Upon its release in 2018, Marvel’s Spider-Man did an incredible job of portraying the web-slinging hero in a new light, complete with an emotional story, slick visuals, and addictive traversal mechanics. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales followed suit by expanding on Miles’ story, as a competent side-sequel and one of the most gorgeous games to exist on this new generation of consoles.
As a result, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has a lot riding on its shoulders, attempting to deliver a new and engaging story, all while strengthening the bond between our two protagonists as they face a new threat, in the form of some exciting villains.
I simply cannot understate how much I enjoyed my time with this game. From the emotional narrative to the improved combat, traversal, and visuals, this is not only one of the best games of 2023 and the best Spider-Man game to date, but one of the best superhero games of all time.
The Hunt Begins
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 picks up shortly after the events of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, in which both heroes are still dealing with the fallout from their previous respective games. There is certainly a lot going on in terms of context that might benefit those who understand these characters and the broader universe, but the 20-or-so-hour story does a great job of balancing multiple plot points and villains with both grace and emotional weight.
Peter’s best friend Harry Osborne is back in town and has seemingly recovered from his once-life-threatening illness, while Kraven has selected New York City as the perfect hunting ground, a storyline initially heavily inspired by the iconic series ‘Kraven’s Last Hunt‘; otherwise considered essential comic book reading for Spider-Man fans. The story does deviate in certain areas, but in this case, it’s dealing with additional characters and scenarios.
The infectious Symbiote is also thrown into the mix and makes for a fantastic final act. Although it treads a little on the wild side, the stakes have never really been higher in this particular video game series.
It’s ultimately well-paced and well-acted, thanks to some awesome voice performances from the incredibly talented Yuri Lowenthal and Nadji Jeter, who reprise their roles as Peter Parker and Miles Morales respectively. While you can switch between the two at any time, their developing bond still lies at the center of this tale, and it’s still just as rewarding to see each of them accept the unfolding new chapters in their lives.
A Web of Intrigue
While I do feel the story is centered around Peter more so than Miles, each protagonist holds their fair share of personal motivations, as Miles attempts to rectify the wrongs that Martin Li (or Mr. Negative) had committed in 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man. Each of the main missions also does a fantastic job of propelling the story forward, while delivering a wide range of incredibly intense setpieces, making the central ride an absolute rollercoaster of emotions.
I also have to take a quick second to shout out both Kraven and Venom for their own unique impact on the story, each serving as valuable characters with some interesting motivations that only develop as the story progresses. Supporting characters like Mary Jane Watson and Harry Osborn also do a great job of deepening the emotional stakes at hand, even if some of their slower-paced gameplay segments take away from the sensational Spider-Man-focused gameplay.
They’re not necessarily terrible, as MJ is given more to do in the way of outright gameplay mechanics with a new Shock Pistol, but it’s just so hard to compete with that core gameplay. That being said, these scenes still contribute to the narrative in meaningful ways and don’t really overstay their welcome.
A Thwip Here, a Whack There
Combat feels incredibly familiar, but has been expanded to include new upgrades and abilities, which are introduced through a new three new skill trees; one for Peter, one for Miles, and a third one that upgrades both protagonists at once. Most of the significant upgrades come about as you don the various suits throughout the narrative. Without spoiling those plot points, Peter’s time in the Symbiote suit grants him some devastating special attacks, which make one incredible power trip in the game’s final third. Miles on the other hand benefits from some new moves, which are also gained later in the story.
Either way, the combat is fast, fluid, and responsive, with a range of new finishing animations that now incorporate cooperative attacks as Peter and Miles band together. It’s also awesome to see those two fight together on any occasion, given their powers are both so similar and so unique at the same time both mechanically and visually. It’s not a massive departure from the combat of old, but it is without a doubt better in almost every way.
Traversal has also been broadened to include the web wings, which can be accessed at any time in the air by pressing the triangle button. General swinging feels familiar, but the sense of speed maintained by incorporating these newer web-wings is incredibly addictive and satisfying.
Fast travel is still available and now instantaneous thanks to the super fast SSD of the PlayStation 5. But if you’d rather take the scenic route, both Peter and Miles can take advantage of wind tunnels throughout the city, to carry them great distances, by flying through designated rings. Upgrades to swinging abilities are also fantastic, giving the web-heads new ways to turn corners and even loop around massive structures for an added speed boost.
The City That Never Sleeps
When the credits have rolled, there’s still plenty to do in a massively detailed rendition of New York City. Both Brooklyn and Queens have now been added for players to explore, including landmarks like Coney Island and Grand Army Plaza.
You’ll still swing about the city to stop random crimes, now delivered to you via the Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man app (FNSM), which can also be accessed via your phone to track down and complete various additional tasks like gang hideouts, collecting Sandman’s leftover crystals (which will make sense after you complete the awesome intro) and attempting to solve Mysterious trippy puzzles via a malfunctioning VR program. The sense of both scale and variety is not lost on this sequel and certainly expanded as you collect XP, Skill Points, and City Tokens to unlock new rewards in the form of tech and suits upgrades.
The aforementioned upgrades also extend to a new range of suits for both Peter and Miles to wear at any point once unlocked, which was expected given the decent variety in previous games, but welcome nonetheless. Extra variations and colour schemes for the existing suits have also been added. Some of the suits even include their own animations, which are a nice nod to Spider-Man’s other adventures across other forms of media (Spider-Verse, we’re looking at you).
Both visuals and performance are also a highlight. Character models are incredibly detailed, while reflections on buildings showcase the impressive Ray Tracing, which does wonders at certain times of the day. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 allows players to choose from a 4K 30FPS Fidelity Mode, 4K 40FPS Performance Mode, and 4K 60FPS Performance Mode along with 120Hz and VRR support.
While they’re all fantastic, I personally recommend the 4K 60FPS mode, given the frame rate rarely drops or stutters in any situation, all while maintaining an impressive level of detail and polish.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 rarely falters on its way to delivering an engaging narrative, slick visuals, satisfying combat, and addictive traversal. Everything that has made this series so great so far has been developed and expanded to incorporate not only the power of next-gen hardware but also the potential of its strong source material.
It’s safe to say that PlayStation 5 owners and Spidey fans alike should not pass this up under any circumstances, with this sequel providing not only one of the best games of 2023, but one of the best superhero games of all time.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Engaging narrative; Expanded combat and traversal; Slick visuals and solid performance; Plenty of variety via new side-content and larger version of New York City
Lowlights: Missions based around supporting characters drag down the pace at times
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 5
Available: 20th of October
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 with a code provided by the publisher.
