Lovingood Review: 'Marvel's Spider-Man 2' for PS5 is shorter than the first one but still packs a punch

TL/DR NOTES

Review Grade: 9/10

Pros: Builds on the success of the first game by polishing gameplay experience, adding to the arsenal of spidey powers and gadgets, and provides a show-stopping plot that's well-balanced of part Peter Parker and part Miles Morales experiences.

Cons: The game is significantly shorter than the previous game, which doesn't hinder it's ability for a comprehensive story, but leaves you wanting more. Also, though enemy variety is plentiful, the enemies don't appear incredibly intelligent (at least in my gameplay).

Parental Guidance: | Rated T | The game is your typical Spider-Man romp-around-town adventure, but parents should be aware of the increased violence seen in the game. It includes a grim cinematic moment in which a head is removed, and many of the enemies have and use their firearms, which can be used (in a non-bloody way) to kill the Spider-Men.

Gameplay Time: 33 Hours (on Spectacular Mode)

Platform Experience: PlayStation 5

Intro

"Marvel's Spider-Man 2" was one of my most highly anticipated titles of 2023 and it did not disappoint. The game is just a thrill to experience during the fights and cutscenes, but also has the charm of the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man experience in some of the side missions you're able to experience. Though not worthy of the Game of the Year accolade, the game deserves many mentions for its ability to provide a movie-like experience and a fun time playing hero. Some spoilers ahead, so tread lightly!

A Story Fit for the MCU

The game starts with what could probably be one of the best video game openings I've had the pleasure to experience. Peter Parker and Miles Morales are trying to stop Sandman from destroying the city. The down-on-his-luck protagonist is upset and Peter and Miles are doing their best to understand what's going on. In addition to a fantastic cinematic, we get to kick butt early as the Spidey-Men try to take down Sandman and move the plot along.

At some point, "Marvel's Spider-Man 2" brings us Harry Osborn, who -- if you remember in the first game -- has not been healthy and is getting some kind of treatment, which we later discover was the symbiote from space that allows Venom to come forth later in the game. While Peter is dealing with being offered a job from Harry's new foundation, Miles is trying to learn from his mentor, Peter, while also having his own story as he copes with the loss of his father at the hands of Martin Li, aka Mr. Negative.

The main focal point of the plot is Kraven the Hunter coming to New York to hunt down some of the biggest "prey" of the city: villains Peter has already put down, and even some who have tried to leave the life of crime -- such as Sandman -- and make an honest living. That puts Spider-Man into the hunter's cross hairs and sees Peter and Miles trying to stop Kraven from executing his plans.

Things heat up when the symbiote helping Harry needs to switch hosts: to Peter, but this also means Harry's illness returns. We see Venom start to take shape in the story and that will descend the city of New York into a bit of chaos at the latter end of the game. Overall, it was a joy to play and I felt things moved along pretty swiftly. Admittedly, there isn't anything in the story I felt was forced or left me wanting me. It all flowed well.

Gameplay

What made the first game so great was how fun it was to swing around town as Spider-Man, and the sequel just dials up the fun. In addition to the Spider-Men being able to perform tricks in the air (for XP, too!) and zip around building corners with ease, the game has introduced the web wings their heroes can use to glide across the skies. There are also wind tunnels throughout the city that allow for players to easily traverse the Big Apple.

Admittedly, the number of options players are given for combat felt almost -- and I say this cautiously -- almost overwhelming. In addition to some spidey-gadgets, both Peter and Miles have their own unique combat experiences to control the flow of battle. Peter has his mechanical spider arms he can use and Miles has his electrifying venom powers (AND HIS CLOAKING ABILITY!). Try to weave together combos took me a little getting used to, especially when I would jump from playing one character and move to the next.

General combat, such as the punches, kicks and web slinging felt like an even more polished version from the first game, which I honestly didn't think they could improve on something already so strong.

Enemy variation is pretty diverse, but I can't help but feel like they weren't as smart as they could have been. For example, I would occasionally notice one enemy NPC just kind of stand there and after a while I'd take them out, but it didn't always feel like I was being ganged upon. Ultimately, the fighting was a fun time all around, especially once you get the Venom abilities.

