Spider-man 2018 was one of the greatest superhero games that have come out for a while. It set a completely new bar for not just what a superhero game should be like, but who Spider-man as a hero is. It had very emotional moments and showed that being a superhero can really take its toll on someone, such as Peter Parker. Spider-man: Miles Morales was released in 2020, it extended on the previous game, but Miles Morales was our main hero. Miles learns that he isn’t like Peter Parker, but still is Spider-man in his own regard.
With both games already being held with high praise, Spider-man 2 is able to deliver with all kinds of improvements, changes, and gives us way more perspective with our cast of characters. Peter is struggling to hold a job because chaos always breaks out and he needs to save the day. Miles is trying to get into college but is afraid his other responsibilities will get in the way. This game combines both their stories and brings out the best of both of them. The team behind the game, Insomniac, really took all criticisms from the previous titles and used it to really improve with its sequel.
The gameplay is even better than the previous games. Combat is improved by giving Peter and Miles new abilities that they can unlock throughout the game. New gadgets and skills make the combat a lot more diverse. We’re introduced to the new webwings which can be used to glide across New York. Combining this with the new web swinging mechanics such as the loop, the loop and the slingshot, it makes traversal a lot more fun that the fast travel system seems inferior.
The story is great and is delivered to us by great and well written characters. The game begins with Peter on his first day in his new teaching job, teaching in the same class as Miles. Class is then interrupted when Sandman unexpectedly makes an appearance in New York, causing a large sandstorm. Once they stop Sandman, we learn that Kraven the Hunter was the one who caused him to go crazy, and is in New York for his final hunt. Throughout most of the story, both Peter and Miles try to prevent Kraven from killing anymore villains, and getting innocent people involved. We also find out that Peter’s best friend Harry Osborn is back, as he was overwhelmingly ill in the previous games. Along with Harry, we learn that his treatment is actually from a symbiote. In most versions of Spider-man, the symbiote is an alien that typically combines with Peter, and usually ends up being Venom.
About halfway through, we’re introduced to Peter’s black suit. When the symbiote fuses with Peter, it causes him to turn more and more aggressive throughout the story. When Peter gets the suit, you start to see him go crazy, and he distances himself from Harry, Miles, and MJ. The more the symbiote takes control of him, you get to see the side of Peter that’s been causing him to be the most angry and stressed. He feels responsible for all the destruction that’s surrounded New York, and how he thinks the suit is the solution to being a better Spider-Man, despite having the opposite effect.
Spider-man 2 significantly approves from the previous games and brought everything that would satisfy most fans. It keeps a similar formula to other Spider-Man stories, while changing it enough to keep the story original and interesting. I believe it to be one of the best sequels to any form of media.
