Spider-Man 2 review: an action spectacle without equal

Woah, what a ride! As the credits roll across the TV, I have to catch my breath. After its leisurely start, I didn’t expect Spider-Man 2 to make me sweat so much towards the end. The sequel to the 2018 surprise hit trumps its predecessor in practically all aspects – and remains a relatively compact game to boot. And that’s saying something. In truth, I thought I’d rather be playing Cities Skylines 2 during my test period, another game I get to dive deep into. But now that I’m busy with Cities Skylines 2, it turns out I’d rather be swinging over the rooftops of New York again.

That’s special praise coming from me. Marvel, to me, epitomises gentrified, slickly polished superheroes. I prefer edgy antiheroes like The Goon or Hellboy. But once again, the exception proves the rule.

Two Spideys, two stories

In Spider-Man 2, I get to play two Spider-Men: the original Peter Parker from part one and Miles Morales, who took the lead role in the standalone expansion. Similar to GTA V, I can switch back and forth between the two. Most of the time, the game switches on its own to continue the story with that particular character. But I can also do so manually if I want to use other powers or complete certain side tasks. More on that later.

The story picks up directly from the first game. Careful, spoilers for Part 1! If you still want to finish it, best skip this section. Peter’s best friend Harry Osborn is happy and healthy again after his father Norman cures him in a tank filled with a mysterious black substance. The miraculous recovery comes at a price, of course. On top of this drama, the ruthless Kraven the Hunter is added to the mix. With his armada of mercenaries and drones, he hunts down super villains. But Kraven doesn’t plan on just putting them in jail, so the two Spider-Men have to intervene. One of the super villains on his hit list is Martin Li, better known as Mister Negative. Miles is instantly conflicted, as Li killed his father.

I don’t want to reveal much more about the story. Only this: from the trailer, we know Venom will play an important role. For me, the story only becomes exciting when he shows up. Before that, the game patters along without much noticeable drama. Kraven is a completely average villain. His motive is explained in one sentence: he’s a hunter looking for the ultimate prey. Consequently, battles with him are similarly unsatisfactory. It’s just no fun beating the stuffing out of someone who actually enjoys it. The job falls to me just because no one else has been able to get their fists anywhere near his very punchable face. But being the helpful Spider-Man I am, I comply with the request.

In contrast to Part 1 and the expansion, I’m not as invested in the two heroes. They’re pretty bland. Peter is an incorrigible do-gooder who wants to help everyone and loves science. His character hasn’t changed much by game end. When he finally receives his Symbiote powers and the internal strife that comes with them, he becomes an anti-social rager. It doesn’t go much deeper than that.

Miles is a little more tangible. He’s in the shadow of the original Spider-Man and seeks not only his support, but friendship too. At the same time, he worries about his mother and his community. Then he falls in love with Hailey Cooper, a deaf woman. With Miles, I was only sometimes annoyed by his somewhat too childish voice acting. He’s 18, but sometimes sounds as if his voice is just changing.

I was also surprised that there’s barely a relationship between the two Spider-Men. They say they’re friends, but other than an occasional fist bump when they run into each other on the street, there are no interactions to speak of. I’d have liked more of a buddy movie.

New York, New York

«New York, New York, big city of dreams,» as Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five said. The virtual version of this iconic metropolis is still dreamlike in Spider-Man 2. Even in Part 1, it plays the most vital role in the game, along with the story and combat system. This is even more true for Part 2. Firstly, because new boroughs like Brooklyn and Queens have been added, nearly doubling the size of the game. Secondly, New York feels more alive than ever before. Residents scurry around, cabs honk in heavy traffic and pigeons clamour for Spider-Man’s vantage points. Sure, when I’m on foot and looking closely at what’s happening, the illusion fizzles out a bit. The game sometimes struggles with details on passers-by or buildings. Still, at least people respond to me and want to take pictures with me. But most of the time, I swing through the big city so quickly that I hardly notice any missing details anyway.

Whipping through the city is one of the game’s biggest strengths. Travelling has never been faster. And I’m not even sure if there’s a fast travel system. With the new Web Wings, the Spider-Men are mobile enough to cover long distances in the shortest possible time anyway. Swinging and flying around is also just damn fun. The clever heads at developer studio Insomniac already managed that in the first game, and the Web Wings fit seamlessly into the existing movement system.

