Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Review

Hey , man .

Glad you could make it .

With Marvel's Spiderman two .

Insomniac has the unenviable task of following up two riveting superhero fantasies full of excitement and heart .

While that may sound like a good problem to have , the question becomes , Where do you go from there ?

Well , its answer is to double down , double down on Spiderman , double down on the size of the map , double down on explosive action sequences .

In doing so , the studio has crafted another , consistently exciting rollercoaster ride and the best story of the series yet .

But stand the original alongside the sequel in other ways , and it can look a bit like two Spiderman games pointing at each other .

The excellent combat hasn't gotten old , but it is largely the same fun as before .

And despite that larger map , most of the open world activities found within it are in desperate need of evolution .

The result is a blockbuster in the most modern sense of the word , undeniably thrilling for long stretches but by the numbers for others .

Despite a couple of new tricks up its sleeve , Spiderman two's combat is very familiar .

It doesn't have that new suit smell anymore , but it still feels incredibly comfy to slip back into the rhythm of precision , dodges the new perfect Paris .

So you're not only swerving and striking now , and acrobatic finishes are hugely satisfying , as is chasing high hit combos to keep the fight as stylish as possible .

The movement is smooth , and the hips are crunching like some sort of peanut butter hybrid that every one of your foes is allergic to .

Power and elegance are brought together in a brick to the face ballet as enemies are thrown around like dolls juggled in the air , slammed across concrete floors and slung into each other like body armoured bowling pins .

But naturally , never killed .

Every bone in their body may be broken and every organ punctured , but of course , they'll somehow live to commit crimes again .

Overall , there's slightly less emphasis on stealth encounters this time around than in either Spiderman or Miles Morales .

As someone who found the stealth action of the previous games a little simplistic and routine , this new , louder approach is welcome .

Naturally , there are story missions where Miles or Pete have to slink across ceilings and take out folks who never look up .

But Spiderman two is much more eager for you to get into the action with many abilities designed to let you group up enemies and then deal big damage to all of them at once , rather than spreading them out to put them off one by one .

But once Parker dons the symbiote suit already shown off in trailers , the gooey , angry powers that come with it make a big impact , adding more of a broader nature to fights and giving Peter a set of tools to match miles satisfying electric abilities .

One area the insomniac has made improvements in is that Spiderman two offers significantly more in the way of enemy variety , so you'll no longer battering the same five balaclava bullies with baseball bats .

Certain enemies are weak to different types of abilities , such as electric or symbiotic attacks , which also adds an enjoyable extra wrinkle to fights .

It's by no means revolutionary stuff , but a welcome added level of complexity that makes you consider which powers , or even which Spiderman , are best for the job .

That's not to say there aren't benefits to taking a sneaky route , though there are many perch , takedown possibilities offered and new toys to play with too , such as the Web line , which allows you to create your own high wires over your enemies to prey on them from above .

It's a fun tool that allows you to reshape the tightly designed arenas into a battlefield more in your favour .

And in doing so , redecorate the room with wrapped people pinatas on the topic of covert ops , the playable MJ sequences from the original return .

And while they are more involved this time around and serve the story well , they never add up to more than simple stealth missions or splashes of basic third person shooting .

She's certainly not sidelined , but it does feel like a little more could have been done to make her gameplay section a bit more exciting .

Combat aside , our Spiderman can now move around their friendly neighbourhoods in more stylish ways than ever .

The new Web wings are undoubtedly a standout like Batman before him .

Spiderman can now glide and soar with ease through the city , and Web swinging is as gratifying as you remember and still one of the best ways to get around any open world .

The story swings just as elegantly between upbeat hijinks and solemn moments of reflection .

It's undeniably a fun time to don the suit and enter a Kratos like rage mode , where you push in both thumbs , sticks and start one hitting everything in your path .

But the writers never once forget to take their eyes off the humanity inside these superhumans .

The same can be said for both its heroes and villains as Spiderman two tackles the reasoning behind each character's actions and the good that can hide in the shadows of evil .

Avoiding spoil the basic premise revolves around Craven , the hunter who is well craving a hunt for those uninitiated in the character .

