Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Review: Sticking the Landing, Almost

Insomniac Games' follow-up to Marvel's Spider-Man (2018) and Miles Morales (2020) is a fairly ambitious title that shines, for the most part. The studio carefully picked its battles with regard to what areas to innovate in and where to simply iterate. The swinging and traversal have received the most amount of love, with Web Gliding being a more than welcome addition. The break-neck speed of the traversal is not just a bonus change of pace, but an absolute necessity, given the increased scale and scope of the open world. 

While the map is significantly larger, it is still replete with the charm and detail that makes Insomniac Games one of the best studios in the business. The combat is fundamentally the same, with a few bells and whistles in the form of new abilities mapped to the L1 and R1 buttons. One of the things that is abundantly clear from the first 20 minutes of gameplay is that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is going all-out with regard to boss battles, set-pieces, and general scale of things. The result is a game that feels a tad bit deeper than the original and Miles Morales while also making leaps in terms of cinematic set-pieces and boss battles.

The story is a rather simple affair - the Spider-Men must find resolve deep within themselves to overcome increasingly dire odds as they go up against Kraven the Hunter and some other key figures from Spider-Man's vast coterie of villains. The introduction of Harry Osborn is meant to be the emotional bedrock of the story in the sequel as the dynamic between him and Peter is perhaps the most crucial. While the story was functional and had some really high points, mostly by way of the captivating Kraven the Hunter, cracks begin to appear as the story progresses and begins to lose steam by the time you reach the final boss battle. 

For the most part, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a solid affair that makes very few missteps and leaves the player with a largely satisfied feeling. The few missteps come in the form of the story, which starts off as strong as a Spider-Man story has ever kicked off, but a meandering 2nd Act and a largely bloated 3rd Act make for a jagged narrative experience that doesn't quite hit the same emotional highs as the 2018 original.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2: An Undeniable Technical Marvel That Impresses in Parts

Gameplay

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 doesn't try and reinvent the wheel, which is the right call to make. Insomniac's combat system from the 2018 game and Miles Morales has easily been one of my favourite combat systems in gaming history. The system takes lessons from games like the Batman Arkham franchise to deliver a combat loop that gets more frantic the longer you extend your combo and one that incentivizes quick thinking, creative use of gadgets, and most importantly, style. Marvel's Spider-Man 2's combat makes full use of both the Spider-Men's new abilities.

Perhaps the biggest change introduced in the sequel is the speedy traversal. Web Swinging has been sped up quite a bit and players can dump points into Traversal abilities to go even faster. Web Swinging can be combined with Web Glide to go even faster and further than previously possible. As I said, the map dictates that players get around faster as there is now simply way too much of it. The new map now includes the original area of Manhattan as well as parts of Queens and Brooklyn. Web Glide changes things in a big way, making traversal not only a lot quicker - but somehow, even more fun.

While the two have clearly different animations and moves, the combat feels practically identical, save for the unique ability each one possesses. The biggest way Insomniac shifts the dynamic in a big way in combat is the introduction of the Symbiote suit. The Symbiote suit feels exceptionally powerful, with the sound design truly hitting home the brutality and bone-crunching strength of the suit. As Peter, players will be able to tap into "Surge" mode to unleash the full powers of the suit - allowing the player to get rid of large hoards of enemies with only a few hits.  The sound design work on the Symbiote suit does its fair share of the heavy lifting in selling the idea of a somewhat roided-up Spider-Man that smacks more than he talks. 

Swinging and gliding around the city, like always, is one of the best parts of any Spider-Man game and this one makes it a little more sweet by allowing Peter and Miles to team up organically. The Spider-Man as well as some other allies can drop in on an ongoing crime, making for an organic Ally team-up that feels like an idea lifted from Gotham Knights but done in a much more polished way. While the team-up combat doesn't work much differently, it still allows the player to execute fancy moves with their Ally (in an effort to not spoil the main story - let's just say that there are more Allies than just Peter/Miles). 

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a much larger, faster, and occasionally meaner game than the original, expanding upon key ideas from the 2018 game. Yet, the game feels more like an iterative title than a full-blooded evolution of the original. The game scarcely pushes the envelope in any significant way, which also means the game isn't exactly taking any major risks. The result is a sequel that ultimately feels like it is playing a little too safe in parts - especially the combat and mission structure. While the bombastic opening was a welcome change of pace from the usual game openings, that sort of mission structure does not make a return in the game. Save for one fantastic side quest involving Black Cat, the game rarely ever deviates from the standard mission structure players have come to know. 

Story

Insomniac Games have quickly established themselves as one of the best storytellers around, especially when it comes to Spider-Man. 2018's Spider-Man established both Peter and Miles as deeply likeable characters that persevere in the face of major tragedy. One of the things that the 2018 game benefited from was a solid 3-act structure that worked effectively and ended on an emotional high-point that has stood as one of the most iconic moments in the history of the character. (Spoilers for the 2018 game incoming) The ending to Marvel's Spider-Man (2018) remains one of my favourite Spider-Man moments as it encapsulates the very essence of the character, with Peter making the greatest sacrifice and not injecting Aunt May with the antidote, saving thousands as a direct result. 

