Research Stations are citywide activities that can be found throughout much of the map in Marvel's Spider-Man. These involve short missions often based on traversal mechanics, rewarding players with Research Tokens upon completion. The stations were installed by Harry Osborn, who was attempting to fulfill the dreams of his late mother. Players unlock access to these stations after completing the mission Harry's Passion Project. However, some of the stations' missions are only available at specific forecast and when require specific upgrades.
Research Stations also allow players to manually change the time of day after completing the main story; players are given the option to choose between between "Day", "Sunset", and "Night". In addition, each Research Station becomes a fast travel point once they have been accessed.
A total of seventeen Research Station missions are featured in the game.
This station monitors air quality; it's way more precise than anything in place now. If these were widely adopted, we could make huge leaps in quality of life for the entire city.
There are areas of dense smog in the city. They will be marked on your mini-map with a green cloud. If you want more visual evidence of the clouds then press and they will show up in your field of view. This is especially helpful if doing the mission at night. Once you have swung through eight clouds of smog, Spider-Man can trace the source to three vehicle types. Swing to each and take a picture of the vehicle.
x2
+100
Sunset
None
Under Pressure[]
This station monitors water pressure for nearby buildings. Anything goes wrong – pipe bursts or clogs – and an alert is automatically sent out to the city's maintenance teams. At least that's what would happen, if Oscorp had ever pushed the city to approve the system...
Press to scan the pipes. They look to be fine up on the roof. The source of the problem seems to be at ground level. Drop down to the alley and find the valve. Turn the valve and a water tower begins to leak. Move up to the water tower and plug the leak by shooting your webs onto the hole where the water is leaking out. More towers nearby need the same mending. When all the towers are no longer leaking, Spider-Man finds the problem is not completely fixed. Swing to the outlet pipe to check for a blockage. Sure enough, it is full of debris. Hit and to let the water flow.
x2
+100
All
None
Cell Tower Frequency[]
Kinda esoteric, but this station monitors the city's cell tower network for potential vulnerabilities. People never think about it but those cell phones we all carry in our pockets? Pretty simple for a rogue agent to weaponize them, if we're not careful...
There is a glitch in the cell tower system. It only affects sensitive equipment like that in Spider-Man's suit. You will see blue sparking flat areas in the sky. These are the interference planes. If Spider-Man passes through the interference area he will begin taking in damage. So get out of the interference area as quickly as possible. Swing, web zip, and climb across the city to each of the rooftops to reset the towers.
Ok, the stuff in this station? Revolutionary. If we can get it to work. Engineered bacteria that dissolves plastics into harmless component parts. Really hope we can work out the kinks...
Spider-Man puts the bacteria in his web fluid. The chemicals he needs to work on the bacteria are at ESU. Since he is storing the bacteria in the web cartridges it will dissolve the web if he tries to swing. Spider-Man needs to make it to ESU without swinging. You can start a swing but the web will dissolve before you get too far. Instead, climb buildings, jump, and web zip to make it to ESU. Once there, look through the trash for the chemicals needed. Now you have to travel more without swinging. Head to Dr. Otto Octavius's lab to further the research. Inside the lab, grab the bonding agent behind the spectrograph. Use the spectrograph to isolate the bacteria from the web fluid. Once successful, exit the lab and swing back to the station to test it out on the plastic containers.
x2
+100
All
None
Hiding in the Crowd[]
This station is kinda my answer to Oscorp's (hopefully soon-to-be-discontinued...) chemical weapons research: systematized counter-agents to some of the world's most dangerous chemical agents. Course doing that analysis requires us to keep samples of said chemical agents here...
