Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Review | Amazing, Spectacular and a Joy From Start to Finish
Two webslingers are better than one
WACO, Texas (KWTX) -
In a year full of sequels that reinvented their games for a newer audience, for better or worse, but only a couple of games this year have actually taken EVERYTHING good about its predecessor and improved on it in every conceivable way. Even harder is having to follow up on not 1 but 2 excellent titles that came before. Luckily Insomniac Games is more than ready for the challenge, blowing those expectations out of the water. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a near perfect sequel, kinetic, tight-knit combat, intelligent and engaging mission design and perhaps the most fun traversal system to ever grace gaming all culminate in gameplay that feels as spectacular as it looks. Add to that a well written and deeply enjoyable story full of heart which follows Peter and Miles taking on themes like redemption, forgiveness, rehabilitation and the very nature of second chances. I loved the darker tone here but love even more that ultimately Spider-man’s traditional optimism and belief that every one of us is capable of good shines through in the end.
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If you want to see just how much the design of this series has scaled up, look no further than the epic opening level. As peter and Miles swing into action, a massive Sandman places his favorite rendition of Darude Sandstorm for New York. This fight is gigantic, taking place swinging through the city sky, diving in and out of skyscrapers all while battling sandy boys. I mean I don’t want to give away too much but there are moments here in just this opening that will make you scream and giggle with nerdy joy. Most of all this open shows off just how much fun weaving a tapestry between our two well-known Spider-pals is going to keep things inventive and fun. Each of the two has their own experiences, powers that set them apart, story lines and interactions that feel uniquely carved out for them and even subtle flares that give them more personality. On the other hand, they are connected by core mechanics, bound by story themes and improved by the others presence. It could have been easy to make these two feel very samey but everything about them is unique down to the even the way they swing. Each of them has specific interactions with NPCs and quests that differ slightly, and I just love the personal touch. Even their time together leads to some excellent moments.
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Speaking of swinging, ooooooo the swing here is just *chef’s kiss* undeniably good. Insomniac has taken the very best of the excellent swinging mechanics it established back in 2017 and expanded it to near perfection. Faster web slinging, better control, all new traversal options like water gliding and a super fun wingsuit breathe new life into an already excellent traversal system. Swinging can also be as realistic as you want thanks to an adjustable slider that lets the player decide how much help they want in being a web sling master. That wingsuit is no joke either, free falling into a last second web swing bringing you the momentum to soar into the sky then hitting that wingsuit is exhilarating every time. This feature also allows travel time to be cut down significantly especially if you utilize the wind tunnels across the wider New York area. An area that is greatly expanded, combining the two versions of New York from the previous two games and growing that play area with all new locations like the excellent coney island.
Spider-man is a very strong hero, he’s fast and quippy, capable of incredible acrobatics. I’d even go as far as saying he is capable of a full backflip, I know, hard to believe but trust me they can achieve it. So, it’s nice to see suitably acrobatic, powerful and blazing fast combat in his games. Spider-man 2 ramps up the speed and action, not only giving your enemies, of which there are often many, new abilities but also granting Peter and Miles a range of new tricks to pull out. From Iron Spider legs that pulverize enemies to all new blue lighting abilities straight out of the DnD handbook. I found myself constantly experimenting with new ways to utilize these abilities in conjunctions with a revamped gadget system. Little things in the combat make big changes, there is now a parry system so Spider-man can treat the criminals like the filthy casuals they are, giving you more tools to use especially against heavier enemies. Stealth also saw a significant revamp, with the biggest game changer there the ability to make your own WebLine. A feature so useful, it makes playing stealth sections in the prior two games feel obsolete. Combat is thrilling from the get-go but then you get the black suit. My god does that power feel...good. Throwing bad guys around like it was nothing, Peter takes on a gruffer illicitly darker voice. Your finishers go from, “dang I bet that hurt” to “HOLY SHIT IS THAT GUY DEAD”. Big props to animators over at Insomniac for making some of the absolute cleanest takedown and transitions of all time. Fighting the evils of New York is great but it’s not all the game brings to the table. Rivaling even the best of MCU are the amazing action set pieces, a river chase ending in stopping a massive tanker from demolishing a pier full of onlookers, sudden and drastic set changes, multi-tiered fights and truly remarkable visuals all wrapped into one of the most exciting games of the year.
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Now, Spider-Man 2 is a next gen game. We’ve heard this from lots of other games, but I think this is by far the best showcase for the PS5 from a technical standpoint. Fast travel is instantaneous, city scope doesn’t come at the cost of city vibrancy meaning hundreds of civilians and cars dot the city that never sleeps and the swap between characters manually or for story reasons is always seamless and again instant. There are tons of moments that hit extra hard due to how technically impressive they are. Beyond the action-packed segments Spider-man 2 revels in some quieter moments, ranging from a simple tour of Peter’s house to a night out on Coney Island with some friends. Most of these moments are well earned and enjoyable except anything to do with bikes. I hate these bikes. Don’t make me mash X to move, just because we let Grand Theft Auto have a pass on that BS doesn’t mean it’s needed here! Past that though, I think the most impressive thing Insomniac has improved on here is the mini games. Gene splicing and bee drone simulator make for waay better minigames than solving the elemental wavelength from the first game. I also love that every ride on coney island was fully playable.
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Between all the melodrama and superheroing lies the actual best part of the game. Photo mode. Capturing that perfect shot and creating iconic moments is such a pure rush of joy especially when there is so many cool shots of spider man to be seen in this game. A robust set of options for lights poses, focal length and over 70 costumes the possibilities are endless. I spent countless hours capturing shots that would do the iconic hero justice, and with each new suit unlocked, a new sense of wonder and discovery. If you’ve never tried photo mode this is a perfect place to start.
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No but seriously, at the heart of this game is a comic book story that takes the heavy reality of guilt, redemption and reconciliation and paints them against the cartoonishly bombastic world of Spider-man. There are few black and white good or bad guys, well except Mr.Negative, but most people are far too complex to put in one camp or the other. This look at how Spider-Man’s most human element, his empathy, has impacted ex-villains and friends alike is one of my favorite explorations of the character. Peter’s struggle with not only his work life balance but also dealing with his perceived failures all carefully lead him down a dark path that really explores what Spider-Man unchecked can be. Meanwhile Miles is using his time as a superhero to avoid his real-world struggles, and in the process misses out on a key moment with his friends. There is so much personality and excellently delivered story telling going on at all moments in this game. Little touches like, being able to come across the other Spider-Man while out fighting crime and the subtle but distinct ways Peter and Miles interact differently with shared missions. I loved every second of it.
Most franchises take a dip in their 3rd outing but somehow Insomniac did the impossible, 3 games each as good if not better than the last all coming together to fulfill the superhero power fantasy in an electrifying way. Snappy responsive controls make the combat and traversal a treat, voice acting and writing are on point and more importantly than anything else, they made the MJ stealth sections actually kind of fun. THAT is the thing that sets Spider-Man 2 apart from other games this year for me, I don’t think I’ve had fun the entire way through a video game in 2023 until now. I can’t give Insomniac Games enough credit, they have quickly risen to become one of the best in the business. I give Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 a 10, going on to further prove Insomniac doesn’t miss. With a lofty setup, I for one can’t wait to see where the Spider Pals go next.
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