Spider-Man 2 Review
The Sequel that everyone wanted
Spider-Man 2 has been out for some time and I have been enjoying the story, the side quests and the various collectibles. After 13 hours of web-slinging in New York, I am ready to share my thoughts on the game!
Don’t worry, this review is spoiler-free for the main story. I will only give a brief overview of the story as I have not finished it yet.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into the review!
Vibrant and Lively New York
The game’s New York is almost a perfect replica, except for some missing buildings due to licensing issues. For example, the Empire State Building is there, but the Chrysler Building, which is iconic for Spider-Man fans, is not. That’s a shame.
The city is vibrant and realistic, with people and traffic on the streets. But you won’t spend much time there, as you’ll be swinging through the skyscrapers most of the time.
Spider-Man 2 has a bigger map than the previous games, as it combines the maps from Spider-Man 1 and Spider-Man: Miles Morales. However, the changes are not very noticeable, as they mostly consist of adding some Marvel landmarks. You could say that it’s just Spider-Man 1’s map with the Chrysler Building removed and Miles Morales’ map added.
I think the game could have done more to make New York feel different and fresh. After all, this is a fictional, Marvel version of the city, so they could have added more cool locations like S.H.I.E.L.D HQ, Stark Industries and more.
Another game filled with bugs
It’s no secret that many games these days are released with bugs and glitches, and Cyberpunk 2077 was the worst offender. Spider-Man 2 is not as bad, but it still has some issues that ruin the immersion and the fun.
For example, some objects in the game have no collision detection, so you can pass through them like a ghost. Sometimes, you can see Miles Morales or both Spider-Men without their suits in the main menu. And the most annoying bug for me is the missing NPCs. They are everywhere in the game, and they never come back. I hope they fix these problems soon, but they are still there as I write this.
The game also has some new features that are not very well implemented. One of them is the bicycle riding, which is part of some story sections. The bike controls are clunky and awkward, and you can’t even reverse. It feels like they didn’t know how to make driving mechanics.
But not everything is bad. The game has some great improvements in the traversal and the swinging. You can use webbed wings to glide and switch between different swinging modes. I chose to keep all the assists on and turn off the fall damage, because I wanted to enjoy the swinging without worrying about anything.
However, some parts of the game still feel weird. The QTEs are not very exciting. And sometimes, when you exit a mission, the game slows down and forces you to start swinging again. It’s very jarring.
The game has some nice upgrades, but they are not enough to make it a true sequel. It feels more like an expansion of the previous games.
The Spider-Men are fighting together
Spider-Man 2 brings back the familiar characters, but with some twists. Both Spider-Men, Peter and Miles, work together to stop Kraven The Hunter from hunting down New York.
They are supported by MJ and Ganke, who have some changes in their personalities. Peter and Miles also have a great dynamic as Spider-Men
However, I wish the game had more Marvel characters to interact with, like The Defenders or The Avengers. The Avengers tower is there, but no one else is.
The game is supposed to be the second part of a trilogy, and it shows that Insomniac Games has given each character a meaningful arc. But it also shows that they have a clear bias for Miles over Peter.
For instance, the Deluxe Edition gives Miles a cool Tokusatsu suit inspired by Kamen Rider or Sentai shows, while Peter gets some mediocre suits. The DLC might not change that, as it will feature celebrity-themed suits.
It’s obvious that Insomniac Games loves Miles Morales more than Peter Parker, and I think that’s unfair.
Every mission feels like a movie
Spider-Man 2 is like a movie that you can play and explore, just like most PlayStation games. It has a great story and varied missions that keep you engaged.
However, the game also has some optional collectible missions that are very annoying and repetitive. For instance, the Mysteriums are missions where you have to do the same combat task in a limited time. I was surprised to see them repeat over and over again.
The side missions are much better, as they are actual additional stories. They are different and interesting.
In short, I enjoy the main and side missions, but I hate the optional collectible missions. There are too many of them.
The same combat that feels good
Spider-Man 2 follows the same combat system as Spider-Man 1 and Miles Morales, which are inspired by the Batman Arkham series. I think the Arkham games have the best combat ever, because they make you feel the impact of every punch. Spider-Man 1 and Miles Morales captured that feeling, too.
Spider-Man 2 adds some new abilities that make the combat smoother and more stylish than ever. Spider-Man is not as brutal as Batman, but he doesn’t need to be. He has his own flair and finesse.
The game also introduces a parry mechanic, which changes the way you fight. However, I find it confusing, because the indicator for parry is similar to the one for dodge. They are both colored circles that appear above the enemies and Spider-Man, but they have different patterns. They are also too small for me to see clearly. I wish they had used a different color or shape for parry. It takes some time to get used to it.
In summary, I think the combat is great and fun. I really love it.
Conclusion
The original Spider-Man games were fresh and unique, with fluid combat and swinging. Spider-Man 2 has some minor improvements, but it fails to expand the Marvel world. I expected to see more connections with other Marvel characters, especially since Insomniac Games is also making Wolverine. This game could have been a great opportunity to create a more cohesive Marvel universe, but it missed the chance.
The game also feels more like an expansion than a sequel. The changes are not significant enough to justify a new title. Maybe Insomniac Games should have spent more time developing and enhancing the game.