Dilemma such as these makes for the best Spider-Man stories and the personal stakes of each character is essential. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a story of two 3rd Acts that never quite hit the high points as the original. Kraven the Hunter plays the foil to our webheads for most of the game and proves to be a rather interesting, multi-dimensional character. It is surprising the layer of backstory and characterization Kraven receives and it is truly riveting when players learn of his ultimate motivations. Yet, his singular obsession with "the hunt" is not nearly as compelling as Martin Li's duality in the 2018 game or Doctor Octavius' manic obsession with greatness and payback. Kraven plays the part of hulking, unbeatable brute well - proving time and time again that the Spider-Men are going to need a little "extra" to beat this primordial beast of a man. 

Harry Osborn is introduced as a key player right at the start and his story unfolds in a rather unexpected way. The game makes a couple of really interesting creative choices with the characters that appear promising at the start. Ultimately, his story arc leaves a lot to be desired as the ending to his story didn't quite carry the emotional punch that it should have. Peter's dynamic with Harry is ultimately what the success of the game's narrative rests on, so how you feel about the story is ultimately reliant on how invested you are in their friendship.

Peter and Miles receive a ton of characterization in equal parts. Peter struggles to hold down a job while Miles comes to grips with certain "negative" aspects of his personality while trying to become a better Spider-Man. The symbiote ultimately shifts the dynamic in a big way and Peter suddenly adopts a much meaner attitude as the game progresses. While Yuri Lowenthal certainly pulls his weight in selling Peter's growing brutality and resentment - Peter's motivation as to why he's suddenly so mean never quite hits home. While I was hoping that the game would drive home Peter's grief taking over - the game just simply tells you 'the symbiote is making him mad' and that's what you're going to have to believe. 

Given Miles' arc has him struggling with his need for payback and revenge, it somehow makes more sense for him to bond with the symbiote than Peter. Without the symbiote suit, Peter appears to be quite well-adjusted. The game ultimately tasks Miles with learning what it takes to be Spider-Man and that was ultimately a rewarding arc than Peter's this time around. A character that truly shines this time around is MJ. While MJ had her own little side quest in the original - she's given a lot more to do this time around. MJ's sections now play out a stealth-action 3rd person shooter (I see franchise potential here). While the gameplay isn't all that impressive (it's pretty routine), MJ's role in the story is a lot more active this time around and she proves herself to be a key asset to the team. 

Now, to talk about the big Symbiote in the room- Venom. Even though he is one of my favourite comic book characters ever, Venom has always been sort of a mixed bag. In some iterations of the characters, he is a comical anti-hero while in others he is a ruthless beast fueled by pure hatred. Insomniac's take on Venom is a little more one-note. Venom shares a common obsession with his host but wants to go about it in his own unique way. He is a little more than just the 'angry voice in his head' trope and has little to no personality aside from his one singular obsession. 

While Venom's character design and Tony Todd are nigh perfect, he doesn't come across as very compelling as a character. The final act of the game hinges heavily on Venom but the character has very little to add to the mix in the way of intrigue or tension. His character intro and the following gameplay section, while impressive, is the only high point of the character. Ultimately, Marvel's Spider-Man 2's over-reliance on gigantic set pieces and scale often comes at the cost of intimate character moments and personal stakes that made the 2018 original so great. 

Performance, Presentation, and Sound Design

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was heavily touted as a true showcase of the PS5's power and for the most part, that stands true. The game runs at a stable 40-45 frames per second on Performance Mode with Ray Tracing as the game runs on a Native 4K resolution. That by itself is quite impressive, but it's hard to shake off the feeling that the game does feel a little bit more rough around the edges as compared to the 2018 game. In a side-by-side comparison, I found that the 2018 game feels a tad bit smoother and more polished visually than the sequel. Perhaps it's down to the scale of the city and the sheer variety of ways the character can zoom about the open world, but New York appears a little bit rougher than it did in 2018.

Fidelity mode fixes a ton of these issues at the cost of frame rate. While it fixes most problems in terms of resolution and textures, sacrificing frame rate isn't really a choice for Spider-Man fans as the game is best experienced at higher frame rates. In my time with 26 hours with the game, I suffered only one major crash as the game failed to load textures for a district and forced a shutdown. Thankfully, this would be the only time the game crashed. 

Insomniac Games are rightly heralded as one of the most technically brilliant studios in the industry and it is reflected in the game's sound design. The reworked punch and attack sounds truly make for a heck of a soundscape that immerses you in the world. The sound design work on the Symbiote suit incentivizes players to tap into Surge mode often if nothing but to hear the bone-crunching sound of these punches. 

Final Word: Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is an ambitious yet safe sequel that isn't looking to reinvent the wheel in any major way. While the game is serviceable and often enjoyable, it doesn't feel that significant a step up from the original in terms of gameplay or storytelling. A meandering second act grinds the pacing to a halt and often compels me to abandon the main quest altogether and experience some of these side quests.

Speaking of Side Quests, the game's most interesting story arc comes in the form of The Flame side mission, which takes a rather unexpected turn right towards the end. Die-hard Spidey fans might spot the hint early on as to the true identity of The Flame. The game sets up several characters for a sequel, one that is shaping up to be quite the dark affair from the looks of it. 

The game consistently implies a darker tone rather than adopting one altogether, which feels like a cop-out. While Kraven and The Flame make for exceptionally enjoyable foils to our Spider-Man, Venom is a major let-down. While the game is a safe sequel, it is still a cut above the rest when it comes to open-world adventure titles.