Spider-Man 2

## *Marvel's Spider-Man 2*

Standard edition cover art, depicting dual Spider-Man protagonists Peter Parker and Miles Morales, and the Venom Symbiote infused with Parker's arm

### Director

Bryan Intihar
Ryan Smith

### Artist

Jacinda Chew
Davison Carvalho

### Series

*Marvel*
*Spider-Man*

### Mode(s)

Single-player

***Marvel's Spider-Man 2*** (also referred to as ***Spider-Man PS5***) is a 2023 action-adventure video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5. It is the sequel to 2018's *Spider-Man* and 2020's *Spider-Man: Miles Morales*, and the third installment in Insomniac's *Spider-Man* series.

Inspired by the mythology and history of the *Spider-Man* character, *Spider-Man 2* features dual protagonists Peter Parker (Yuri Lowenthal) and Miles Morales (Nadji Jeter) as they protect New York City under their joint identities as Spider-Men. Throughout the game, the two come into conflict with Venom (Tony Todd) as well as Kraven the Hunter (Jim Pirri), who came to the city to hunt down the Lizard. Gameplay retains the third-person open-ended nature of its predecessors, and allows to shift between Peter and Miles during both story missions and free-roam. Both protagonists include expanded mechanics and gadgets for combat, stealth and traversal. As the host of the Symbiote, Peter also has access to the Symbiote suit, which grants him new combat and traversal abilities. Outside of story missions, players can roam New York City and complete side missions, with each Spider-Man having his own set of unique activities.

Development on *Spider-Man 2* was headed by Bryan Intihar and Ryan Smith, who previously served as directors on the 2018 game. For the story, Insomniac aimed to portray a "darker" narrative and tone than the previous games, while Lowenthal researched addictive behaviors to portray Peter under the influence of the Venom Symbiote. *Spider-Man 2* was officially announced in September 2021 at Sony's PlayStation showcase, and was released in October 2023.

*Spider-Man 2* received critical acclaim, with several gaming publications deeming it one of the best games of 2023, and one of the greatest superhero video games ever made. Praise was directed at its narrative, characterization, vocal performances, combat, traversal systems, set-pieces and graphics, though it was also met with some criticism for its formulaic open world design and iterative nature as a sequel. *Spider-Man 2* was a commercial success, selling over 5 million copies within 11 days. It is slated to be followed by a spin-off, *Wolverine* (TBA).

## Gameplay

*Spider-Man 2* is an action-adventure video game presented from a third-person perspective and set in an open-ended map based on New York City; the game retains the structure and presentation of its predecessor, *Spider-Man* (2018) and *Spider-Man: Miles Morales* (2020). Players control dual protagonists Peter Parker and Miles Morales in their shared identity as Spider-Man; Peter and Miles are taken control during certain segments in story missions, and can be freely switched to during free-roam. Both Spider-Men feature similar abilities and mechanics to be used during combat, traversal and stealth, while also possessing distinct features such as exclusive combat abilities, personalized Spider-Man suits, skill trees and side activities.

As Peter Parker, players have access to abilities and mechanics originally included in 2018's *Spider-Man*, while new additions such as new mechanical legs used for a variety of situations are included. As players progress the story mode, Peter eventually gains access to the Symbiote Costume (also known as the Black Suit), which provides Peter with enhanced and expanded features used for both combat and traversal; completing the story mode unlocks the Anti-Venom Suit which replaces the Symbiote Suit but retains all of its additions. As Miles Morales, players gain access to his bioelectrical and invisibility abilities, which were introduced in the 2020 installment and can also be used for offensive purposes, stealth or acrobatics.

In addition to Peter and Miles, players can also control Mary Jane Watson in several stealth-based missions, and main antagonist Venom in a combat-focused mission. Watson is equipped with a stun gun and can perform stealth takedowns in her segments, which expand upon her playable sections in the 2018 game.

Combat in *Spider-Man 2* incorporates elements of real-time action and beat 'em up games, with focus on chaining combos to gain experience points and fill up the player's meter to execute certain powerful finishers or replenish their health bar. Players can also shoot webs as a long-range option. In addition to the dodging mechanic in the previous games, *Spider-Man 2* introduces a parry mechanic to repel several types of enemies that are impervious to dodging. A new gadget called Web Line allows both Spider-Men to create new footings during stealth segments.

The map features the returning borough of Manhattan, as well as introducing Queens and Brooklyn; combined, the map featured in *Spider-Man 2* is twice the size of the map featured in the first game. Players can roam the game map with web-slinging, or use newly-introduced alternatives such as wingsuits called Web Wings.

## Synopsis

### Setting and characters

As with previous entries in the series, *Spider-Man 2* is set in modern-day New York City, New York. In addition to Manhattan, which served as the main setting in both 2018's *Spider-Man* and 2020's *Spider-Man: Miles Morales*, *Spider-Man 2* also takes place in the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.

