As someone wise once said, “with great power, comes great responsibility.”
This game is no exception.
After waiting five years since the last game, Insomniac finally released the long-awaited singleplayer masterpiece — “Spider-Man 2.” The game was released on Oct. 20 on the PlayStation 5. It gives players the option of being able to play as either Peter Parker or Miles Morales — the two main Spider-Men — seamlessly throughout the open world. The city has been greatly expanded through the introduction of Brooklyn and Queens, which adds personality and liveliness that was missing in its first installment.
The game’s storyline is one that every Spider-Man fan should experience without getting spoiled in any way. To be as brief as possible, the game follows the two Spider-Men as they find themselves amongst a new villain, Kraven the Hunter, who has come to New York to hunt the villains of the city. The Venom symbiote is also introduced into the game, leading Spider-Man down a dark path. As a fan, “Spider-Man 2,” took some interesting risks that aren’t commonly seen in Spider-Man stories, which made the experience all the more interesting to play through.
One of “Spider-Man 2,” biggest selling points is the duality of having the two Spider-Men playable in the same game. The first game only featured Peter Parker’s Spider-Man as playable, and the spin-off game, “Spider-Man: Miles Morales” finally gave fans the opportunity to play as Miles Morales. Both play relatively the same in terms of combat, but the real changes come in the form of their abilities. Peter’s Spider-Man uses his mechanical arms and new symbiotic powers, while Miles’ Spider-Man uses his venom powers from his spinoff game and his new bioelectric powers, both of which contribute to the main story.
The methods of travel have also been greatly improved by giving the player the option to upgrade web-swing speed and newly added web wings. This new method of travel, while simple in concept, is one of the most fun ways to get around the world; combining it with web-swinging has created one of the best traversal systems to date. For those who think those two methods are not fast enough, there is also a fast travel system that immediately transports you into the district of your choice with no loading screen.
“Spider-Man 2,” is truly one of the best games of the year. From its collection of playable suits to the subtle web swinging animations that were added to make the movement feel more free flowing, every part of the game shows the dedication that went into making it. Insomniac also plans to release “Wolverine” for the Playstation 5 in 2024, so it is safe to say that the gaming studio has a true passion for their work, and is something to look forward to after completing “Spider-Man 2.”
