Spider-Man 2 is undoubtedly one of the best superhero games ever
16.10.2023 - 14:51
/ videogameschronicle.com
/ Miles Morales
/ Jonah Jameson
/ Peter Morales
/ Best
Spider-Man 2 is one of the most confident sequels we’ve played in years. Not only does it address, often mock, and then resolve the issues of the first game, but it also introduces new mechanics to improve the best parts of the original.
Insomniac continues to take the PlayStation 5 generation in its stride, producing a game that excels from a technical perspective, a storytelling perspective, and a gameplay perspective. By the time we rolled credits on the journey, we had the feeling of walking out of the cinema at midnight, utterly gutted you’re going to have to wait years to the conclusion of this epic saga.
As strong a middle chapter as we can remember in superhero games, Spider-Man 2 stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Batman: Arkham Asylum at the genre’s peak.
Spider-Man 2 takes place after the events of Spider-Man Miles Morales, with both Peter and Miles firmly established as Spider-Man. Miles is still reeling from his battles with his first real arch-villain, Mr Negative, whereas Peter’s battles are more focused on attempting to move on in life, in a world without Aunt May.
Peter and Mary-Jane are at a pivotal point in their relationship, strained further by MJ’s burgeoning journalism career, which is made all the more stressful by her boss, who else but J. Jonah Jameson.
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With most of New York’s biggest threats behind bars, a new enemy appears on the shores, Kraven The Hunter. A villain with a penchant for collecting superheroes and villains alike as trophies, Kraven is a force to be reckoned with. At the same time, Peter’s best friend, Harry Osbourne, reemerges after years, with a dark secret.
Like the first game, Spider-Man 2 is paced excellently. No primary mission is wasted, and they’re incredibly cinematic. Insomniac blends the cinematography and spectacle that modern PlayStation games are known for with brilliant gameplay sequences. You’re not just sitting watching a film: you’re actively engaging in practically every minute of it.
Some missions were so good that we literally had to go into the other room and breathlessly recount every minute for our partner. One mission featuring a returning Black Cat and an ensuing chase across New York City is pure Insomniac brilliance.
Speaking of New York, Spider-Man’s iconic home returns, but it’s not simply a retread of the map that’s been in the last two games. Brooklyn and Queens have been added, and the original Manhattan Island has been subtly redesigned. While in some cases, this is for legal reasons (the missing Chrysler building and Madison Square Garden stick out) others are far more subtle, with some potentially hinting at other Marvel heroes