Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Review - Two Spideys Are Better Than One
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When it comes to the PlayStation 5, I generally think of Insomniac Games as the true veterans of high-profile exclusives. Both Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart were winners, and I’m happy to report that their third PS5 title, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, is another fantastic piece of entertainment that greatly showcases the studio’s capabilities. However, this isn’t a technological leap, as the sequel simply goes bigger, with more of what we liked about the first game dialed up to 12. There are more villains, double the Spider-Men, and a larger playground to swing to your heart's content. They’ve delivered a superhero video game that might not only make one a fan of Spider-Man but a fan of Insomniac Games as a studio.
It’s tough being a superhero in New York
As I was playing Spider-Man 2, I couldn’t help but feel like I was going through a better iteration of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3, due to all the moving parts that make up this story. Though it was busy, somehow all the seemingly disparate elements coalesced within the time it took to complete the main story. We have Peter Parker partnered with Miles Morales as two Spider-Men going up against multiple high-profile villains while battling personal issues, as they juggle their lives with superhero responsibilities. One Spidey struggles to maintain a job while the other is still finding himself as he prepares his college applications. From there, it slowly becomes more complicated as between all that, the Spidey duo handles attacks from Sandman, Kraven, Lizard, Venom, and other staples.
The game essentially takes place in two acts, and the second half of the campaign reaps all of the build-up done in the first. It’s no secret that Harry Osborn is now in the picture. He’s a key element that brings everything together, and this game explores that relationship as well, giving that dynamic time to grow with the player in a campaign that took me roughly 18 hours from start to credits.
The only balance that seemed off in the story was between Peter Parker and Miles Morales, as Miles plays more of a supporting role this time around; the key story beats levitate around Peter, so much so that whenever it’s time to take on Miles's battles, their weight isn’t comparable to Peter’s. Miles isn’t placed into new territory as a character, but is only given closure - it’s a missed opportunity to grow the character alongside the other protagonist.
It’s a crazy hodgepodge of Spider-Man lore. I felt like Insomniac were not worried about cramming as much of the lore as they could, as there’s a lot jammed in that could have easily disrupted the game’s flow. But Insomniac takes its time, letting the story breathe despite all of these ingredients, so it neither feels rushed nor padded. This is Insomniac’s unique spin on the Spider-Man world, and they did an admirable job as even hardcore Spidey fans will appreciate what was done with the characters they’ve grown to love through the years.
The campy superhero nature of the first game is still present, and well-delivered by all of the talented voice actors who bring each key character to life. Yuri Lowenthal reprises his role as the voice of Peter Parker, and again does a fantastic job at giving us a likable Spidey and Peter, even during his “black suit” phase. The same goes for Nadji Jeter, the voice of Miles Morales, as his performance, coupled with Insomniac’s take on the character, makes me wish for more of Miles in the future. We then have Jim Pirri as Kraven; his performance made a lasting impression that sold me on how dangerous he is as a major villain. Lastly, we have Tony Todd (Candyman) as the voice of Venom. Without spoiling too much, he delivered.
Facial animations and motion capture performances across the board are vastly improved, though nothing like the quality seen in games like God of War or The Last of Us. What’s impressive are the big set pieces that befit a Hollywood movie, as Insomniac Games doesn’t hold back in delivering memorable battles for every one of Spider-Man’s iconic villains. The Lizard and Venom encounters are two of my personal favorites, and I won’t spoil a single detail, as they’re best played, not told.
Whether Miles or Peter, being Spider-Man feels powerful
The core gameplay concepts of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 are nearly identical to the first title, with just a few improvements and new skills to change things up. You’re still pinned by waves of enemies all at once, and it’s still a treat to use all of Spidey’s abilities to zip around the combat space with grace, taking out one enemy at a time and dodging while attacking, as most combat feels like one singular motion. The power of the combat is that it makes you truly feel like you’ve embodied the characteristics and essence of why Spider-Man is a fearsome opponent.
As you progress, you’re given skill points that open up your options on the battlefield. What’s great about this game is that we now improve two Spideys, each with a personal skill tree plus a shared tree that benefits both heroes. On top of this, any resources gathered can improve the performance of each Spidey (such as increasing total life) and can unlock different skills. These skills are all effective even in the game’s most difficult encounters, so there are no wrong picks, so you’re free to kit yourself out with whatever you think looks coolest.
