A Swing and a Hit 

Insomniac’s Spider-Man released nearly five years and gave us our first truly great Spider-Man game at a time when Spider-Man games were dying off left, right and centre. Truly We’d seen it all at this. Spider games that have seen us spiralling through time, the multiverse, through terrible adaptions of cult classics. Now we have Spider-Man 2, a game that truly gives the player the freedom to swing through New York with the gusto of Peter Parker and Miles Morales. 

Set two years after the events of the original game, a few short months after Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020), Spider-Man 2 sees you taking the role of both Spider-Men in the expanded playground of New York that now includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens. 

In Spider-Man 2, Miles and Peter are both settled into the roles as the Friendly Neighbourhood heroes whose quips are as sharp as they’re fantastic new array of suits. Unfortunately, whilst they now have become masters of the hero-gig, other problems threaten to disrupt their irregular heroic lives. 

Kraven the Hunter, a hunter with unusual strength, has come to New York and the heroes and villains who live there have become his sport. Or should I say more accurately…his prey. A man seeking nothing but a true death by a worthy opponent he is perhaps one of the greatest threats the duo has yet to face. 

Or so they think. Whilst Kravens Hunters take to the streets and rooftops, in the backdrop of all the chaos a new enemy comes forth from the shadows. One fans have long waited for, and one they should be prepared to face with a grim face – In the middle of this battle for New York the final chapter of Spider-Man is being written. The only question is, will it be Spider-Man who takes to the last pages, or Venom?

This game is truly an improvement on its predecessor, a game which was already a fantastic hit with great combat and abilities that made you feel like you really were Spider-Man. Swinging around, webbing up enemies, deploying neat gadgets (sometimes FAR too many gadgets) taking place in all sorts of challenges such as location scouting, races, timed challenges!

Spider-Man (2018) was a lot – Miles Morales had its moments to though admittedly was a much smaller game by comparison. Thankfully the sequel has toned down on all the mini fetch quests. Whilst they are still there, they aren’t nearly as repetitive and are very rewarding for both Miles and Peter. 

Both Spider-Men play well, and they play to their strengths. Peter’s Tech and Miles’ Venom are both incredibly unique, and if you’ve seen gameplay footage that’s less than spoiler free then I can assure you the other abilities are equally as fun and devastating. It is perhaps slightly disappointing that with two heroes there isn’t an option for crossplay. But I can understand how that sort of integration wasn’t included given the issues it would likely create.

What is quite frustrating is how, despite much graphical and combat improvement, some things just feel out of place. Spider-Man’s ability to parry feels very unnecessary and slightly redundant given most players instinct is to duck, dive and dodge their way out of hits. Parrying definitely could have been done better (if not removed entirely).

Interactions between Miles and Peter could also do with an improvement. Not to say the times when I was going into a crime-in-progress and I caught my fellow Spider mid-combat weren’t delightful. It’s simply how limiting it felt to only see them in combat. Seriously, how great would it be to be out and about as Miles and maybe catch Peter on his way downtown just swinging along?! 

Again, I understand this is probably easier said than done but still, there’s a fair amount about Spider-Man 2 that prevents it for being the perfect sequel over the good sequel it is. Such as the story. It is captivating, ties well with both characters and ends on a note that, whilst expected, is presently so. It also happens to feel rush. According to in-game-time, the entire narrative occurs in less than a week. 

It’s a massive time crunch of a game and it feels that way. When I wanted to do a side mission or hunt down some collectables, I felt myself being pulled away by the game – little comments made by the character reminding me to get back on the narrative or that annoying yellow icon that cannot be removed from the map. 

It’s frustrating because this is truly a fantastic game. It’s just not a game I believe was truly thought out beyond its plot, and a game is more than its main story – unlike the movie Spider-Men, game Spider-Men can have so much going on, so why does it always feel like I’m being rushed to down a glass of wine I want to sip and savour?

All in all, Spider-Man 2 is a good sequel with fun combat, great characters and some interesting twists. However, its lack of consideration for some content and forceful attempts to push the narrative left me feeling slightly less than at peace when I put my controller down after the end credits. 

Spider-Man 2 is available now on PlayStation 5 and PC.