engaging, and also served as a humanizing character trait. This raised the bar for comic book writing not just for superheroes but across genres. No version of Spider-Man is complete without his characteristic humor. Fans will often judge an interpretation of Spider-Man based on that version of Peter Parker's quipping ability. Today, it's rare to find a superhero that doesn't make jokes mid-combat; fans can thank Spider-Man for that.
The Quips power makes combat more exciting without breaking the game's balance. Marvel's Spider-Man for the PS4 has no shortage of suits players can choose. Allowing players to choose their costume as well as mixing each suit's power with other suits was a great choice on the part of Insomniac Games. However, many of the suit powers take away from the gameplay by making players more powerful. Abilities like superhuman speed, reflecting bullets and defying gravity change the game's mechanics and balance dramatically. This can even make some challenges, like the Marvel's Spider-Man villain Taskmaster, easy to overcome with the right suit power. Quips is different because it has no mechanical advantage. However, just like in the comics, it adds another layer of entertainment to each fight. Insomniac's wall-crawler isn't short on humor, but there's always room for more.
Other Suit Powers In Marvel's Spider-Man Are Practically Game-Breaking
Adding bonus powers to player cosmetic changes is a hard balancing act. Developers want players to feel like the effort they put into earning a new suit wasn't wasted, but allowing optional power-ups has the potential to break the game for some players. More games should take inspiration from additions like Quips. Including small, character-driven cosmetic changes allows players to customize their experience of the game without breaking the mechanical layer. In a game that already has the best Spider-Man redesign fans have seen in a while, that's quite the accomplishment.
Though many players may prefer to have mechanical changes to Marvel's Spider-Man's existing moveset, and there is a lot of fun to be had with exploring Insomniac's world with strange new powers, Quips will always be the suit power that works the best with the rest of the game. Sometimes less is more, and a small cosmetic change that reflects a game's character can add much more entertainment value than game-breaking powers. Marvel's Spider-Man's best suit power is the one that does as little as it can.