Graphically, the game and the world both work well. I can choose between Fidelity and Performance mode – the typical console dilemma. The former provides maximum detail, including extensive ray tracing options and prettier hair. In return, you’ll only be getting a stable 30 frames per second. Performance mode runs smoother, at the expense of some detail. However, I only noticed minimal changes in the direct comparison, both visually and in performance, so I used Fidelity Mode most of the time.

In certain areas, the game sometimes looks a bit pale and secondary characters aren’t animated in great detail. The facial animations of main characters, on the other hand, shine with rich detail and I can clearly read their emotions. Transitions from cutscenes to active gameplay are still smooth, still as impressive. Loading times only happen at game start and when I die. But even, coming back to life takes only a few seconds.

Things get really cinematic in main missions. Whole skyscrapers are destroyed while Spidey chases after Dr Curtis Connors, who has once again turned into the Lizard. I swing through a gap to safety with buttery smooth animations, just before everything collapses on top of me. Pure adrenaline. Another time, I’m surfing like a wakeboarder after a delivery truck – while being shot at with missiles. In contrast, Uncharted’s Nathan Drake looks like a senior citizen with a walker struggling on a kerb.

Fights resembling circus acts

Spider-Man’s main task remains beating up bad guys. The combat system consists of normal strikes, special attacks, counters, dodges and gadgets. Every little confrontation turns into an acrobatic circus act in no time at all. I wrap rogues in webs, hurl them at other enemies, electrify three more with chain lightning, and finally activate my ultimate attack, which can disable entire hordes of baddies. I dash from one corner to the other at lightning speed without losing track of the fight.

Peter and Miles each have an individual skill tree and a shared one. I can invest points when I level up. Just a shame I have to choose who to prioritise. Of the active special abilities, I can equip four per hero. In turn, I can choose between two attacks in each of the four slots. With Peter, it’s mechanical spider arms and later Symbiote powers. For Miles, it’s electric or Symbiote attacks – not to be confused with Pete’s alien-based powers.

The combat system is incredibly fluid, I quickly get into a flow state. However, the many new attacks can be a bit overwhelming. From start to finish, I often fat-finger a button because I can’t remember all the key combinations. I usually bang out my gadgets willy-nilly, since it hardly matters if a net captures, electrocutes or does something else to enemies. All I want is a brief distraction and the chance to catch my breath.

I need those whenever I can get them. Fights are often very hectic, with Spider-Man’s iconic Spidey sense lighting up in different colours depending on what kind of attack is coming. In the heat of the moment, I often have a hard time responding. Red means I can dodge or block at the right moment. White means time to dodge. With yellow, only jumping will help, and blue is something different again. Insomniac definitely should’ve simplified things. I’m often blasted by every colour from every single direction, leading to much confusion in the moment.

The brawls are a bit weak sauce at the start, lacking that forceful feedback. It’s only with Peter’s Symbiote powers that things pick up. And I mean really pick up.

Despite the fun combat system, it can all get a bit much. The joy can quickly devolve into busywork, so I’m always happy when I get to sneak again. I can knock out enemies unnoticed and things move much faster. Spider-Man is incredibly nimble, even when remaining silent. And if I get caught, I don’t have to start all over again, I can just start beating people up.

The city needs Spider-Man

What would an open-world game be without side quests? Spider-Man 2 still offers plenty of activities far away from the main story. In the first game, most of it was just menial tasks to fill out the world. With more districts of New York added, I was concerned that side quest quality would be even more compromised. I can give the all-clear, Insomniac has exercised restraint. While new elements are added as the game progresses, the map is never plastered with icons like in a Ubisoft game.

The way side quests are woven into the game is also commendable. From simple collection tasks to bee drones that need to be calibrated to multi-part quests, they fit seamlessly into the world and story.

I can take care of many activities with a quick stop on my way to the next part of the main story. An orange crystal? That’ll be what remains of Flint Marko aka Sandman, one of the encounters at the start of the game. His sandy goons are still up to no good. A two-minute fight and I’m richer by a crystal that gives me background information on Marko, a few experience points and upgrade resources.

