Over his 62-year run in comics, TV shows, movies and games, Spider-Man has cemented himself in our popular culture. The whitty web-slinger has fought enemies like Doctor Octopus, the Vulture, Electro and more throughout his forays into various mediums.

But video games have stood out to him. Spider-Man has had adventures in more than 37 games, from the Atari 2600 to smartphones.

As this year’s spooky season comes to a close, I thought it would be interesting to highlight his most recent gaming adventure, which brought him face-to-face with the creepiest villain in his rogue’s gallery, Venom.

“Marvel’s Spider-Man 2”, developed by Insomniac Games, was released on the Playstation 5 (PS5) on Oct. 20, 2023. It’s also coming to Personal Computers (PCs) next year on Jan. 30, 2025.

Spider-Man’s latest adventure in video games is one of the most fun and action-packed games you can play. With gorgeous graphics and wildly impressive load times, Spider-Man is elevated to a next-generation game. It was widely considered one of the best games of last year. With the recent announcement of its PC port and the release of a new movie, “Venom: The Last Dance,” on Oct. 24, this game and the Spider-Man franchise have never been in a more accessible spot.

A Venomous Hunt

“Marvel’s Spider-Man 2” takes place a few years after the events of its predecessors, “Marvel’s Spider-Man” and “Spider-Man: Miles Morales.” The game follows its two protagonists, the experienced Spidey, Peter Parker, and the newer, younger Spider-Man, Miles Morales. It follows their journey through New York, confronting different gangs, enemies, and the game’s central antagonists. 

Kraven the Hunter, a foreign warrior with battle-hardened enemies and tons of high-tech equipment, has come to New York in search of an opponent worthy of taking his life. As he invades the city with his forces, the Spider-Men have to fight against him and hold back his assaults, pushing the main characters to their limits. The game also features the iconic Spider-Man villain, Venom, who works his way into the story and eventually replaces Kraven as the main antagonist, bringing about several massive changes to the game.

There are many other antagonists as well, with most returning or being mentioned from the first two games, like Mr. Negative, Scorpion, Tombstone, Sandman and more. Each of them serves a smaller role in the story, but helps further the plot and grow the Spider-Men.

The most interesting and consequential side quest follows a new group of antagonists known as the Flame, a cult that believes the world will end in fire. They actively make problems around the city, and the side-quest re-introduces a former side character from the first game, Yuri Watanabe, who now goes by “Wraith.”

The performances are also a strong highlight of the game. Yuri Lowenthal is back from the first two games, reprising his role as Peter Parker.

Spider-Man 2’s story seems like it would be convoluted, with so many different factions and enemies. But it’s far from that. Every side’s motivations, goals, personalities and problems are completely fleshed out. The challenges the two Spider-Men face and their supporting cast are all handled very well. Overall, “Spider-Man 2” has a powerful story, and it’s one of the most compelling the titular character has seen over his storied career.

I give the story a nine out of ten.

Web-Slinging Wonder

Over the course of Spider-Man’s long relationship with video games, many have tried to capture what makes the character unique and interesting. One of the most central mechanics is his web-slinging. 

Both “Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018)” and “Spider-Man: Miles Morales” predated Spider-Man 2. They each added depth and gameplay variety to the web-slinger’s adventures.

Now, Spider-Man 2 builds off of that game’s design to add new abilities and more exciting gameplay elements. In addition to their standard webs, which can be used to swing around New York City, both Spider-Men have new movement abilities. The Spideys can dash mid-air, jump up to gain height and pull out brand-new wingsuits, allowing them to harness the city’s wind corridors and fly through for faster traversal.

The combat is also really well-developed and satisfying to pull off. It takes inspiration from the Batman: Arkham series of games, with combo-heavy melee gameplay that perfectly aligns with the Spider-Men’s web-slinging abilities. You can use your webs to grab projectiles, objects, and people and hurl them at your other foes. There are tons of unique moves and attacks that you can learn, and it makes combat intriguing. 