Some rocket propellant that was stolen is leaking. Drop below and Spider-Man will use his Spider-bot. Move the bot to the green chemical spills which as a bonus will lead you to the thief. At a couple points, you will come up on a crowd of people. Tap to disperse the crowd with a harmless subsonic blast. The third crowd in need of dispersal will have the thief. Chase the thief down and tap to web him up. With the thief captured, Spider-Man drops in to retrieve the stolen item. Return it to the station to complete the mission. Spider-Man says that he also increased the station's security and sent Yuri the camera footage of the incident to convict the thief.
x2
+100
All
None
Snapping up Smog[]
This is another of our air quality stations, monitoring contaminants in the surrounding atmosphere. Super important for the city and its citizens ... but certain corporate overlords are less than thrilled by the prospect of their pollution output being publicly reported.
There is a lot of smog in the area. The mini-map shows areas high in smog and are indicated by a green cloud. Swing or fall through the clouds to obtain a sample. After collecting eight samples, Spider-Man is able to determine that the smog is coming from two types of vehicle and a faulty smoke stack. Move to the two cars and the smoke stack to take a picture of each ( to aim camera, to take the picture).
x2
+100
Sunset
None
Vaccinate the Fish[]
Kinda funny to have a marine research station all the way up here, but it's got great sight lines to the river. Any health issues crop up, we can address them pretty easy through aerial dispersal...once that system comes on line, that is.
Swing down to the docks to find some nasty barrels in the water. Swing over a barrel and hold and to pull it out of the water and toss it away. Once the barrels are gone, Spider-Man can vaccinate. Check the mini-map for arts of green. Swing or web-zip over the area and press to disperse the vaccine. When this area is clear, move to the next dock and repeat the process. The last step will be to move to a marker and press to scan the fish to make sure an outbreak has been prevented.
x2
+100
Daytime
None
Data Chain[]
Data back-up. One of those things that's the least important aspect of a project right up until it becomes the most important. This station helps us manage overflow data from all the other stations: back up for our back up.
Spider-Man plans to use the ESU server to help reduce the load on the research station. This will only work if he realigns the dishes. Move from tower to tower to connect the orange-red beams to the next dish. Each time you align a portion, more time is added to the clock. There are a total of eight towers to align. Once the last of the towers are in alignment, Spider-Man can initiate the data transfer at ESU. Drop down to complete a circuit puzzle minigame.
x2
+100
All
None
Chemical Leak[]
One of the hardest problems with improving air quality is identifying the source of high toxic, low-particle-count pollutants. Stuff that can make you sick from only a few grams. This station specializes in solving that exact problem, by targeting specific particulate toxins.
Chemicals are leaking out of the steam vent on the roof. Walk over and analyze the leak, then solve a spectrograph puzzle. Press and follow the gold pipes to locate the next chemical leak. Spider-Man will follow the pipes to two more leaks. After the spectrograph on the last leak site, climb up the building under construction. The concrete will be perfect to detoxify the chemicals leaking on the roof. Jump into the air and hold and to grab the concrete bags and slam them into the ground. If you land you will be damaged by the chemicals. Repeat the process for each barrel (a total of five). With the leaks soaked up, web up the grate to prevent the problem from occurring in the future.
x2
+100
All
None
Pigeon Vaccine[]
Who looks after the health of New York's pigeon population? Harry Osborn and Oscorp, that's who. Seriously though – pigeons are the number one vector for a ton of communicable diseases. This station helps us keep tabs on our winged friends before they become health risks.
The meter on the left side of the screen has a number inside. This number indicates how far you are from your target. The circle around the number provides the general direction you need to go. Once at the park swing over the three sites and press to disperse the vaccine. If the green on that section of the mini-map disappears then the dispersal was a success. For it to work you will have to get some air between Spider-Man and the ground. There are two more locations to vaccinate. When the last section is vaccinated, drop down and press to scan the group of pigeons.
x2
+100
All
None
Reboot Times Square[]
Just installed new energy saving LED billboards throughout Times Square. They're beautiful...and insanely complicated. Regular maintenance will keep them in good working order, but Oscorp has never been great at routinely maintaining anything unless it turns a profit.
