2023-10-27 18:53:55
By Samuel M.
Published: October 27, 2023
If there is one game that I was completely excited to play this year it was Marvel’s Spider-Man 2sequel to the successful title of Insomniac Games that surprised 2018 for giving us a satisfying experience of how to be Spider-Man and a world that, at that time, was the most alive and immersed we had found in an arachnid game. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has been on sale for a few days now, and we had the opportunity to play it, which is why we bring you the review after a few long hours.
The first thing you should know is that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 does not arrive to ‘reinvent the wheel’ but rather takes advantage of the features that made both the first installment and the spin-off starring Miles Morales to give us the definitive experience of both characters. It is somewhat curious considering that many people may think that there will be drastic changes, but Insomniac was clear that its game system needed to be polished in terms of adding new features that at first glance might not be perceived, but once you have the game on your screen you realize.
Thus, both Peter and Miles have a series of skills that you will unlock as you progress through the story and solve the different secondary missions in a New York that is more alive than ever. The current generation consoles did not lie when it came to processing development environments with many more NPCs and that’s something you can see in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. There are more civilians, more vehicles, more buildings. A scenario where it is a pleasure to travel, and even forget that fast travel exists, as long as you are not in such a hurry to solve some things.
But the thing doesn’t just stop there. And it is still amazing how in a matter of seconds you are inside the game, as well as being able to switch between characters. Both Peter and Miles are playable at all times, and you can switch between them using just one button. A system that is quite reminiscent of what we saw in GTA 5 when we had to switch between the three protagonists.
Gadgets continue to be a plus point that combines with the abilities of our arachnids. Peter and Miles have a series of attacks that you can change at any time. While Peter does his thing with four metal arms that appear to knock down enemies, Miles retains his electric powers that become more devastating as you unlock new features. As for objects, we have the classic net launchers and other devices that help bring enemies together, or paralyze them for a few seconds. Those can be used by both protagonists.
Regarding the unique abilities, now the skill tree is divided into unlocking for each Spider-Men and a single one where you get movements such as greater speed when swinging between buildings or pirouettes that you can perform. In all these cases, you again need the ‘skill points’ that you will obtain throughout the story, secondary missions or by finding ‘technological parts’ distributed on the stage.
Speaking of secondary missions, it is surprising how important they have been in this sequel, even being superior to the first installment. There are moments where it will complement what happens in the main story, especially because they present well-known characters from the comics. On the other hand, there are ‘assignments’ that become moving, and surely more than one has already seen them on social networks due to the enormous emotional charge that shows how Insomniac has managed to study the most important aspects of the character, beyond of the fight between the ‘hero vs villain‘.
Loading times practically they do not exist In Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, whether when you start the game or restart a starting point after having fallen, the speed of the current Sony console brings out all its power to keep up, not to mention the frames per second. . The entire game can be enjoyed at 60fps or if you want, opt for the resolution mode that will reduce the frames but show incredible graphic quality. Play with him DualSense of PS5 has also been a pleasant and even interesting experience due to its adaptive triggers that give a special feeling when you are performing some actions such as when Spider-Man must perform some QTE actions (Quick Time Events) or the feeling of walking through the buildings of the city.
Of the graphics, there is so much to say. I think this is one of the games that has best exploited the power of the PlayStation 5 because of how the characters and the environment are perfectly designed. The weather changes that you will see in the game give a unique sensation, like seeing how Spider-Man’s suit responds to heavy rain or seeing the reflection of the protagonists. I like that there is a care not only in the main characters, but also in several secondary ones, and even if we meet some similar NPC, they all respond well when they have a conversation, or when we have to save a civilian and take them to the hospital.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: Its strongest point is the story
Sony titles, especially for a few generations, have been characterized by giving greater prominence to the narrative and with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 it was not going to be any exception. I was very happy with what had been done with the character in terms of his development in the first installment when he had to deal with Doctor Octopus.
This time things went a little further involving the symbiote. Let’s say that, beyond some animated adaptations, the plots that have Venom do not usually turn out very well, mainly because they do not focus on giving better context to the alien entity. However, Insomniac traced a story that truly lives up to what has been seen on previous occasions with the character. It even takes elements from modern stories such as the stage of Donny Cates.
But not only that, we also have Kraven, who arrives as the ‘real’ threat that will turn New York upside down. ‘Kraven’s Last Hunt‘ is still the standard comic that gave the villain a twist to make him a superior threat to Spider-Man. And it is clear that the developers have drawn very well from this material to shape their Kraven who, supported by technology, maintains his essence of becoming the best hunter in the world, while finding the ‘prey’ he wants. It will make you feel alive again.
The structure of the story does not make it feel like both villains overshadow each other, and is even better used to connect things while giving sovereign development to the two Spider-Mans. I like that both Peter and Miles have their own ‘conflicts‘. The first must deal with the return of his best friend, while our second protagonist will have to reflect on ‘leave the past behind‘.
But both wouldn’t work without the support of their respective secondary characters. Mary Jane Watson for Peter, and Rio Morales for Miles. The two do not depend entirely on them, and always show themselves as brave women who seek to get ahead on their own, but at the same time, they are supporting their loved ones. In fact, MJ She once again stars in stealth missions like the first installment, which I consider to be the weak point of the game, not because of her, but because of the missions themselves that could be calmly cinematic, and not feel like the moment where they want you to take a break from the Spiders. -Men.
Although Miles has a good development in the story, the one who takes the cake is Peter Parker, especially since one sees his counterpart from the comics and the sorry state in which he finds himself that one would like the Insomniac version to be canonical in the comic books. Insomniac understands that over the years the character must face much more personal conflicts, which do not necessarily involve fighting the villain on duty, there must also be an intimate moment. That is precisely the determining factor for Insomniac to be able to adapt the characters to their liking since the studio is not afraid of risks as we saw previously when they decided to take a hit on Peter con the passing of Aunt May.
Inclusion in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
During the last few days, the use of inclusive language within the game went viral, especially when you listened to the podcaster Danika who appears from time to time when you are walking around the city and is dedicated to reporting important events in the story. On the other hand, Harry Osborn also said ‘doctore’ to a character who identified as non-binary.
That was enough for the most conservative wing of social networks to speak out, ensuring that the game has been ruined by adding those things. While I’m not one to say that you should play or not, turning a blind eye to the fact that inclusive language is not something seen in the world today is simply covering your eyes. Insomniac has been in favor of the LGBT community, including their symbols since the first installment. What the studio is doing is adapting to the world of now. Is that wrong? I don’t believe it.
Conclusion
Marvel’ Spider-Man 2 It feels like the definitive game for the character. Once again Insomniac sets the bar high when it comes to adaptations of the spider hero. This sequel feels like what he did at the time Batman: Arkham City de Rocksteady. I think I would be venturing too far to say that Spider-Man 2 is the best superhero game of all time, but it can easily compete in the top #3 of great adaptations.
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