Spider-Man 2 is Flawed But Amazing

I’m not a comicbook superhero fan, but I do like comicbook superheroes. Now that statement is gonna surely throw some readers into a loop. What do I mean when I state this? It is as simple as the sentence itself. I am not a comicbook superhero fan and I do not classify as one. I do not read the comics for which these heroes come from nor do I watch any of the blockbuster films Marvel or DC have made over the years. If you were to ask me to identify obscure heroes or villains then I would not be able to name a single one. Even if you were to show me a comicbook superhero meme that had come out in the last decade I probably wouldn’t be able to recognize it or know exactly what piece of media it specifically stem from. I am not a comicbook superhero fan cuz I do not have the same level of care or love as a majority of comicbook superhero fans. However, I still like comicbook superheroes and the work they stem from. The people who work in this large industry, and they have done for art as a whole. Now I’m not saying Marvel or DC invented the idea of visualized stories. I’m pretty sure children’s books before did exactly that.

What I am saying is that they popularized a specific style of visualized storytelling. Where all of the characters speak alongside the action on the page. Where the panels flow together seamlessly. Showing what scene transitions to what, and keeping the pacing of the story going. You also got to think about how much effort was put into drawing each page. Making each scene pop towards a reader’s eye, and having to color the same characters over and over again. In some way I credit comicbook superhero artists for why cartoons and video games are where they are now. An idea starts with a rough draft. Then you fully realize the idea and bring it to life. Telling stories which can inspire people and grow into something breathtaking. Again, not a completely original idea for comicbook superheroes as movies and literature existed beforehand. It is the impact this very medium brought with it. If not that then well….. I just enjoy listening to people around me talk about comicbook superheroes. My older sibling is a massive fan of DC comics despite the stories not always being good at times. Recently she’s been really into Absolute Batman. A series that I have seen blown up over the course of the last year. Leading to Absolute Wonder Woman and the rest of them. I think a big reason why my sibling loves comics is because my father grew up with them as well. It brings folks together despite the flaws, and that’s what I love.

Comicbook superheroes have not only been a great form of artistic expression, but it brings in a high level of discussion the same way video games do for me. I may not care for the medium but I never get tired of hearing my sibling ramble to me about these stories. They’re fascinating and let you wonder just what creative process was going through a person’s head to create this. I love seeing how far art has gotten, and the passion which drives it. I am not a comicbook superhero fan in the same way I am not an anime fan by definition, but I love both mediums nonetheless. So why did I open the review up like this instead of going on some long explanation of history for the review topic at hand? Well it’s because of one of past reviews and how it’s not respectful as I remember it. Five years ago I covered Marvel’s Spider-Man, which originally released back in 2018. For many individuals it’s considered one of the best superhero video games ever made, and I even have a couple friends who consider it one of the best games ever. Licensed games struck gold and Marvel’s Spider-Man is considered one of the best. I first played it back in 2019, and replayed it in 2021 when I got more into reviewing. Despite ending the review by saying the game was good, part of me wrote it off. At some point I said the reason I didn’t rate it higher than an 8.5/10 was because comicbook superhero games aren’t great examples of what a game can be. We all should be celebrating games that are original, explore interesting ideas, and don’t need big name properties to sell. A portion of me still agrees with that statement, but I was being crude. In some way I was gatekeeping by saying comicbook superhero games aren’t fully art or true video games. It’s disrespectful for both the video game and comicbook mediums, and I no longer agree with what I said. Alongside that my appreciation for Marvel’s Spider-Man warmed up with time just like a lot of other video games I played in the past. Nowadays I’d confidently say this is a 9/10 video game.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was announced all the way back in 2021. The same year I chose to replay the original. There was a high level of excitement that came with it especially amongst my many comicbook superhero friends. It got delayed numerous times before 2023 became the set year it would be released. Spider-Man 2 was looking great…. and I just lost interest in checking it out. 2023 was a really stacked year for video games. Octopath Traveler, one my favorite games of all time whom I thought would never get a sequel did. It ended up being my Game of The Year of 2023 and another one of my favorite games of all time. We saw the success of Baldur’s Gate 3, and how it set a standard for RPGs. I’d say it's the game of the decade alongside Elden Ring and Expedition 33. You also had my beloved Alan Wake 2, Lies of P, Sea of Stars, Chants of Sennaar, Pikmin 4, The Talos Principle 2, Blasphemous 2, Hi-Fi Rush, etc. It’s either sequels with lowest chances of existing, or cool innovative ideas. The same can’t be said for Spider-Man 2, which is the most gatekeeper thing for me to say right now. Another reason why I skipped out on it was because the internet was not handling discussion around Spider-Man 2 very well. They made the game sound like it was overrated, and me being me I wanted to give my time to others.

