Insomniac Games is back in the world of Marvel’s iconic web-head with fans wondering how Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 stacks up in the canon of great superhero video games.
We’re Going To Heal the World, Pete
The story of Spider-Man 2 follows both Miles Morales and Peter Parker as the pair of Spider-Men reckon with a mysterious new substance known as the Symbiote, the re-emergence of Peter’s long-lost friend Harry Osborn, and the blood-thirsty big-game killer, Kraven the Hunter.
This super-powered epic incorporates a lot of elements from Spidey’s past but does almost all of them better than comic book or on-screen inspirations.
Insomniac Games continues to demonstrate a mastery over the Marvel mythos. The studio excels at taking the inherent knowledge of Spider-Man fans, playing with that, and twisting it in an interesting and narratively engaging way.
This is one of the best Spider-Man stories ever told at a scale that is frankly awe-inspiring and makes the events of the first game look tiny in comparison. For the sake of spoilers, that is about as much as can be said on the subject.This is truly Spider-Man storytelling at its best.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
One of the most exciting parts about Insomniac’s Spider-Man series has been the things gamers get to do while not saving the world, and Spider-Man 2 is no slouch in this department.
Back are the various side activities to participate in, including stopping various street-level crimes, helping out the citizens of New York with their problems, and (yes) even doing a science experiment or two.
For fans of the first game, one side mission in particular, which from the outside looks like just another opportunity to make a New Yorker’s day, stands out as one of the most emotionally stirring moments of the entire experience and something that will stick with gamers long after the credits have rolled.
Looking Like a Superhero
When Marvel’s Spider-Man hit store shelves back in 2018, it was a revelation. Never had the world of Marvel’s webhead been so faithfully rendered in the interactive medium, and that continues to be the case for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Insomniac’s New York City is something to marvel at (pun totally intended). While the first game only featured the island of Manhattan to swing, jump, and zip one’s way across, Spider-Man 2 nearly doubles in size by adding in the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn.
All this comes at a price, though. There is a noticeable downgrade between the models of some of the ancillary non-playable characters and the game’s main cast. This leads some characters to have this doll-like plastic seen across their skin, not seen on the likes of Peter, MJ, Miles, or Harry.
Doing Anything a Spider Can
When it comes to combat and traversal, Insomniac has opted to iterate rather than innovate, but that is not a bad thing. When the foundation was as sound as the one the studio had with Spider-Man, there was no need to reinvent the wheel.
Swinging amongst the skyscrapers of New York City has always felt incredible, but it feels better than it ever has in Spider-Man 2.
Me when I have to pause Spider-Man 2 to hang out with family #SpiderMan2 pic.twitter.com/d2wX3LXgda
— Aimbot ⚖️ (@AimBotSama) October 20, 2023
Is Spider-Man 2 Worth Playing?
While, from the outside, Spider-Man 2 can look like a little more than a simple follow-up to 2018’s Spider-Man, it is anything but.
The super-powered experience Insomniac and PlayStation have crafted here is a love letter to all things Spidey, building upon the sound foundation of the first game (and its Miles-centric spin-off) while offering up new additions that make this experience infinitely better than its already stellar predecessor.
Sure, there are some small technical mishaps, and combat can feel like drinking from a firehose at points, but all that can be dismissed when the whole package is as good as this.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a super-powered good time and will go down as one of Spidey’s best adventures both in video games and out.
