Why “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2” plays with our feelings

In the fall of 2018, we were able to swing through the urban canyons of New York City for the first time with Spider-Man and enjoy some entertaining hours of play. Two years later, we were blessed with a spin-off that featured an incredibly likable second Spider-Man in Miles Morales and quickly captured our hearts. “Spider-Man 2” now takes both advantages of its predecessors and combines them into a superhero gaming blockbuster that leaves us amazed, but sometimes also desperate.

Four fists for justice

Peter Parker and Miles Morales try to live a normal life, just like any other average person. You want to be successful at school, get a good education and a nice job and of course also score points in your love life. But because they were both given superpowers by a special spider bite, they find themselves swinging through New York’s urban canyons more often than they’d like, and bringing justice in the process.

Ultimately, it happens as it always has to in the Marvel cosmos: just when the two have slowly but surely found a good balance between work and private life, a dark threat creeps up from behind. Kraven the Hunter pushes himself to the fore and makes it clear that he is now the new antagonist in the comic cosmos.

But the giant has no treacherous plan for world domination for now. He just wants to go hunting in a completely selfish way and has some very unusual ideas in his bag. Among other things, he unleashes various supervillains from the previous titles and rages through the metropolis. New York becomes the new hunting ground of the self-loving Obermotz and the two Spidermen have a lot to do to protect the population.

Between revenge and a sense of justice

As befits true superhero software, it’s not just a bad-tempered villain. Over the course of the story, Peter and Miles encounter other bosses that need to be dealt with. The fact that we will also meet the famous Venom was revealed well in advance via teaser trailers. He eventually becomes one of the main antagonists alongside Kraven, who will make life difficult for Peter in particular.

Besides, to some people Kraven may belong to the lower level of villains and seem less threatening than others. But this fighter soon shows that with his strength and speed he deserves to be one of the top villains. It was predictable that Venom would unfortunately steal the show later in the game, but it is still a shame.

Harry Osborn, son of the famous, supposedly reformed technology magnate, is given an increasingly important role in this drama. In the beginning he is just the key word and old friend from a bygone era, but he increasingly becomes an important figure who ensures that our heroes have to grow beyond themselves again. While Peter Parker deals with the fate of his old friend, colleague Miles Morales simultaneously seeks revenge. Because his father’s murderer is suddenly on the loose and the young hero is increasingly caught between his desire for revenge and his sense of justice.

Wow at the top, yuck at the bottom

Just like in its predecessors, we swing from mission to mission through beautifully animated New York and marvel at the lush images. New York now has two new large playgrounds to let off steam in the boroughs of Queens and Brookyln. By using haptic feedback via the PS5 controller, the gymnastics between the windows feels even closer and more real and we are drawn even more into the video game thanks to the physical support in our hands.

While everything feels great as we move through the air and the splendor of the graphics regularly enchants us, we are faced with great disillusionment as we move through the streets of New York. We encounter lots of clones and strangely interacting, walk-through people on the ground and it’s immediately clear that the Insomniac Games development team has once again paid scant attention to the interactive details in the streetscape. This is where the game shows its ugly face and the lack of interaction options ensures that we return disappointed to the top, where we are presented with an ideal game world.

Later in the game, when we can fast travel, we tend to shake our heads because waving in the air is just too much fun. We now also have mesh wings that allow us to fly in the air for very long periods of time. The air currents that occur also increase free movement.

Two individual heroes

Just like in the predecessors, Peter and Miles not only swing through the urban canyons, but also fight their way through hordes of different opponents in a ballet-like manner. With acrobatic interludes, whistles are blown, nets are thrown and rows and rows of ultra-fast fighting combos are launched so that the eye can barely keep up.

Both heroes have their own special skills and gadgets, which are only unlocked as the game progresses. While Peter soon gains some powerful additional abilities with a very special suit, Miles relies on his electrical skills in battle. Both heroes play much the same in the beginning of the story, but soon a noticeable difference between the Spider-Men becomes apparent.

You can easily switch between Peter and Miles. And this happens extremely quickly. But if you want to follow the story, you are sometimes forced to step into the role of one or the other so that the story can continue. In addition to the great danger that threatens New York, both also experience their own dramas, which then partly overlap and become a larger whole.

Just enjoy the peace and quiet

Overall, “Spider-Man 2” does very well in terms of story. There are always quiet moments when we can spend our time with friends and companions and get to know them even better.

Sometimes we jump on our bike, sometimes we experience a little adventure from the past or visit an amusement park where we dedicate ourselves to the beautiful things in life, shift down a few gears and forget for a moment that we are actually a superhero.

In moments like these it becomes abundantly clear that the development team has listened to the criticism and offers a wealth of gameplay variety compared to the first part. Unfortunately, some of the mini-interactions sometimes feel too artificial and minimalistic, leaving a faint aftertaste of foreign embarrassment and all we can do is laugh at the glitchy animations and superficial dialogue.

The mobile phone keeps ringing

Peter Parker is basically a nice and likeable man, but his constant, introverted statements during the fight sequences can also become very tiring. What comes out of his mouth often seems a bit out of place, does not always fit the state of the story and certainly does not fit the overall dramaturgical picture.

Even when you’re swinging through New York, you can’t always enjoy the silence and the grandeur of the game’s feel. Far too often, the cell phone rings when someone wants to say something meaningful, or suddenly a special program or podcast episode comes on out of the blue. This urge for attention and the constant hinting at interaction and sideshows will get on your nerves over time and interrupt the swinging flow.

A lush Marvel game with formal weaknesses

Conclusion: “Spider-Man 2” continually surprised me throughout its 20 hours of play – both positively and negatively. I was amazed by the playful variety, by the beautiful and large New York, the fantastic swinging physics and the lush optics, which always made me pause for a moment.

But I was also amazed by the predictable, formulaic story, the sometimes superficially written dialogue and the set-up mini-games. And yet I was always motivated to follow the two heroes and suffered through their dramas.

What remains? A beautifully staged superhero game blockbuster that is extremely entertaining, but can’t hide its weaknesses in content with its simple Marvel formula. Nevertheless, Spidey fans will have a great time and enjoy this intoxicating relief.

«Marvel’s Spider-Man 2» is available for PlayStation 5 and is aimed at children aged 16 and over.