As the mission starts, a timer is set at twenty seconds on the left side of the screen. The goal is to swing by the screens in Times Square and shoot electric webs at them. The web shooter is already set for electric webs. As you swing, hold then press to shoot the screens. Each screen successfully hit will add a little time to the countdown. There are 20 screens to fix, all of which are marked on the mini-map.
x2
+100
Nighttime
None
Spider-Bot[]
Wildlife tracking isn't glamorous, but it is important for a city of New York's size and density. You need some high-grade location triangulation to pinpoint something as small as a bird in this urban jungle.
The GPS tech in this station may help Spider-Man locate his missing Spider-bot. Drop down into the park, after which you take control of his other Spider-bot. Move to the marker and find the orange looking remnants of a Spider-bot. Follow the path to retrace the steps of the last bot. A pigeon will pick up the bot and fly it to its nest where lies the other bot. Spider-Man drops down and rescues the bots.
x2
+100
All
None
Lightning Rod[]
Accurate storm tracking has been one of he brass rings of meteorology for a looooong time. The big problem is the size of the data set: weather phenomena require an enormous amount of processing power to accurately monitor. A distributed network is basically the only way to do it.
Note: This station is only available after completing all other Research Station missions.
Your task is to jump on the antennas and direct the signal to the next transmitting towers. After a while, you will start to focus the electrical lightning on the spot where you are currently located – you may get hit by a lightning. Spider-Man can take up to three strikes of lightning. Before the impact, a green circle will be marked on the mini-map. Leave the circle to avoid injury. Go to the next towers and avoid lightning strikes.
Finally, you have to climb to the top of the skyscraper and use the antenna to redirect the signal to the previous towers. Be careful of lightning. Connect all the points together to complete the mission.
x2
+100
Nighttime
Complete all Research Stations' missions
Dive and Dash[]
New York is renowned for pristine drinking water, but it doesn't get that way without a lot of work. This station is designed to ease that burden, by monitoring smaller bodies of water with connections into the city's main waterline.
Drop down to the lake. Move to the marker and collect an algae sample. You need a tall building to jump off of. Oscorp is nearby. Swing to the top of the Oscorp building and dive off by pressing . As you free fall, watch the meter on the left side of the screen. Once it reads a dive distance of at least 100 meters, begin to swing. Now climb the Oscorp building again. Dive off but this time don't begin your swing until you reach a dive distance of 250 meters. Swing over to the lake and spread the algae cure.
x2
+100
All
None
Ventilate the Problem[]
Steam heat is the most environmentally friendly method for in-home heating. But the pressure required creates a lot of safety concerns. This station keeps an eye on things and makes sure none of the pressure in nearby units exceeds tolerance.
To prevent building explosion, swing to the building at the marker and destroy the vents on the side. There are fifteen vents, with 45 seconds to eliminate all of them. When you destroy a vent, more time is added. As Spider-Man swings by a vent, hold and tap to aim and shoot at the vent. When all the vents are destroyed, climb to the top and turn the valve to end the mission.
x2
+100
All
None
Shaking Harlem[]
Mom set this one up: seismic monitoring station, trained on the fault line running beneath Central Park. Really hoping Oscorp doesn't decide to axe this station. Have kind of a sentimental attachment to it.
Swing off the building and hold + to perform a Ground Strike. The impact will create a shock wave revealing the location of the pressure trouble spot. Hit to exit the satellite view, then swing to a trouble spot. There are three high pressure spots that need relieved. When you arrive at one, smash the ground again to relieve the pressure. Once all three spots are fixed, the mission is complete.
x2
+100
All
Unlock Ground Strike Move
Visibly Shaken[]
Don't feel super awesome about this one: cloaking tech intended for military application. We're using armed drones to test it. This was my one concession to Dad – hopefully this'll convince him to relax about funding the other stations...
Pressing during this mission will turn Spider-Man invisible to the drones. Your task is to enter the operation field of drones and press to shut them down. Passing through the power field of drones is only possible if you are invisible. However, you can't use your web when you use camouflage – so you have to switch regularly between visible and invisible in order to destroy the drones.