The first thing I did inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2was climb the Avengers Tower. As I gained control of Peter Parker, I imagined Sony hoped I would obediently follow map icons to push the preview along and make sure I saw everything, but in a world this vast I understood the value of taking my time. I also wanted to see how it had changed in the past five years.
Only once I’d perused my surroundings and figured out the layout of this new and improved open world was I ready to claim it as my own. Insomniac has built upon its superhero adventure in every conceivable way with a confident, stylish, but ultimately safe sequel. Considering all it has to offer, veering on the predictable is far from a dealbreaker for a game like this.
Related:Amelia Tyler On Being A Dungeon Master For Millions In Baldur’s Gate 3
But before the world was my oyster, I’m led through a scripted sequence inside the Emily May Foundation building - a scientific institute founded in honour of Aunt May after her death in the first game. With Harry Osborne and Peter Parker at the helm, there’s hope it will become a bastion for important research and human progress. Harry has finally returned after a long sabbatical and, while still fighting off a deadly disease, appears in good spirits. It turns out he also knows Peter is Spider-Man, although Peter does not know that Harry’s ‘sabbatical’ was actually being kept in a glass tube for experimentation by his father Norman.
It’s a fascinating narrative decision, and one that takes place either off-screen or early in the game given my preview picked up two hours into the sequel. Peter is a grumpy little scrimblo thanks to the alien suit festering all over his body, while Miles has to contend with both his erratic mentor and the challenge of submitting his first college essay and his first girlfriend. Taking place a few months after Miles’ spin-off, Spider-Man 2 is quick to establish where all our characters are at and what they will be fighting for.
Learning to accept help offered by those around you, tackling the development of grief, and taking responsibility throughout both of their extraordinary lives are core themes for Peter and Miles once again. Harry’s identity as Venom was the only thread I was kept in the dark about; all I know is that he and Peter are closer than ever, and it will take something drastic to split them apart.
In terms of gameplay, Spider-Man 2 is more iterative than revolutionary. Aside from a few rough edges, its predecessor was the best example of web-slinging we’ve ever seen before. It still feels fantastic, and has been enhanced with a greater feeling of physical weight along with far more variety in terms of visual flair and the tricks each character has at their disposal.
Peter’s symbiote suit is much weightier, with a thicker web and deeper, almost predatory sense of purpose in our hero’s movements as he clings onto the heavy black vines, hanging upside down them like a deadly spider waiting for its prey. Miles, meanwhile is more agile and experienced now, able to operate in confidence without the help of his teacher.
There are more moves and possibilities too, and the ability to switch between them at the touch of a button to experiment with both styles and find methods for them to complement one another. Certain points in the narrative will force you into the shoes of one or the other, but otherwise Insomniac wants to mimic Grand Theft Auto 5 with an open world that has enough depth to accommodate two radically different characters. But the real difference comes in their skills.
Peter and Miles have their own skill trees, and one they share with abilities that I imagine will be used in certain missions and set pieces, so there will be more incentive to pursue upgrades instead of just resorting to Web Blossom to bind everyone around you in a matter of seconds. Instead of radial menus and a single cooldown for the abilities you’re able to use during battle, Spider-Man 2 allows you to select from a maximum of eight abilities whenever you like by holding the shoulder buttons and pressing the designated face button.
This gives more variety to your everyday arsenal, but also turns some battles into a constant spamming of powerful abilities and finishing animations instead of the constant stream of dodges, kicks, and punches we’re accustomed to. There’s also a new parry system that both heroes use in scrapes against larger bosses and tougher enemies. It slides rather seamlessly into things, and adds more consequence to a combat system that grew old pretty quickly in the first game.
Insomniac is eager to shake off some of its older inspirations, and that rings especially true in its exploration. Gone are countless icons of collectibles and side quests, now replaced by a more neutral mode of discovery similar toRed Dead Redemption 2orTears of the Kingdom. Environmental cues like gusts of wind or pulsing sources of energy are designed to point you towards distractions naturally, instead of turning Manhattan into a glorified superhero whack-a-mole.
I wasn’t able to gauge the extent of this new system during my preview, but it was far more enjoyable to swing around the city and make discoveries that felt like my own instead of filling in the blanks like a decade old Ubisoft game. The new discovery Photo Ops replace landmarks, making up for juicy lore and cultural knowledge that a sequel can’t afford to retread. It all works, but whether it changes the game or merely feels like a new coat of paint remains to be seen.
There’s also suits. Lots of suits. 65 in total, which can be upgraded with unique style variants and colours for that extra helping of rizz. The Sam Raimi Venom suit is there, so it seems Insomniac will be piling on fan service while still telling its own distinct story. Spider Bots can be found across the city too, all with adorable costumes and references to the character and its many permutations.
Even with all of its evident improvements, Spider-Man 2 shines brightest in its explosive set pieces and nuanced character drama. I played through an extended version of the massive Lizard fight featured in the gameplay reveal, sneaking into Curt Connors’ crib to spy on his experiments before Kraven crashed the party. Cue a chase sequence through the city into the sewers. As we fought, it kept reminding me of Spidey’s battle with Sandman in the third Raimi film. You’ll crawl through destroyed subway cars, and infiltrate dark, dank drainpipes, all before standing toe to toe with a green menace.
It all culminated with a breakneck chase through the city as the Lizard destroyed countless buildings anddefinitelymurdered a few civilians as Peter tries to administer a cure that’s also the key to helping Harry. There are tangible stakes here all wrapped up in action that feels heavy and significant. If this is only the start of what Spider-Man 2 has to offer over its predecessor, I can’t wait to see how deep it ends up going. Judging from the confidence being showcased by Insomniac throughout, I imagine it’s going to go very far.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the sequel I expected, but for once that’s a good thing. The first game was one of the strongest comic book stories in recent memory with gameplay to match, and Insomiac is only taking that further with more heart, more action, and more ambition. I just hope it’s able to triumph over old open world clichés and repetitive bouts of gameplay to become the follow-up we’ve all been waiting for.
Next:Now We Know Who Venom Is, I Have A Lot More Questions For Spider-Man 2