He's essentially the predator , an apex hunter blessed with super strength who has chosen New York as his next hunting ground .

The great hunt begins .

It's a great starting point that sends the city's hero and villain dynamic into flux as he sets his sights on the biggest prey possible .

There are also smaller stories at play , though ones that may seem less important when compared to the citywide chaos but feel like potential world enders to those who inhabit it .

Both Spiderman tackle the most extreme examples of trying to manage a work life balance .

You can imagine exploring a range of personal issues , including strange relationships and loss that plague us as humans .

No matter how superpowered we may feel , It's the best written story in the series yet , if still a little cheesy at times with performances worthy of the script , it's a real triumph that manages to cover such a wide spectrum of themes without suffering from tonal whiplash .

He made it .

I thought you said this was a start up .

Primarily a Peter Parker story , Spiderman two explores his relationship with MJ and the reintroduction of childhood best friend Harry Osborne into his life .

It's always compelling to watch him contend with which Peters of the past to leave behind and what future self he wishes to be .

No matter how hectic a scenario gets , Loki always has a quippy one liner ready to be expertly delivered by actor Yuri Low Andal .

He really should have stretched Miles still gets his time in the spotlight house and has some fantastic moments towards the end of the main campaign , even if some of the more interesting explorations of his Puerto Rican African American culture are reserved for side missions .

Obviously , what you take from the story and its diverse cast of characters will be unique to you .

On the surface , it's another thrilling superhero story packed full of surprises , cameos and Easter eggs .

But there are deeper meanings to be found here , too .

Mr Morales , is it , uh , Are you sure this isn't something you can handle yourself , I'm sure .

Spiderman two and to an extent all great Spiderman stories tackle themes of adolescence and puberty , a time of uncertainty for even the most normal of teenagers trying to control bodily fluids .

I gotta get better at fluid management .

We join Miles at this exact point in his life , with family ties , straining friendships , facing new challenges and life decisions of genuine importance being posed For the first time at a Naji , Jeter displays all the range needed for the role , continuing to excel as a Spiderman maturing before our eyes .

Maybe one of those scholarships has my name money for Peter .

These themes manifest in a much more physical sense .

He's in his early twenties .

Summer's already navigated the difficult years that Miles finds himself in .

But thanks to the symbiote suit , he's working his way through yet more bodily changes .

This physical Manifestation is also representative of mental health issues that have developed reach .

Spiderman venom hangs over the main characters , like a spectre of grief , drenching them in black as if in a state of mourning .

The story does a great job at gently exploring these issues and how we're not healthily addressed .

Personal demons can eat at us , and these are people we care about being unintentionally caught in the crossfire of the anger and pain those feelings can produce .

Of course , a hero is nothing without its villains , and Spiderman's Rose Gallery is almost unparalleled .

Outside of the likes of venom , craven and lizard seen in the trailers , Insomniac has kept many more hidden up its sleeve .

I won't even hinder any of these , except to say that Spiderman two open with a bang , offering up a sense of scale not previously seen in the series .

It's an adrenaline fueled reintroduction that tests how well you remember the combat as well as providing a few new tricks .

It's also the star of one of the new side story villain , Freds , that are optional .

And while those don't offer anything overly new in terms of gameplay , they do add valuable extra scraps of story .

Speaking of boss battles , that's one area that Spiderman two takes a noticeable step up ready for your annual physical .

There are evolving brawls packed full of danger that put all of your skills to the test .

Dodges and parries are key , as well as using environmental tools dotted around the arenas For your benefit , the latter third of the campaign essentially becomes a boss rush mode that will put the sturdiest of thumbs to the test , not necessarily because it ever gets too difficult , but because of the sheer number of times you'll be hammering that square button .

These later stages are where the majority of Spiderman two's thrill lay , however , as it really hits its stride late on and emphatically wraps up a tail with miles of emotional depth that never once threatens to Peter out .

Your dad used to give me that exact same look .

Despite what loftier ambitions the roughly 18 hour story may have .

This is still unapologetically an old school approach to open world game design , and nowhere is this displayed more clearly than in its optional quests .