I have to also point to the Boss Fights in this game. There were a few fights that just had a certain tempo to them and made it feel like you were in a movie or animated series. It felt so satisfying swinging to higher ground and then coming back to punch an enemy into the wall. The composition of battles was outstanding.

I should also make special mention of the fast travel. This game probably has the quickest loading fast travel feature I've ever experienced. It felt near instantaneous compared to other experiences.

Leveling Up

I have a soft spot for Miles Morales because of the animated films in recent years, and so my gameplay experience was Miles-heavy. His skill tree interested me much more than Peter's, but then when you get the symbiote as Peter, that switched. In any case, you have to share the gained skill points from leveling up between the two Spider-Men and also a combined tree that effects how each connects combos and fights in general.

I managed to max out each skill tree during my 33-hour gameplay and I felt like I got to do the most with each character.

Spider Fits

There's a healthy amount of costumes you can select for each of the Spider-Men. My personal favorite for Peter was his Advanced 2.0 suit that is his iconic look for the PS5 series, but I liked the black look versus the blue tones. For Miles, I jumped between his caped-crusader look and his puffer jacket and hoodie combo. They're slick looks!

The developers give you a large selection of options to choose from, including suits from the Spider-Verse movies (animation style included). I didn’t really wear more than maybe six or seven different costumes. It would have liked to have the ability to choose specific colors for suits versus pre-set ones, but I won't complain.

There’s the new Miles Morales suit that was created as a collaborative effort between Adidas, Marvel and Sony Interactive that got less-than-stellar reviews online from many gamers, but it didn’t bother me. It’s certainly not the strongest look for the young hero, but it’s not the only look you’re allowed to have.

Missed Opportunities

I know the cool thing these days is to mash up things with movie universes, which doesn't necessarily need to happen all the time, but I felt like there was a missed opportunity to incorporate even more of the Spider-Verse film stuff into this game. To be clear, there is already an element of that in "Marvel's Spider-Man 2," but I would have liked to have seen a little more than just a collectibles mission and a short cut scene. I sincerely hope we get to see more of this, possibly as a DLC.

I would also like to see Insomniac Games give us a few gyms of other Marvel heroes since we see landmarks in the game tied to said heroes. The Avengers Tower, Sanctum Sanctorum, the Baxter Building; add me to the list of people who want to know what the Avengers, Dr. Strange and the Fantastic Four were up to during these city-level destructive events happening in the game.

I think the game is also missing a Boss Fight mode and a mode to experience committed pure chaos as Venom; not symbiote suit Peter, but actual Venom. You get to play as the villain for a short stretch of the game and I immediately wanted more. The sheer power you feel while controlling him during such a short time was not nearly enough.

Teeing Up More

There's a series of side missions in which you're trying to stop a cult from committing some heinous crimes across the city. Without spoiling too much of it, this sets us up for another major Spider-Man villain, and I for one want to see it. We also have another Spider-Hero teased at the end and I think Insomniac does such a great job just giving us plenty to enjoy in the game while also teasing what's to come.

The ending cinematic also gives some clear indication of the new villains that could show up within a third installment of the series. It was very fun to see the storyline play out and correctly guess where things were going. I'm excited for what comes next.

Ultimately, my experience with this game was satisfying. I beat it within seven days and missed it immediately after but wanted to let a buddy in the WRAL Promotions department borrow it.

Parental Guidance

I believe if you're okay with your kiddo watching the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, you'll be okay with "Marvel's Spider-Man 2," though I want to warn parents of a couple things:

1. Though the Spider-Men are beating up bad guys, there are a few finishing blows that look pretty brutal; like, heads slamming against the ground or someone falling off a building. In-game, they're just "knocked out" but it looks pretty violent.
2. At one point in the game, Venom bites someone's head off in a cut scene. You see a little blood and you can see the decapitated body on the ground after -- and this isn't new if you've seen the comics or let your kid watch the Venom movies -- but again, it's violent.

I'd say a kid who is 13 but mature and understands what they're seeing is fiction would be alright with this game, but -- as I always recommend for parents -- put things into context for kids.

Lovingood Screenshot Gallery

SPOILER WARNING: I spent at least three hours in the photo mode for this game, but fair warning, true believers: spoilers-a-plenty ahead in this look at my favorite captured moments.