Summary
Regarding gameplay, there isn’t much aboutMarvel’s Spider-Man 2that isn’t a definite improvement over the original game or evenMarvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Open-world web-swinging was by no means inadequate, for instance, butMarvel’s Spider-Man 2added onto traversal meaningfully and substantially with web-wing gliding. Similarly,gadgets are chiefly spammy and insignificant inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, but a suite of abilities for both Peter Parker and Miles Morales more than makes up for them being supplementary.
It’ll be interesting now to see howMarvel’s Spider-Man 3hopes to iterate on whatMarvel’s Spider-Man 2has achieved, and some expectations can be fostered through remarkable trends and formulas Insomniac has stuck to from game to game in itsSpider-Manseries thus far. One trope it has gone back and forth on is having Spider-Man don a new costume in the final act or boss fight. This is a woefully ubiquitous tradition in modern superhero media, and since it hasn’t worked well in Insomniac’s favor overall it is something the developer needs to consider retiring or reinforcing.
Marvel’s Spider-Man is Growing Dependent on a Tired Superhero Trope
Marvel’s Spider-Man’s Anti-Ock suitis all about functionality with an associated Resupply suit mod, whereasMarvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Anti-Venom suit introduces new symbiote abilities.
Plus, Miles dubs the Evolved suit “a Miles Morales original” while hisclassic black-and-redMiles Moralessuitwas irrefutably more iconic and already an original costume designed by him. Indeed,Miles Moralesdodged this trope in favor of a mid-game suit swap, which feels aptly timed after Miles discovers both of his unique abilities and is coming into his own as Spider-Man.
It’s always possible that Peter or Miles may stick with the suits they have now—though Miles will probably switch back to his black-and-red duds following the Evolved suit’s overwhelmingly one-sided backlash—but it’s still likely thatCindy Moon’s Silkcould begin crime-fighting in one outfit and eventually switch to her classic, comics-inspired one. If so, Insomniac needs to be tactful with this costume swap like it was with Miles’ in his titular half-sequel.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 Needs to Justify Any Third-Act Costume Changes
Marvel’s Spider-Man’s final boss fight costume change was excellent because it not only gave players a new gameplay option but also utilized Doctor Octopus’ black-and-yellow tentacle tech so Peter was evenly matched against Otto Octavius. EvenPeter receiving the Anti-Venom suit inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2made sense for both the narrative and gameplay because Insomniac needed a way for Peter to be evenly matched against Venom.
Additionally, Insomniac needed a way for players to have a symbiote and its associable abilities back so that those unlocked skills weren’t wasted in the endgame, much less after the credits roll. Unless there’s an Anti-Green Goblin suit in store, late-game costume changes can’t afford to make the same mistake as the Evolved suit in particular but should also hope to be meaningful for the characters themselves.
Silk doesn’t necessarily need to go through different costumes before she settles on a ‘classic’ look, and while an Advanced Suit 3.0 may be too good an offer to refuse it should mean that Peter is upgrading his technology further and needs a new suit to accommodate it. Miles sticking with his black-and-red costume may look like a backstep afterMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, but what’s not broken shouldn’t be fixed and a new suit for him must be functionally and narratively significant.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Spider-Men Peter Parker and Miles Morales face the ultimate test of strength inside and outside the mask as they fight to save the city, each other and the ones they love, from the monstrous Venom and the dangerous new symbiote threat.Explore an expansive Marvel’s New York with faster web-swinging and the all-new Web Wings, quickly switching between Peter and Miles to experience different stories, epic new abilities and high-tech gear.Wield Peter’s symbiote abilities and Miles’ explosive bio-electric powers in battle against new and iconic Marvel Super Villains – including an original take on a symbiote-infused Venom, the ruthless Kraven the Hunter, the volatile Lizard, and more from the Marvel Rogues’ Gallery.
