Marvel's Spider-Man 2

What should a sequel be? It's a tough question, one that we've seen a lot of focus on lately. Some believe you need to reinvent the wheel, while others are more than happy to see their favourite games again with substantial but not revolutionary changes. Games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Baldur's Gate III, and more fall into the former, while God of War: Ragnarök, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 are a part of the latter.

I bring this up because I see no reason why a sequel can't just be more of what we love. Insomniac absolutely nailed making you feel like Spider-Man (loathe as I am to write that phrase) in the first game, and so it would be of little sense to risk that success. Instead, what we're given in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a spectacular addition to the roster of amazing Spidey content we've seen over the past 5 years.

The similarities are clear from minute one. Like in the first game, it doesn't take long for the action to start, and you're immediately sent swinging toward danger as the thumping soundtrack accompanies your journey through New York. In the first game, a feeling of shock took over during the first few minutes as I realised what Insomniac had accomplished. In the sequel, a familiar smile crept up my face as I was so glad to be back in the saddle. Less a feeling of "oh my god they've done it," and more something like "they've only gone and done it again" as you smoothly swing from skyscraper to skyscraper.

We're then thrown back in with our Spider-Men, free to plough on with the story or take in the sights of New York. There's a lot to accomplish with the narrative, with focuses placed on Peter, Miles, and MJ as they all deal with their own personal problems while also never getting enough time to properly sort them out thanks to the duties of being and/or being the girlfriend of Spider-Man. The pacing is fast, but not blindingly so, and there are plenty of moments where the game is telling you it's okay to slow down, do a few side objectives, then return to the story. In its narrative, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is spinning a lot of plates. Miles' essay, MJ moving to Pete's house, Peter trying to land a steady job, Venom, Kraven, and much more. Yet, none of them clatter to the floor. Whenever you take on a story mission they feel like neat episodes of a TV series, brilliantly cinematic while also allowing enough cool and unique gameplay to stop you from feeling like you can just put your controller down to enjoy the pretty visuals. It consistently reels you in, and that's in no small part to the phenomenal performances of our main cast.

Yuri Lowenthal wasn't lying when he said we'd only seen the "thwip of the Spider-burg" during the summer. He brings a depth and realism to Peter Parker, while also giving that perfect blend of cringe and edge when Peter wears the symbiote suit. I'd also like to highlight Naji Jeter as Miles Morales. It's hard to compete with the charisma that Shameik Moore brings to the table in the Spider-Verse films, but I think in this game Jeter really finds his own niche for Miles, and the character comes across as effortlessly likeable.

To juggle so much and not feel overburdened by it is an outstanding success for Marvel's Spider-Man 2's story. It's not flawless; there's a sense throughout the vast majority of the game that Peter and Miles are separate entities rather than one cohesive whole, which seems odd with the whole "be greater together" tagline. But, without spoiling anything, I can say that Sony has once again delivered an enthralling, cinematic story that'll appeal to casual and hardcore fans of Spider-Man. It can get seriously crazy at times in the best of ways.

Narrative aside, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a technical masterwork. Traversal is nothing short of a dream and I found myself in awe at this game while swinging and gliding my way around New York. The Web Wings make for a stellar addition, especially considering we're dealing with a much larger map this time around. This space never feels empty, though, nor is it a chore to travel around. I didn't use Fast Travel once, as you move so quickly and excellently in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 that it feels like a disservice not to make your way across the map the good old-fashioned way. Web Wings, some smaller buildings, and more green spaces may not sound like much on paper, but they do a lot of legwork in making you feel as cool as possible while making New York appear as a living, breathing space.

The Big Apple is also an incredibly shiny and pretty one. I've mentioned visuals before, but again I can't stress enough how impressive Marvel's Spider-Man 2 looks. It's one of the few games you can point at and use as an example of a next-gen title. Three years into a generation. A lot of people are likely going to post screenshots of the city at night within hours of release, but honestly New York feels at its most breath-taking in the daylight. As well as feeling like a next-gen game, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 also suits the PS5 perfectly. The DualSense controller adds so much when it comes to immersion. Sound effects, rhythmic rumbles, and more make the missions, world, and cutscenes spark to life in a way that I've rarely seen on Sony's hardware.

Evolution is the name of the game here. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 isn't so different that I can't conceive of playing the first game again, but it consistently adds small but meaningful surprises, like a breath mint being popped into your mouth every five minutes. Combat is by no means missed in this, and we get numerous new abilities, some of which we unlock with skill points while others we get via the story. These add another layer of depth to the otherwise fairly monotonous dodge then mash attack rhythm you'd get into in past games. I still would like to see a bit more layers to the combat onion in future; something to really make it pop.

Boss battles do spice up fights as well, and they occur much more frequently than I first guessed. You're not running into a member of Spidey's rogues gallery whenever you turn the wrong way down an alley, but there is a diverse cast of bosses in the game, giving you some great action. I can't say any of them are amazingly difficult - a lot of them boil down to grabbing a thing in the arena to stun your enemy for some free hits - but they offer a superior challenge to the otherwise constant hordes of goons. Ultimately, they're a great spectacle, again putting you into the role of Spider-Man as you take them on in some bombastic brawls that wouldn't look out of place on the pages of a comic or in the final act of an MCU movie.

Speaking of the biggest baddies you'll meet in the game, it's time to talk villains. Kraven is a great threat. Physically imposing, with the mental capacity to stay one step ahead of both Spider-Men, he feels like a villain who has anticipated our heroes better than any adversary yet. As we learn more about his character, it even becomes difficult not to admire the hunter in some way. Plus, he has a killer theme, so that's always a win in my book. Venom, on the other hand... well he's just a monster, as expected. Glorious in his own gooey, terrifying way, Venom feels like an absolute beast both in how he looks and how he's portrayed in the game. It's almost a shame both of these great villains had to share the same spotlight, because even though it makes sense from a narrative perspective, it can feel like they devour each other's presence slightly.

Amazing, spectacular, superior, ultimate. All words that have been used to describe Spider-Man in his comic run and adjectives I could use to describe Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Insomniac's second major superhero effort easily swings into being one of the best games in its genre. For the majority of my time playing I wondered what more I could ask for, and while I wish the story had hit more of a homerun and the combat had evolved a little more, these are small complaints when faced with the terrific achievement of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 as a whole. Next stop: Wolverine!