The main protagonists of *Spider-Man 2* are the titular superheroes, Peter Parker (Yuri Lowenthal) and Miles Morales (Nadji Jeter), who share the Spider-Man mantle following the events of *Spider-Man: Miles Morales*. Supporting characters include returning characters Mary Jane "MJ" Watson (Laura Bailey), Peter's love interest and a reporter; Rio Morales (Jacqueline Pinol), the mother of Miles and widow of Peter's late ally Jefferson Davis; Ganke Lee (Griffin Puatu), Miles' best friend and confidant who aids the two Spider-Men in their hunt for Lizard; J. Jonah Jameson (Darin de Paul), the abrasive ex-news reporter and radio host who now employs MJ; and Harry Osborn (Graham Phillips), Peter's best friend who previously appeared in the 2018 game via voice messages.

As with its predecessors, *Spider-Man 2* includes several supervillains clashing with Peter and Miles. The game's primary antagonists include Sergei Kravinoff/Kraven the Hunter (Jim Pirri), a Russian hunter who sets his sights on NYC in search of a worthy hunt; Venom (voiced by Tony Todd), a mysterious parasitic lifeform that bonds with both Harry and Peter; and Curt Connors/Lizard, an Oscorp scientist who became a reptilian mutant and is on the run while evading Kraven's hunt. Returning antagonists include Martin Li/Mister Negative (Stephen Oyoung), the incarcerated leader of the Inner Demons and a former member of the Sinister Six; and Norman Osborn (Mark Rolston), the CEO of Oscorp, former Mayor of NYC, and Harry's father. Yuriko "Yuri" Watanabe (Tara Platt), a former police officer who was an ally to Peter in the first game, returns as the ruthless anti-heroine Wraith.

## Development

*Spider-Man 2* is developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5.

### Character development and design

Peter Parker actor Yuri Lowenthal researched addictive behaviors to realistically portray Peter's personality while under the influence of the Venom Symbiote.

For the Digital Deluxe Edition of *Spider-Man 2*, Insomniac collaborated with several artists to create unique suits for the playable characters. Sister-studio Bend Studio's concept artists Joel Mandish and Darren Quach helped design the Tactical Suit.

### Writing

For *Spider-Man 2*, Marvel Games creative vice president Bill Rosemann compared the game's relationship to its predecessor as what *The Empire Strikes Back* was to *Star Wars*, describing its tone as "darker" than both the 2018 game and *Spider-Man: Miles Morales*.

### Technology

*Marvel's Spider-Man 2* uses Insomniac's in-house game engine that was also used for its 2018 and 2020 predecessors as well as 2021's *Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart*. Similar to *Rift Apart*, Insomniac began development on *Spider-Man 2* as a PlayStation 5 exclusive rather than a cross-generation release like *Spider-Man: Miles Morales*. As the forth overall title by Insomniac for the console, the team leveraged the PlayStation 5's solid-state drive and storage solutions to develop faster traversal mechanics across the open world map, including the inclusion of slingshots, improved fast travel and the introduction of the character switch feature. According to Insomniac's director of core technology Mike Fitzgerald, the slingshots offer movement "three times as fast" as depicted in 2018's *Spider-Man*.

## Marketing and release

*Marvel's Spider-Man 2* was announced at Sony's PlayStation Showcase presentation in September 2021, with a 2023 release window; the game was announced alongside another Marvel title from Insomniac, *Wolverine*. The announcement trailer confirmed the return of Peter Parker and Miles Morales, and revealed two of the sequel's villains would be Kraven the Hunter and Venom. In December 2022, Sony and Insomniac Games confirmed the game will release during fall 2023.

A second look at *Spider-Man 2* was shown at Sony's PlayStation Showcase in May 2023; the presentation consisted of an introduction cutscene for Kraven and a gameplay demo that depicted the Peter's Symbiote Suit and its powers, new mechanics for Miles, character selection between the two Spider-Men and an extended set-piece involving the Lizard. The Sony Pictures Animation film *Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse* features footage from *Spider-Man 2* as cross-promotion. On June 8, game director Bryan Intihar announced that *Spider-Man 2* would launch on October 20, during Summer Game Fest 2023 hosted by Geoff Keighley; Intihar also provided additional details on the game's plot, and shared information regarding its various release editions.

A story trailer was unveiled at San Diego Comic Con in July 2022, and included the first proper look at the characters of Harry Osborn and Venom, as well as the return of antagonist Mister Negative from the 2018 installment. A forth trailer for the game was shown at Sony's State of Play presentation in September 2023, showcasing the open world gameplay and traversal mechanics. Game previews by PlayStation.Blog and selected gaming publications were released the day after.

As part of the game's promotion, Sony unveiled a special edition for the PlayStation 5 and DualSense based on *Spider-Man 2*, and a voucher for a digital edition of the game will be included; the custom covers and controller can also be bought separately. The bundle launched on September 1, 2023.

## Reception

### Pre-release

IGN's Destin Legarie noted in a hands-on preview that *Spider-Man 2* managed to meet his "high expectations", and touted the game as one that "finds new ways to raise the bar of superhero game design". Eurogamer's Aoife Wilson commended Insomniac's ability to balance the two playable Spider-Men, and noted the differences between Peter and Miles in both characterization and gameplay. The Guardian's Tom Regan enjoyed the narrative bits he experienced during his hands-on preview, though he particularly praised New York City as a realized open world playground.