The game puts you through many combat trials with fun and diverse groups of enemies. Enemies aligned with different factions also have different abilities. Kraven’s hunters have mixed melee weapons and resist upfront attacks, so you have to slide under them and kick them into the sky to get some hits in. There are also several boss battles in the game, and combat encounters with important or powerful enemies that provide an extra challenge for players, with the major and supporting antagonists of the game’s cast.

The game also has different skill trees and upgrade systems for new mobility and combat abilities that players can invest their levels into to enhance their gameplay as it gets tougher and more challenging. Some of these upgrades are also special abilities. Each Spider-Man has different traits and abilities that they can use, like Miles’ Venom’s electricity powers or Peter’s Iron Spider arms. These abilities can be charged up in combat and used to significant effect when dealing with hard-hitting enemies.

The game’s super fun movement and combat options are truly a step above its predecessors. Every inch of the game is filled with unique possibilities and encounters. The side-quests and collectibles, though, are a bit more mixed.

Throughout the game’s story, different side activities and collectibles become available to the player. For example, you can clear out Hunter Blinds, small bases of hunters on scattered rooftops throughout the city, and locate their headquarters to relieve different city districts of their control, which is fun. Still, quite a few littered throughout the map, making it somewhat tedious to complete, especially if you’re going for the game’s Platinum trophy for 100-percenting the game.

There are also little Spider-Bots that you can track down, which take the place of Peter’s backpacks from the first game. However, there aren’t many of them in the game, and they are quick to nab, so they avoid the completion-pitfall that some of the other side adventures fell into.

Overall, Spider-Man 2 has some of the most fun gameplay the characters have ever seen. Its in-depth combat and traversal work with the game’s other activities, which are engaging, but can also become tedious.

The gameplay gets a solid 8 out of ten.

The City that Never Sleeps

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 takes place throughout the iconic city of New York, allowing both Spider-Men to explore three of the city’s five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Manhattan’s crowded blocks and bustling streets are bursting with life no matter where you look. Cars crowd the streets, and people go about their business. Brooklyn and Queens’ sleepy suburban neighborhoods feel cozy and lived in. It feels like a real place, which is also helped by the graphical fidelity. The game’s developer, Insomniac Games previously worked on Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, both for the PS5, giving them a lot of experience with the system. Spider-Man 2 is their best-looking game yet, with ray-traced reflections on windows and water and also with high-fidelity models, lighting and more.

Different landmarks from around the Marvel franchise are dotted across the map, including the Sanctum Sanctorum, the Daily Bugle, the Avengers Tower, and other little Easter eggs.

Around the map are also different collectibles, challenges, and side activities. As Miles, you can visit Mysteriums, virtual combat challenges set up by the reformed villain, Mysterio, along with Prowler stashes that contain valuables. As Peter, you can find Emily-May Foundation experiment sites containing unique puzzles and challenges. There are also Hunter Blinds, outposts of hunters, that either Spider-Man can take out.

The map and game feel alive for basically the whole game. The city feels lively and beautiful, fully fleshed out with content to find and complete. Spider-Man 2’s New York City is one of the best open worlds out there to explore and paired with the fantastic traversal, it’s a joy to do as well.

I give the world and graphics an easy ten out of ten.

Verdict

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is an incredibly fun time. Its excellent gameplay and interesting story work to make for fantastic main and side-quests. But, its inclusion of a few side activities can make the completion grind a fair bit tedious. Its world is another highlight for the game, pushing the PS5 to its limits to deliver a breathtakingly realistic sandbox for the Spider-Men to play in. 

Critics and players alike agree. The game has a 90-percent critical score on Metacritic, a website that collects reviews from critics and players, establishing that the game has gotten “Universal Acclaim.” It’s won numerous awards, including seven from the Design Innovate Communicate Entertain (D.I.C.E.) Awards earlier this year. Students also agree with me. “I think it impacted [the video game industry] by adding a higher bar for graphics and game design philosophy,” Christian Kennedy ‘26 said. 

If you’re in the market for a new game to dive into, then look no further. Spider-Man 2 is here to save the day.

I give Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 an overall score of nine out of ten.

This story was originally published on The Rock Newspaper on November 9, 2024.