This game is the most divisive sequel I’ve seen since The Last of Us: Part 2. Some players really like this game, and some don’t. Some people think it took massive steps forward, and others say it went backwards. I’ve been hesitant to check out Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for a long time due to all the horror stories I’ve heard about it. The game was on sale during Black Friday last year and I thought it was finally time to play. That and I want to start finishing franchises I haven’t played the entirety of. I played the game until I obtained the platinum trophy, and the number one thing I learned from this was to not let the internet influence what you do. Spider-Man 2 is good. Really good actually! I was addicted to this game for several days straight to the point I had three hour long sessions just playing it. Is this game a masterpiece? No, absolutely not and there’s a lot of games I would choose over it. It’s great though, so today we’re delving into what Spider-Man 2 has and hasn’t improved since the first game. Why it may deserve your attention.

Story

The game occurs months after the events of the first game as well as its standalone expansion. A much older Peter Parker has gotten used to being Spider-Man. Mastering the powers he acquired after being bitten by a radioactive spider during his high school years, and using said powers to protect the people of New York. Along the way he discovers another individual who shares the same power he does that being high schooler Miles Morales. He takes Miles under his wing and trains him to be the second Spider-Man to protect New York. Two superheroes, two individuals helping the public and sacrificing their safety for others. You’d think that there being two heroes means New York became a safer place right? No, because New York is filled with just about the same amount of crime as always and that crime rate is never going down. Peter, despite being in a better place than the first game, still struggles with maintaining his superhero and day to day life, and Miles is attempting to maintain the peace without the need of Peter’s help. The story opens up with Peter attempting to keep a teaching job, but Miles needs his help as New York is under a massive sandstorm created by Flint Marko, aka Sandman. The two succeed in stopping the storm from growing any further, but Peter loses his job which Miles feels guilty for.

Peter is afraid of not being able to handle his new life. Unable to maintain a sturdy job, make any money, and possibly resort to selling his aunt’s house which he currently lives in if money runs too low. His girlfriend Mary Jane lives alongside him, and she too is struggling to maintain her career. All feels wrong until the two receive a knock on the door. Peter’s old friend Harry Osborn had come back after being hospitalized for several years due to his condition. He invites Peter to walk outside and reveals he plans to use money lended by his father, Norman Osborn, to open a science foundation named after his mother and Peter’s aunt. He plans to help the world and turn it into a better place, and he wants Peter serving alongside him. Peter, seeing this as a chance for a better life, agrees to help and all seems well at first. That isn’t until New York is attacked by a mysterious outside force, Kraven the Hunter and his many followers. They have come to hunt the strongest individuals in New York and capture them. This includes a majority of Peter’s arch enemies like Martin Li. The man who killed Miles’ father, and whom Miles debates on whether or not to get revenge on. Our story splits into two from here. One follows Miles attempting to be a better Spider-Man, and whether to let rage and trauma control him. The other follows Peter as he attempts to balance two lives, and the stress of being Spider-Man. Leading him to taking on a power he never thought he’d use for his job….. It’s the symbiote virus.

Gameplay

I wanted to use a combat image, but all the ones online Marvel logos at the bottom. So I used my own screenshots.

