It's been five years since Insomniac's 'Spider-Man' made a meme out of feeling like Spider-Man and introduced gamers to the first good superhero game since the 'Batman: Arkham' series. Swinging around New York, taking on fan-favorite villains, and still maintaining a human story at the core of it all made for an instant classic upon release. Now with 'Spider-Man 2', Insomniac is ratcheting up the stakes with two playable Spider-Men and a handful of villains more threatening than any Peter Parker or Miles Morales have ever faced.
While the first game connected with many, I will open my review by saying I barely remember it. I played it, got to 100% completion, yet I have never thought much of it since release. I wasn't a fan of the combat and found the world fairly empty despite putting thirty or so hours into it.
And upon playing this second game...I feel much the same. Opening with a massive set-piece where the Spider-Men take on Sandman, I was in awe of the scale...even though I immediately clipped into a building and was trapped in my impromptu prison, needing to restart from a checkpoint to continue forward.
That scale is where the game shines. New York City isn't just a place to traverse from point A to point B but oftentimes a setpiece itself. Rarely does an open-world game go out of its way to utilize that area to the level of excitement that 'Spider-Man 2' pulls off in its missions. If you're itching to play out one of the battles you see in a big-budget Marvel film, this is as close as you'll get.
The massive city works to the favor of the occasionally tense action but feels empty when you're not chasing a villain around. New York is faithfully recreated with so much detail you would miss if you didn't stop swinging around to walk the streets. Even looking in the windows of buildings you'll find fully 3D rooms with people living their lives. The detail is impeccable yet the world still feels empty.
'Spider-Man 2' weaves side content into the main story pretty well and establishes it all as important parts of the overall tale. Because of that, Insomniac ensures that every piece of content feels integral and doesn't force busywork like pointless collectibles or side quests that are just there to pad playtime. It's a double-edged sword though because it means that while the majority of the side content is fun (with a couple exceptions), it means the city is only large for the sake of traversal. That's cool for those who enjoy swinging around and experiencing the sights and sounds of this virtual New York but disappointing for anyone expecting a lot to do in it.
As stated above some of the side content is cool but some, like science missions that include riding a bicycle and watering plants, are very uninteresting. Some offshoot missions have you doing equally uninteresting things like painting flowers and helping a kid invite his lover to prom. It adds a level of mundanity to being Spider-Man that may offer depth to characters but doesn't make for compelling gameplay.
I also wasn't compelled by the story. Kraven the Hunter is one of my favorite Marvel villains (I think more ironically than anything given his history) and Venom is, of course, a great baddie. But there is so much time spent building the friendship between Peter Parker and Harry Osborn, as well as Miles' relationships with his family. So much of that isn't interesting to me and really drags down any momentum the game builds. Only in the big action set pieces did I find myself investing in the game. Call me superficial...but I find myself wanting to play Spider-Man more than bumble around as Peter.
'Spider-Man 2' will take about 25 hours to reach 100% completion. That time is going to be a lot of fun for kids and big fans of Spidey, but for most I can't see the game being worth the full $70 price tag.
Good, but not amazing, 'Spider-Man 2' is a well-made adventure with enough memorable moments. cool suits, and fun combat to be worth a play...though maybe once it's discounted.
Rating: 7.5/10
Console: PS5
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Sean Newgent has been with KGUN9 since January of 2020 and is Good Morning Tucson's executive producer. He graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in broadcast journalism. He is a critic and cultural commentator. Share your story ideas and important issues with Sean by emailing sean.newgent@kgun9.com.
