Marvel’s Spider-Man on PlayStation 4 made good on the promise that “anyone can be Spider-Man.” Insomniac Games handed players the keys to New York City and the suit of its resident wall crawler in a AAA blockbuster that both stunned in its sheer scale and soared in its free-flowing movement system. It was the quintessential superhero game and a love letter to everything that made Spider-Man what it is — from the thrill of swinging through a concrete jungle to Peter Parker’s warm-hearted heroism, it had it all. Even with its flaws, it won over millions and left them waiting for its sequel on PlayStation 5. Though also imperfect, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 keeps the momentum of the first and introduces improvements to the formula, launching it into the skies once more for another great time in the shoes of the world’s favorite web slinger.
Peter Parker and Spidey-in-training Miles Morales continue their journey as keepers of the peace while battling both their inner demons and a gallery of villains who know no rest. Between the wild and ferocious Kraven, the extraterrestrial menace Venom, and other rogues who spring forth to cause chaos, the Spider-Men have their hands full of problems and only so much room in their heart that they can spare. As the city is ravaged and their bonds with their loved ones are tested, Peter and Miles learn that being a hero sometimes means sacrificing a part of yourself for the greater good — as many times as it takes for the mask to still stand for something.
Though engaging and in touch with the series’ heart and soul, the story is messy and often unsatisfying in how it sees through each of its character arcs and subplots. Some threads, like Peter Parker and Harry Osborn’s endearing friendship, are stitched together perfectly, while others, like Miles’ struggle to balance both his normal and crime-fighting lives, are strewn haphazardly. The Venom storyline, arguably the most exciting part of this sequel, is burdened by these issues as well, which makes them stand out more than they otherwise would. It has its share of memorable character interactions and emotional highs though, and its love for the source material is easy to see. The result is a story with good moments that is weighed down by an undercurrent of chaos. There’s always something happening, but cohesion is often lost along the way.
In stark contrast, gameplay is simple and refined. Its improvements over the first are most visible here, with the glider and parry being the most worthwhile additions to traversal and combat respectively. The Spider-Men’s newest toy, the Web Wings, lets them glide above streets and cruise through wind tunnels to cross boroughs in a flash. This, along with faster swinging speeds and abilities that allow for smoother traversal, makes fast travel obsolete and movement addicting to the point of outshining other parts of the game.
The acrobatic and gadget-driven combat of the first game was serviceable but in desperate need of more options and depth. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 brings in new gadgets and abilities to set things right, though it’s the parry that really steals the show. Parrying fundamentally changes the flow of fights by giving players a way to turn the tables instead of always waiting for an opening to land a punch or a kick. The multi-phase boss battles use it to great effect by demanding an active and sustained playstyle, which is far more engaging than its predecessor’s often mind-numbing combat.
However, repetition remains a problem as it did in the first, with there being too many fights with common thugs that add nothing and only pad out the playtime. An unnecessary amount of side activities are copy-pasted across the map and are only there to tick off a box, barring a short questline that may have major story implications for the next game. Most of the main story’s missions also follow a very basic formula and rarely innovate, even if they do their job. The improvements to gameplay make these issues less problematic than in the first game, but they keep it from being the perfect sequel nonetheless.
NYC’s iconic bridges, towering skyscrapers, and bustling streets are a sight to behold, and with the PS5’s stronger hardware, it’s rendered beautifully in HD and without pop-in or frame stutters. The art direction is effective in its hybrid of realism and stylised visuals, though the story’s darker moments would benefit greatly from muted colors and a more intentional art style that isn’t afraid to shed its AAA and family-friendly skin. There’s also some inconsistency with the face model for Mary Jane “MJ” Watson, who has an aged and uncanny look in certain scenes that is hard to ignore.
However, both her actor and the cast at large deliver fantastic motion-capture performances, with Yuri Lowenthal continuing to offer a lovable and sincere portrayal of Peter Parker.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 brings plenty of new additions to the table and some of its improvements are so impactful that they make playing the first game seem like a chore. Unfortunately, its messy story and repetitive combat encounters take away some of the fun, but the unmatched excitement of being Spider-Man is a feeling that can never lose its spark. Its fifteen-to-twenty-hour playtime is enough to satisfy, and the modest requirements for its Platinum trophy encourages full completion — which is tempting in its own right with its promise of more time swinging around, stopping crimes, and helping normal people with problems both big and small as they live their mundane lives in a world of the extraordinary.