If you played the previous Spider-Man games by Insomniac you probably know what to expect. A big open world for which the player can swing around in, fight enemies, engage in numerous activities, and unlock new abilities from earning experience points. Swinging is as simple as you would expect. Use momentum and trajectory to launch Peter or Miles forward, and get them to where they need to be. Over time you may learn tricks to keep up the momentum or go faster at times. Zip towards points and jump immediately off them for a short boost. Pull yourself forward or make turns faster. Newest addition to Spider-Man 2 being the wingsuit. It can’t stay in the air forever, but using air drafts and wind tunnels to keep you in the air longer as well as knowing the right time to dive and swoop upward. When you do find an activity or crime you want to engage with all it takes is zipping in immediately. However, if you are given the opportunity you can also use. Zip between vantage points and take out enemies one by one so you don’t have to fight too much when combat actually begins. There is even a new tool called the Web Line that allows players to create a tight rope which they can walk, but if you create another one it removes the previous one. Meaning you have to be careful when and where you want to use this tool.

The more crimes and missions you complete the more you level up. Gifting skill points you can use to unlock new combat and traversal upgrades. Alongside skill points there’s tokens, and these are gained from completing specific tasks. These are used to upgrade stats, equipment, and open different suits for the two heroes to wear. In terms of open world design Spider-Man 2 is quite simple. One of the big focuses is combat, and that is good. I always loved how the combat of the Spider-Man games are designed. Encouraging players to be flexible and vary combos so they can take down enemies efficiently before being overwhelmed. Some enemies need to be taken down in specific ways. For example, dudes armed with weapons need to be punched into the air. Dudes with shields need to be slid underneath and struck behind. Brutes need to be parried, and so on. You have a focus meter, and this meter fills the more you strike enemies and maintain combos. With later upgrades making it so you gain focus from knockouts, using skills, etc. Focus can be spent on one of two things. Nearly refilling the entirety of your health bar, or instant takedown. It brings upon careful consideration for combat. Do you want to save it up, or grant yourself a short period of invincibility so you can quickly assess your situation and keep on fighting?

What makes Spider-Man 2 unique is that you have two heroes to control. Both with their powers and abilities. Another new addition to the game are Venom Powers. Special abilities you can use to knock out a horde of enemies quicker, or create crowd control among big groups. Peter has an assortment of gadgets and later on unlocks symbiote tentacles. Miles wields electricity and later on unlock almighty lightning. They work similar to how runic arts in God of War worked. They have a cooldown and you can’t just spam them. Make good use of these powers, because they can save you if things go horribly wrong. Aside from that there’s not much else I can really say for Spider-Man 2. It’s honestly one of the more simple open world games I’ve played, and that’s a good thing. We’re gonna talk more about why I like how the Spider-Man approach open world design, pacing, and content but just know this for now. New York is filled with different stories to partake in. It’s your choice what tales you want to partake in first. Your choice on what tasks should be solved first. A wise man once said: “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Thoughts

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a great game. I think it’s a fantastic follow-up to the previous titles and specifically in the gameplay department it's an improvement. I wouldn’t say it’s worth the 70 dollar price tag it’s worth normally. No video game is worth 70 dollars, but if someone were to buy this game I would assure them they’re in for a good time. Spider-Man 2 is a fun game, but at the same time it’s a debatable sequel. I think the internet treated Spider-Man 2 harshly over the last three years. I need to reassure all my readers that I do not think this is a masterpiece. I do not think this is a 10/10 video game, but I do not think it is a bad or average video game. A lot of the discussion I’ve seen for Spider-Man 2 has either been glazers treating it like it’s the best thing to ever been conceived, or people arguing whether it’s overrated or garbage. This is why I’m pretty frustrated with video game discussion these days. We can’t look at the media as art, or try to give out actually good criticism on what is and isn’t good about a piece of art. We have to sum it up in a few words. Either it’s gold or dogwater. Maybe it’s “slop". I hate that word and the folks who overly use it now. It shows me they don’t have the energy to properly think about anything.

