By Aaquib Abdullah
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has become Sony’s fastest selling exclusive to date with a staggering two million copies sold within the first 24 hours, and for good reason. Insomniac Games have perfected a formula almost a decade in the making to provide a technical and narrative masterpiece that truly sticks the landing with style.
Every aspect of the game has seen marked improvement over its predecessors, from combat to traversal, and it strives to learn from past mistakes to provide more of what the players want.
Combat as a whole is far more fluid and dynamic than the previous games, as Spider-Man 2 lets the player bind their gadgets and abilities to the face buttons rather than to a radial wheel like before. This results in the player being able to use their newfound skills (of which there are many,) seamlessly without having to pause the game. There is also more enemy variety than ever before, and each type has their unique strengths and weaknesses that keep you on your toes throughout the game.
Traversal is perhaps the most significant change. After playing through Spider-Man 2, both Spider-Man 1 and Miles Morales feel sluggish in comparison. This time around the web-swinging mechanics have no momentum cap, which leads to blindingly fast movement that allows you to hurtle through New York’s streets in moments. The new gliding mechanic only accentuates this feeling of newfound speed to let you soar between skyscrapers and across the breadth of Manhattan and parts of Queens and Brooklyn faster than ever before. And though you’re moving fast, the controls are both responsive and intuitive, so you always feel like you’re in control.
The narrative is where Spider-Man 2 truly shines. Living up to the name, the story boasts two protagonists this time around, as both Peter Parker and Miles Morales work together to protect New York. The game begins with a dazzling spectacle that shows off the true capabilities of the PS5 as our protagonists go toe-to-toe with a titanic Sandman, and it only gets crazier from there. The story is a love letter to the history of Spider-Man, drawing influence from iconic characters and moments from the comics whilst also putting a fresh and original twist on the whole thing. It touches on themes of failure and redemption, and tugs on the heartstrings with the same ease it dazzles the eyes. The only gripe I have with the story is that despite being the tale of two Spider-Men, in the end it is very much Peter Parker’s story. That isn’t to say Miles is some bystander, not at all. He’s a crucial part of the story and a great deal hinges on his involvement, but the stakes for Miles were not as high as they were for Peter, and his arc through the narrative suffers as a result.
Overall, it feels as if Insomniac heard all of the criticisms levied against its previous two games and decided to tackle them directly. The end result is a Spider-Man game that is as close to perfection as is possible and makes me excited to see what they’re planning for the future.
Spider-Man 2 is currently exclusive to the PS5, with no news yet on a PC port.