The stealth mechanic is still here, and it plays pretty much the same as the last two games. These sections do not necessarily need to be done on the down-low - it’s simply an option to whittle down the opposition before you reveal yourself and fight them head-on. I found the silent treatment wasn’t as rewarding as, say, simply facing off against ten of Kraven’s henchmen all at once.
The wingsuit is a game-changer
Roaming the streets of New York is better than ever in Spider-Man 2, and only because of one addition - the wingsuit. I feel spoiled now as I’ve never had so much fun gliding around the narrow streets of Manhattan, catching wind tunnels, then eventually swinging to cut a corner, then launching myself off a water tank into the air to continue gliding to my destination. This kind of movement in an open world beats even the Batman Arkham series for me. Even though I’ve got the option to fast travel, I hardly ever do, as I’d rather travel the Spider-Man way, since gliding feels incredible.
You are given so many tools to gracefully patrol each district with ease that I feel encouraged to enjoy the game’s many open-world distractions, which consist of collecting Spider-Bots, dismantling Kraven’s hidden bases, taking photo ops for the Daily Bugle, Mysterio challenges, and more.
Most of them are designed to satisfy the completionist in you. Some are fun to do, while others can feel like an actual chore, but if you stick with it, you are rewarded with a bit of extra lore in this world, making even the busy work worth the effort in the end. Fodder aside, each Spidey has worthwhile personal side missions that take you on a lengthy storyline that helps build upon future series entries. Essential side content is scarce, as beyond this we have charming requests from citizens asking for simple requests like finding their lost grandfather, or being the wingman to a high schooler’s science-y gambit to ask someone to prom night.
Thankfully, participating in all of the side activities also rewards you with resources that’ll help unlock more suits for both Spideys, as this game has an abundance of Spider-Man suits, with specific ones having different color variants for more options to swing with flair.
To top that all off, the game runs perfectly on both Quality mode (for better visual quality at 30 fps) and Performance mode (less visual detail for a constant 60 fps) with no major issues on the technical side, especially in the busy moments during big set pieces or heavy cutscenes. Everything ran smoothly most of the time, with some technical glitches that weren’t necessarily game-breaking.
Out in the open world, the game is at its best visually when in motion. If you take it slow - for instance, by walking around the streets of New York - you’ll see Insomniac try its best to make every bystander lively. There are occasional clippings and repeat NPCs that seem out of place, but for the most the engine does the job of not ruining things if you decide to put the Big Apple under the lens.
A Web Worth Getting Entangled Into
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a treat for anyone who owns a PlayStation 5, as this game just oozed fun for all ages. It’s the little things that make this game special. Just to name a few, the sequel still has two versions of voice lines for both Spideys – lines for when they’re at rest, and versions for when they’re in action, which ably conveys the struggle to talk while swinging around or fighting.
They even take into account that both Peter and Miles patrol the same city, and can occasionally answer the same crime and fight alongside one another, tossing fun banter as they say their goodbyes and swing off to the next crime in progress.
When everything is said and done, this isn’t a technical marvel that pushes the system to its limits, but simply another fantastic addition to PlayStation’s lineup of console-exclusive games that will easily be a system-seller in the coming months post-release. I could make the argument that Insomniac’s Spider-Man series is on track to becoming the best superhero video game series, alongside greats like the Batman Arkham titles. There’s no denying it's near the top of that list.
You can’t go wrong with Spider-Man 2 if you were sold on the original game - it’s a fantastic use of the source material, and I think the studio has found its new specialty. I’m all in for any more Marvel games made by this studio beyond the Spider-Man universe.
Verdict: 4/5 (Fantastic)
*We’ve recently changed our review score format from a 10-score rating to a 5-score rating. You can check out the definition of the new review score system on our About Us page.
PROS
The best form of open-world superhero traversal in any video game
Still delivers that fun ‘one-man-army’ type of combat
Great use of the Spider-Man lore
CONS
Missed opportunity to grow Miles as a character
Stealth didn’t see any changes or evolutions from the first game
What I’ve Played
Completed the game at around the 18-hour mark
Replayed the first horus of the game in Ultimate difficulty
Did all side activities and achieved 100% completion, resulting in me earning the platinum trophy in my 28th hour with the game
*This review is based on a PS5 code provided by the publisher
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