Venom?!
Seriously, though, how did I not know that Venom was in Spider-Man 2? I played Spider-Man 1 and absolutely loved it, but once I was done, oh, I was done. Swinging around and saving the average Joe got old. I even started Miles Morales and didn’t finish for that exact reason. I had a been-there-done-that feeling with the gameplay loop and mechanics. That’s why I stayed away from Spider-Man 2 for so long, until I saw Venom. Plus, enough time had passed that I was ready to swing through New York City all over again.
The Amazing Narrative
Leave it to Insomniac to create a story that slaps harder than a webbed criminal against a building. The main story itself includes major Spidey villains like Sandman, The Lizard, Venom, and Kraven. Side-missions expand upon that roster and feed future storylines that will undoubtedly take place in Spider-Man 3.
The game throws you into the action immediately. Peter and Miles face off against Sandman, which also functions as the “tutorial.” What follows is a story that weaves and builds upon itself while addressing the loss, insecurity, and struggle. Each story mission carries narrative weight and pushes the characters to their breaking points, while the side content adds meaningful context to the world, villains, and characters. Honestly, the game doesn’t even feel complete without finishing side missions like Sandman’s crystals or the Wraith’s flame quests.
Switching between the two Spider-Men (Spider-Mans?) adds another layer of complexity to the story by allowing players to walk in both heroes’ shoes. While I feel that some depth was missed by catering to two characters, players are still able to experience the issues both Peter and Miles are facing: trying to hold a job while dealing with the death of a last remaining family member, and learning how to balance the responsibilities of Spider-Man with school, friendships, and expectations.
As with most Spider-Man symbiote story lines, the pain of watching Peter slowly lose himself with the symbiote was palpable. Miles makes this more intense as he fights to bring Peter back from the brink. Couple this with Kraven’s hunt and Harry’s deteriorating health, and the story pulls from many different directions without feeling convoluted. And once we reach the end of Venom’s arc, well, better get out the tissues.
The Amazing Spider-Men
Gameplay in Spider-Man 2 doesn’t stray too far from the first installment and Miles Morales. Traversing around the city in spidey fashion, finishing side-missions, high-fiving New Yorkers, beating up baddies, and finally progressing the story; however, everything has been amped up a notch. Traversal is made even more exciting with the web wings and wind tunnels, the ability to launch in the air, a slingshot launch, and a loop de loop skill that spins around and launches you forward. I didn’t even use fast travel (the cinematic zoom transition is gorgeous and seamless, btw) that much because getting around the city was just so enjoyable.
There were times when my enjoyment was interrupted when I clipped through buildings or collided with the ground, causing me to restart my checkpoint, only to fall through the same area again. I’m not sure if this was because I downloaded the game through PS Plus or some other reason, but I feel like it happened to me more often than should be acceptable for a game that has had two years to fix these types of bugs. Nevertheless, getting around in Spider-Man 2 still felt incredible despite seeing the underside of the city more times than I would have liked.
The Amazing Beat-Em-Up
Combat mixed grounded/aerial combos, web attacks, tools, and abilities. While skills are unlocked through the extensive skill trees, I never really found them a necessity. Eventually, there are bonuses for attacking enemies while airborne or not breaking a combo. These helped to vary combat, but I found myself following a similar attack pattern. Use as many items as possible –> fisticuffs –> abilities –> finisher move –> items –> repeat. That’s not to say the combat wasn’t exciting, but there were definitely times I wanted a bit more variation. In comes the stealth combat.
It does a great job cutting into the constant punching and kicking. It has also been upgraded to where you can shoot a web line across environments to stealth yank enemies and leave them hanging like laundry on a clothesline.
While they share the same basic skills, Peter and Miles have distinct sets of abilities. The differences don’t change fundamental gameplay in any meaningful way, but they provide variations for combat. Plus, two Spider-Men means double the costumes! And boy, do they look sexy.
Speaking of sexy, Spider-Man 2’s visuals never cease to amaze. From the multi-verse of costumes, to the moonlit streets of Manhattan, to the people and furnishings seen in almost every window across the entire city. No expense was spared in making New York City feel so real and organic. I could go on and on about the rooftop pools, patio chairs, and neighborhood gardens that enhance the immersive experience. The soundtrack that changes with either Peter or Miles adds even more ambiance. It’s no wonder that Spider-Man 2 is one of the only games I’ve platinumed.
The Verdict
- Highly recommend for Spider-Man, action-adventure, Insomniac, superhero fans.
- Cautiously recommend for people who aren’t in the mood for an open-world adventure
- Do not recommend for people tired of superheroes or action games.