In 2018, Insomniac Games delivered one of the best superhero games of all time withMarvel’s Spider-Man, which was followed up by the similarly belovedSpider-Man: Miles Morales. Both of those games set up plot threads that fans have been waiting years to see resolve, withMarvel’s Spider-Man 2offering some closure while simultaneously moving things forward for Insomniac’s superhero universe.
Spider-Man 2has Peter Parker and Miles Morales working together to protect New York City while trying to balance the struggles of their day-to-day lives, in classicSpider-Manfashion. Peter’s childhood friend Harry Osborn resurfaces after being out of the picture for years, with his terminal illness seemingly cured by the mysterious symbiote, while the dangerous Kraven the Hunter has suddenly set his sights on NYC and the super-powered beings that call it home. What proceeds is one of the bestSpider-Manstories ever told in video game form, with countless water-cooler moments and plenty ofexciting run-ins with Kraven, Venom, and other members of Spider-Man’s Rogues' Gallery.
A real highlight inSpider-Man 2are the boss battles, which are epic, multi-stage affairs against some of Spider-Man’s most famous villains. These fights, and all the other fights in the game, only get better and more over-the-top as it goes on. Peter and Miles get access to new abilities and gadgets that give players a lot more options for each encounter. With Spidey-Sense at their disposal, players are able to parry or quickly dodge out of the way of enemy attacks, with both Spider-Men zipping from enemy to enemy in a flashy, cinematic way. Playing as both Peter Parker and Miles Morales inSpider-Man 2is a blast, with each character’s unique powers creating a ton of combat variety that ensures every hard-hitting battle is memorable.
Most of the combat encounters inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2are toe-to-toe fights with enemies, but there are some situations where it’s better to stay quiet. TheBatman: Arkham-style stealth sections featured in the previous game return inSpider-Man 2. Spider-Man has a new Web Line tool this time around that greatly expands one’s options when it comes to stealth, as it essentially lets players create a perch wherever they want. Some might find that the Web Line makes stealth too easy, but others will like how comical it is to string up a room full of Kraven’s goons.
Players spend the bulk of their time inSpider-Man 2beating up bad guys, but they are also free to explore open-world New York City, brought to life with jaw-dropping detail. The world itself is massive and filled with interesting things to see. Players can effortlessly get around the city with their webs, but thenew Web Wingsadd an extra layer to exploration that makes it even more fun than it was before. Exploring New York City inSpider-Man 2is such a thrill that players will never want to fast-travel, even when their next mission is on the opposite side of the map. Choosing not to fast-travel also allows players to weave in side activities and collectible hunting as they’re making their way to main quest objectives. Those who do fast-travel inSpider-Man 2will be impressed with how it’s basically instantaneous, and the same goes for switching between Peter and Miles.
One of the first things players should do after being let loose inSpider-Man 2’s open worldis head to the tallest building they can find and take in the sights. The lighting, draw distance, and high level of detail come together to create one of the best-looking video games of all time. Besides the gigantic, bustling city, players will also marvel at the smaller details, like how characters' pupils dilate when they’re scared.
Players will also want to watch for how certain areas of the city are changed by the events of the game. Battles inSpider-Man 2can lead to a lot of destruction, and that destruction has a lasting, visible impact on the game world. For example, players will still see traces of a very early boss fight even as they progress through the game.
Spider-Man 2looks nothing short of spectacular, and this level of care has extended to almost everywhere else in the game. But whileSpider-Man 2is incredibly polished, it does have the occasional hiccup. There were multiple instances where cut-scenes wouldn’t trigger at the end of quests, forcing a checkpoint restart.Spider-Man 2’s checkpoints are generous enough that this didn’t lead to a big headache, but it’s a shame that these issues exist in what is otherwise a nearly-perfect experience from a technical standpoint. Other things players will want to watch out for are cramped interior sections where the camera struggles to keep an eye on the action, enemies occasionally glitching into objects and becoming impossible to defeat, and the Coney Island date withMary Jane Watson, as Peter wound up trapped on a bench with no way to get up without reloading the last checkpoint.
Since there are two Spider-Men to play as inSpider-Man 2, one would think theweak MJ stealth segments from the first gamewould be a thing of the past, but a few of those missions are shoehorned into the new game. Like before, they serve little purpose beyond keeping players from the fun part of the game - being Spider-Man. Mary Jane’s sections grindSpider-Man 2’s momentum to a halt, with other time-wasting activities like repetitive puzzles also needlessly slowing things down.
There are other slower moments throughout the main story that are hit-and-miss. A flashback with Peter and Harry breaking into their high school leads to some fun and creative stealth moments, with Peter able to utilize his still-new spider powers to avoid detection. Many of the slower moments with Peter and Harry are great thanks to the emotional hook they come with, but there are also moments that feel like time-wasters and aren’t really fleshed out, like theConey Island segment and its one-note mini-games. Unfortunately, these pacing issues also extend to many of the game’s side quests.
Many ofSpider-Man 2’s side quests are boring and bland. TheSpider-Man 2side quests tend to recycle objectives from the main quest, but at a smaller, less impressive scale. There’s a series of Miles side quests that are especially tedious, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some good side quests inSpider-Man 2as well. Some of the side stories have intriguing endings that set the stage for future games, and while players may not always be completely engaged with each side quest, the carrot-on-a-stick of getting more XP and new suits makes doing everything in the game totally worth it.
There are timesSpider-Man 2’s side content can’t shake the feeling of being a generic open-world collect-a-thon, with players knocking things off checklists without much narrative reward, but the suits make everything worthwhile.Spider-Man 2gives players an incredible selection of suitsto choose from for both Peter Parker and Miles Morales, ranging from clever throwbacks to otherSpider-Manmedia to amazing original designs. Many of the suits have four color variants to choose from, giving players even more options when it comes to customizing the game’s Spider-Men.
Collecting all the suits, maxing out all three skill trees, and completing all the quests in the game will take players around 25 to 30 hours. There have already been somecomplaints aboutSpider-Man 2being too short, but stuffing the game with more side quests for the sake of extending its runtime would have only made it feel bloated. Most players will wrap up the main storyline in about 10 to 15 hours and those that want to unlockSpider-Man 2’s Platinum trophy can expect to roughly double that time, which is perfectly fine for the kind of game this is. Not every open-world game needs to be a gargantuan 100-hour affair, andSpider-Man 2is honestly a better game for being on the shorter side.
If anything,Spider-Man 2could have benefited from cutting out the Mary Jane sections and trimming a few of the side quests to make it an even leaner, more perfectly-paced game. But even with some flaws,Spider-Man 2is still a spectacular experience and the best entry in Insomniac’sSpider-Mangame universe to date. It delivers everything hardcoreSpider-Manfans would want, with breathtaking battles against some of the hero’s most iconic villains, and a gorgeous open-world New York City to experience it all in. It’s certainly in the conversation as a Game of the Year contender and a must-buy PS5 exclusive.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Spider-Men Peter Parker and Miles Morales face the ultimate test of strength inside and outside the mask as they fight to save the city, each other and the ones they love, from the monstrous Venom and the dangerous new symbiote threat.Explore an expansive Marvel’s New York with faster web-swinging and the all-new Web Wings, quickly switching between Peter and Miles to experience different stories, epic new abilities and high-tech gear.Wield Peter’s symbiote abilities and Miles’ explosive bio-electric powers in battle against new and iconic Marvel Super Villains – including an original take on a symbiote-infused Venom, the ruthless Kraven the Hunter, the volatile Lizard, and more from the Marvel Rogues’ Gallery.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2launches October 20 for PS5. Game Rant was provided with a PS5 code for this review.