Whereas video game sequels I can instantly tell you whether I like it more or less than the last, or say it’s on par I can’t exactly say it for Spider-Man 2. The closest feeling Spider-Man 2 has given me is similar to that of Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. A game that is amazing, but managed to go a few steps forward and back in certain fields. To actually critique the game: Spider-Man 2 is a great improvement over the first game in terms of gameplay. The introduction sequence kinda plays itself and I always hate whenever people say “Spider-Man 2 has peak gameplay” they just show a cinematic sequence from the opening. When the rest of the game has fun moments where you actually interact and play it. The movement is great and the wingsuit is an amazing addition to these games. I remember in my Far Cry 4 review I praised how both movement and the world design accommodate each other. The verticality gives many ways for which players can traverse or build up speed, and Spider-Man 2, while designed differently, has a similar philosophy. Given multiple buildings you can jump and wingsuit off of, or give the player gusts of wind to keep up the momentum. I never found myself using fast travel all that much in the Spider-Man games as traversing the world is so easy. You can get to a location within seconds if you know how to keep the pace up, and it’s just fun to flex off different tricks along the way.

The combat loop I’ve always really liked as it’s fast, flexible, and reactive, I love how Focus is a resource you have to manage. Whether you expend on a takedown animation to give you a few seconds to think, or healing which for some people is more important. Learning how to combo and crowd control. Utilizing gadgets and Venom Powers to break up groups or get the edge. One thing I will say is that Venom Powers can be seen as either a great or flawed addition. Players may just save them to spam them all at once, or just forget they have them. I think the game has balanced them pretty well by giving Venom Powers long enough cooldowns, and much like how Focus works it requires you to play well for a short period of time before they can be used again. Spider-Man 2 even balances it out by throwing more enemies at the player. If you have all these wide area attacks that hit multiple foes then why not throw more enemies? One of few times a game having more enemies during combat is justified. I played the game on Amazing difficulty which is recommended for most players, and I found it to be fairly challenging. Nothing too hard or easy. Just the right amount of difficulty to keep me on my toes and always thinking. My main gripe is that much like the first game Spider-Man 2 still has things you can otherwise ignore. The stealth has been improved and for large bases it’s fun to utilize, but why stealth when combat is more fun. At times you’re just forced to fight. Web gadgets are cool, but I forgot they existed too. That’s a me thing, much like how they reworked progression.

The first game had a level up system and not only did you get skill points but one of your many stats would increase. You never really had any choice over what stat levels up, and that sucks. In Spider-Man there’s a tab where you choose which of four stats you want to increase. Giving you more control on what you want to prioritize especially in the early game. However, it’s nothing too complex and by the end of the game you’ll be maxed out on all of them. The skill tree has been reworked as well with three categories. One for Peter, Miles, and a shared category. Asking what Spider-Man you like playing as more and which you’d rather prioritize. Again, the problem is by the end you’d have maxed out everything. That and some missions will ask you to play as one specific Spider-Man so you don’t have much choice on who you want to go in as. So I do like how there’s more choice, but if you manage to do everything before the end every hero for every player will be the same. This isn’t an RPG where you choose how Spider-Man is built or there being different classes. Yet again, why am I asking for an RPG? This is an action game that tells you to play in a specific way, and that specific way is handled pretty well. The last gripe is that suits don’t have unique skills anymore. They’re cosmetic now, but I’m alright with that as I never really cared about the suit skills in previous games. My main appreciation is sidequests.

One of the goals Insomniac Games made for themselves when making Spider-Man 2 was to have a better focus on side content. I got the platinum trophy for the first game and my opinion is that some of the side content isn’t very good and at times bloated. Spider-Man 2 is more focused both in terms of the main story and open world content. It took me twenty-four hours to platinum the game, and while that does seem really short I rather appreciated it. The side content is not only more condensed, but better in terms of quality. You still have some returning side objectives like the laboratories, collectibles, encampments, and challenges now in the form of the Mysteriums. It’s the side stories and questlines that really draw me into the side stuff. Helping Miles retrieve stolen instruments from his community, or connect with the fellow students of his high school. The reward for collecting all Spider-Bots being a connection to Across The Spiderverse, which was nice. Seeing former police chief Yuri become a vigilante and helping her take down a cult. The one sidequest about an old man who lost his wife, and then gives us a life lesson on how to appreciate life despite its many ups and downs. One of my favorite outcomes was from getting all the Sandman crystals. Learning about Flint’s life, his mental health, and that he feels like no one understands him. He has no one to consult about his feelings to, and he’s afraid of hurting those he cares for. So he isolates himself and this only makes things worse. Transforming him into the unwell raging mess you fight at the beginning of the game, and it’s unraveling all these thoughts you learn what he really wants. To see his family well. To know the good actions he did take led to something. For his daughter and wife who waits at home to be safe. A family who waits when he's finally well being.