### Reviews

* Metacritic: 90/100
* OpenCritic: 91% (elite critics)/98% (general critics consensus)

* Destructoid: 9/10
* Easy Allies: 9/10
* Eurogamer: 4/5
* Game Informer: 9.5/10
* GameSpot: 8/10
* GamesRadar: 5/5
* Guardian: 5/5
* IGN: 8/10
* PlayStation LifeStyle: 9/10
* PlayStation Universe: 10/10
* Push Square: 8/10
* VGC: 5/5
* VideoGamer: 10/10

*Spider-Man 2* holds a score of 91/100 on review aggregator site Metacritic, based on 125 scored reviews and classified by the site as "universal acclaim".

Several reviewers declared *Spider-Man 2* to be among the greatest superhero games ever made, including GamesRadar's Joe Donnelly and VGC's Jordan Middler, as well as Inverse's Hayes Madsen, who felt *Spider-Man 2* "universally succeeds in [its] vision". Writing for Variety, Katcy Stephan deemed *Spider-Man 2* "the definitive superhero game".

### Sales

In the United Kingdom, *Spider-Man 2* was the best selling boxed entry of its release week. It was the forth biggest physical launch of 2023 in the country; the biggest 2023 physical launch of a PlayStation 5 title, overtaking previous record holder *Hogwarts Legacy* by 5%; and Sony's second biggest physical launch of a PlayStation 5 title in the country after 2022's *God of War Ragnarök*, which was 3% higher. The game's physical launch was higher than that of *Spider-Man: Miles Morales* by 41%, but lower than 2018's *Spider-Man* by 38%, which was attributed to the rise of digital distribution between 2018 and 2023.

Within 24 hours, *Spider-Man 2* sold over 2.5 million copies, becoming the fastest-selling Sony-published title under that record. By October 30, 11 days since its launch, *Spider-Man 2* sold over 5 million copies. A leak Insomniac Games suffered in December 2023 revealed that *Spider-Man 2* sales reached 6.1 million copies on November 12, 2023.

### Accolades

*Spider-Man* received Game of the Year award from Push Square. It received Player's Choice and community awards from IGN, Push Square, and Eurogamer Portugal.

Game Informer and The Guardian listed *Spider-Man 2* as the third best game of 2023. GamesRadar and Empire included *Spider-Man 2* as the forth best game of 2023. AV Club listed *Spider-Man 2* as the seventh best game of 2023. Polygon and Giant Bomb ranked *Spider-Man 2* as the eighth best game of 2023. Vulture ranked *Spider-Man 2* as the tenth best game of 2023. Kotaku ranked *Spider-Man 2* as the eleventh best game of 2023, while Paste Magazine ranked it as the fifteenth best game of 2023. GameSpot included it in its "Best of 2023" end-year articles. Edge listed *Spider-Man 2* as the third best PlayStation game of 2023.

* Golden Joystick Awards 2023
	+ Ultimate Game of the Year - nominated
	+ Best Lead Performer (Nadji Jeter) - nominated
	+ Best Lead Performer (Yuri Lowenthal) - nominated
	+ Best Supporting Performer (Laura Bailey) - nominated
* The Game Awards 2023
	+ Game of the Year - nominated
	+ Best Game Direction - nominated
	+ Best Narrative - nominated
	+ Best Audio Design - nominated
	+ Innovation in Accessibility - nominated
	+ Best Action-Adventure Game - nominated
	+ Best Performance (Yuri Lowenthal) - nominated
* IGN Game of the Year 2023
	+ Best Open-World Game - nominated
* New York Games Awards
	+ Game of the Year - pending
	+ Best World - pending

## Future

In an interview with SkillUp following *Spider-Man 2*'s release, Intihar teased the possibility and scope of a *Spider-Man 3*, comparing the first entry and *Miles Morales* to 2008's *Iron Man* and *Spider-Man 2* to 2016's *Captain America: Civil War* in terms of series escalation, and said on a future installment, "I think it’d be pretty epic". In a separate interview with Insider, senior narrative director Jon Paquette acknowledged the popularity and demand for a *Venom* spin-off, saying, "We're gonna listen to the fans and we're gonna ask ourselves, 'Okay, what do the fans really want?'"

## Gallery

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - PlayStation Showcase 2021- Reveal Trailer - PS5Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - Introducing Kraven the Hunter - PS5 GamesMarvel's Spider-Man 2 - Gameplay Reveal - PS5 GamesMarvel's Spider-Man 2 - Digital Deluxe Trailer - PS5 GamesMarvel's Spider-Man 2 - Be Greater. Together. Trailer I PS5 GamesMarvel's Spider-Man 2 - Launch Trailer I PS5 GamesMarvel's Spider-Man 2 - The Story So Far - PS5 GamesMarvel's Spider-Man 2 - Accolades Trailer I PS5 GamesMarvel's Spider-Man 2 - Immersion Trailer - PS5 Games
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1. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/spider-man-2s-map-will-be-twice-the-size-of-its-predecessors
2. ↑ https://gamerant.com/marvels-spider-man-2-manhattan-brooklyn-queens-open-world/
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