Mysterio’s quests are quirkier. They start as an innocuous amusement park experience. I have to master a musical mini-game dressed like some sort of Daft Punk knockoff. But something goes wrong and I have to fight my way through hordes of battle-hardened illusions. Later, I find portals to Mysterio’s broken game world all over New York. I have to enter them and rescue trapped visitors. Doesn’t make that much sense, but it’s delightfully weird, and after two minutes I walk out victorious there too – but only as Peter, Miles can’t do these quests.

Miles’ uncle, who turned out to be the Prowler in the first game, has hidden stashes of rare upgrade modules all over New York. These quests, on the other hand, are reserved for Miles, as his electrical webs are needed to short-circuit generators or bridge power lines. Spider webs are conductive, didn’t you know? Why his reformed uncle can’t just open the rooms himself is beyond me. Is he in jail? Why can’t I just ring him up? No matter how mundane the tasks seem, they offer enough variation to keep them from becoming boring. Insomniac has really made an effort to not just fill the gaps.

The side quests Miles and Peter can access via their smartphone apps feel almost as good as the main story. They’re multi-part, creatively staged and sometimes come with their own super villains. With Peter, for example, I once follow the emergency call of a fireman. He waits outside a burning building, some of his buddies are trapped. Due to the danger of collapse, they no longer dare to go in themselves. A case for Spider-Man – or rather, the Spider Drone. Using a remote-controlled robot spider, the missing people are quickly found. I suddenly notice some more people who don’t look as helpless. And so begins an exciting quest chain around a murderous cult, which also involves the mercenary Wraith.

With Miles, in turn, I follow the trail of art thieves. I use my Spidey scanner to search crime scenes for clues to reconstruct the course of a crime. I find a clue as to where the thieves fled with the loot. This quest also begins innocuously through a conversation with Miles’s mother on a park bench. She asks me to lend a hand to a curator friend of hers. Miles, always looking out for his community, doesn’t think twice about it, yet quickly finds himself in a convoluted whodunit that takes him across town.

I receive upgrades for completed tasks, unlocking new outfits or improving my equipment. Peter and Miles’ wardrobes are now exclusively cosmetic and no longer tied to improvements as in the first game. Instead, I can improve my gadgets as well as four overarching suit upgrades for health, attack strength, movement and focus. I need the latter to regenerate health in battle or to use finishing moves.

Verdict: Spidey does it again

Spider-Man 2 has become the expected mega hit. Even without an affinity for the friendly neighbourhood web-crawler, I get my money’s worth. The staging of the action sequences makes many a Hollywood blockbuster look old in comparison. I engage in a daring chase with a giant lizard and battle Kraven’s henchmen on jet skis at the same time. At other times, I keep a giant propeller from turning a pier, including visitors, into bloody sawdust. Action-packed moments are held together by a gripping story. It does plod along a bit initially, but the longer the game goes on, the more it picks up speed.

The combat system is also fast-paced. Peter and Miles can dish out even more punishment with their new skills. The mix of free movement and the huge range of attacks turn even the smallest street brawl into an acrobatic spectacle. Speaking of which, swinging between skyscrapers while gazing at a beautiful New York is almost gratifying enough in itself. The city is simply delightful, definitely a main character along with Miles and Peter.

But a big world is only as exciting as what it offers, and Spider-Man 2 is again convincing in this aspect. Side quests are well written and clearly more than just a pastime.

Only, I was a little disappointed that Miles and especially Peter remain somewhat bland as characters. They’re too one-dimensional for me and only develop marginally over the course of the game. I was also annoyed by the dialogue during boss fights. It’s not as if I need to be paying more attention, after all. Combine that with the fact that the whole thing repeats every time I fail. How is this still a problem in 2023? Luckily, the game isn’t particularly difficult, but I still had to mute the sound a few times.

Apart from that, Spider-Man 2 is an all-around success. No other game allows me this much wonderful freedom of movement. Fights are more dynamic and the action is spectacularly staged. Even if you haven’t played the first game or don’t care much for superheroes, check this one out if you can.

Spider-Man 2 was provided to me by Sony. The game will be available for the PS5 on 20 October.