What a lovely side story.

I really love the side stories of Spider-Man 2, but I also see this as a problem. Which brings us to the main story of Spider-Man 2. My problem is not that the main story is bad. No, I think it’s a well written narrative with a lot of emotional highs and lows to keep you interested. With good character development and satisfying enough ending. My problem is that a lot of the side content is more interesting than the main narrative. Without going too much into spoilers Spider-Man 2 is a tale of two heroes. Miles’ story is about revenge, trauma, and not letting it control you. This one I enjoyed a lot. I’m a sucker for revenge stories, because as much as the “revenge is bad” trope has been done I love the message it teaches. That rage and hate will only turn you into a bitter person by the end. That violence expelled onto others is no way to cope. That only doing so makes you no better than the people who have wronged you. You don’t have to forgive them, but at some point you have to move on and walk on your own path. The story of Miles doesn’t have all too many problems aside from a really lame ass looking suit you unlock by the end of the game. It’s Peter's story that I think people will have gripes with for Spider-Man 2.

Peter's story follows his relationship with Harry, being given a power beyond his comprehension, and seeing it influence him. THIS HAS BEEN DONE BEFORE! Sam Rami already showed this with his films in the mid -2000s, and if not that then the comicbooks have! Now again the first game had the plot trope of Doctor Octavious slowly becoming evil, but it was twisted by having the player spend time with him. Connect with Octavius, show that he was Peter’s inspiration, and build up the fear of him slowly becoming Doctor Octopus. When Spider-Man 2 does things like showing Peter becoming a jackass by having the symbiote suit, or Harry and Peter growing bitter it’s not all that surprising. It’s not bad. I think it’s well written with an end showing Peter doing everything he can to save what is his only friend. The story is good, but damn it we’ve done this song and dance before. It sucks because going back to the side stories they explore certain topics the main story attempts to cover but better. Stuff I wish the main story had. There’s one questline where you learn more about Kraven. His family and how he conditioned them to believe all led to their individual deaths. How he regrets what he’s done, and that deep down he knows he is a terrible person. Nothing will undo the actions he took, and that’s why he wants to die gloriously in battle. He believes this is the only honorable thing he has left to do, and combining this with the plot twist he has cancer it makes his side story sadder. It’s a cancer patient who has lost hope in life and does not know how to cope with this info. 

You want to know what would’ve been good? To feature this information in the main storyline, because removing the family backstory just makes Kraven look more like a crazed lunatic. Huge chunks of players nowadays don’t engage with side content in video games. A majority of them will just play the main story, and at times they don’t finish the game. You’d be surprised at how many people beat the games they buy. People are going to miss out the content I enjoyed like the Sandman storyline, which honestly has a fantastic representation of mental health especially for adulthood. People are gonna skip out on the two questlines about dying and accepting when your time eventually comes, which I’d also argue is much more than Kraven’s story. Spider-Man 2 has amazing writing, but it’s frustrating to see how all over the place it is. That’s why I’m hesitant to say whether Spider-Man 2 is or isn’t better than the first game. It’s a better video game and good sequel, but for every step forward it takes it also goes back either in writing or smaller systems. Despite everything I’ve been rambling about up until this point I will say I do recommend it.

I recommend Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 the same way I recommended Infinite Wealth despite all my grievances with it. This is a fantastic game and it was obviously doing something really well for me to achieve one hundred percent completion. I like how Spider-Man 2 is an action packed, well focused, and well paced video game despite it being in an open world sandbox. The sandbox here is bigger now, but I wouldn’t say it’s bloated or contains content that feels useless. I do not care if a video game is too short or too long. I want a piece of art that does what it wants to do really well, and respect my time investment into it. This game does exactly that, and that I’m grateful for. In the end I am gonna have to give Marvel's Spider-Man 2 a 9/10 for excellence at best. Thanks again for reading.

9/10, Excellence