To their credit , the way you can highlight side objectives by pressing the right stick is a welcome upgrade over mere icons on a map .

This isn't a world that beckons exploration or discovery necessarily , but it is a step in the right direction toward creating greater immersion .

Immerse fleet , less time spent looking at the map screen .

That being said , I can't help but have hoped for a few more flushes of Gotham City to make their way into New York .

Something like the spontaneous shock of man bat jumping at you .

Out of nowhere went a long way to making Rocksteady superhero open world film more reactive than what we get here .

When you consider the evolution of open world game design that the Arkham series took over the course of the trilogy , it's a bit disappointing to see Insomniac series stuck in time when it comes to its side content and the way it presents itself to you .

Standard open world filler activities are here a plenty , and that's one area where Spiderman two hasn't moved with the times or show much ambition at all .

Collectibles , photo opportunities and rather basic street crimes are still here , and despite having a few slightly more interesting quirks this time around , they only very occasionally Excite .

Granted , the additional enemy variety and play makes these activities take a little longer to get old than they did in the past .

But this still isn't quite a strong enough twist to make prioritising photographing these Jonni over saving a house full of people from a raging fire not seem ridiculous .

There are exceptions to the rule , however .

There are a couple of more involved quest lines that are much more nourishing , almost to the point of being a series of mini main plot missions .

My favourite was the Flame Quest line , which begins with simply helping out the Fire Brigade but quickly spins a layered and mysterious Web .

It's full of twists , turns and surprises , like a great short comic book run that separates itself from the rest of Spiderman two's optional time trials and S , or puzzle mini games .

All of this contributes to fighting back against crime in each district of New York , a city now twice the size of what we've seen before .

There are 14 unique districts , each with its own set of a jet , is to complete before you can unlock fast travel to that part of the map not making fast travel readily available is smart and truthfully , I barely used it anyway as swinging .

Gliding around the city is so much more fun .

Gliding is especially great for crossing distances , thanks to the numerous wind tunnels that carve their way through New York's seamlessly endless grid of streets , flanked by Art Deco architecture and modern mirror like skyscrapers .

Of course , if you're gonna be catching a reflection in that glass so often , you'll want to look your best .

Thanks you , too .

Fear not .

There are dozens and dozens of suits to unlock , with myriad colourful skins to pick from on each of them , From modern Internet interpretations of classics to returning fan favourites , there are treats waiting for Spiderman fans of all generations in keeping with Insomniac's track record .

The music behind it all is stellar , with Miles and Peter's respective signature tunes playing depending on who you're controlling .

A highlight , though , is the theme that follows in Craven's footsteps , which bears more than a passing resemblance to Howard Shaw's Ukai War march from the Lord of the Rings score .

It soundtracks a world that looks stunning even when played in performance mode , at a very stable 60 FPs , as I did for almost all of my play through .

In fact , Spiderman two is a technical marvel as a whole .

I can't say I noticed one drop frame in my dozens of hours of playing .

This allows Spiderman two to shine in its most jaw-dropping moments , of which the story offers many as explosive action , sparkling electrical effects and fitting the slimy symbio Gloop filled the screen .

What do you think ?

As a sequel in a spectacular series , Marvel , Spiderman two is both blessed and cursed .

Its story of two Spiderman is a great time and a Spidey fan's dream to play through as comic book pages are brought to life elegantly walking the tight rope between light humour and heavier themes .

Meanwhile , Insomniac refines a successful formula of combat and Web swinging without revolutionising either in major ways , making them comfy and familiar with just enough new tweaks and abilities to elevate them to fun new heights .

To him , the part that feels like it actually needed a radical rethinking is the open world of New York City , which has been made bigger but not better , with an exhausting checklist of mostly repetitive side activities .

But it's safe to call this another thrilling Spiderman adventure that delivers Insomniac's best tale yet , and despite its open world falling short , it is a reliably fun superhero power trip .

And you know what ?

Screw it .

It really did make me feel like Spiderman two for more open World Game reviews .

Why not check out our review of cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty or Assassin's Creed , Mirage ?

And for everything else , Spiderman two .

Stick with IGF .

Well , that didn't work , Yeah .