If you thought we were going to start this Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Review When you wrote that with great power comes great responsibility, you were absolutely right: we just did it and that's why we didn't worry. Because Spider-Man's problem, in the end, is always this, right? Even in the most recent films it seemed as if we had avoided Uncle Ben's famous phrase, but round and round the imagination of the superhero created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko revolves around essential pillars, such as the aforementioned phrase. The other is New York. How could Spider-Man exist without New York?
We asked ourselves this while we walked around among the skyscrapers of the Big Apple that Insomniac Games has been revived in this new version of its blockbuster, this time developed exclusively for PlayStation 5. An even more ambitious title that brings together not one but two spider men in the same story and which, despite this, is not intended to be a watershed, a revolutionary experience or a period launch on which to focus all the spotlights, but rather a friendlier neighborhood Spider-Man. Actually, two.
Stories of hunters, spiders and symbiotes.
With their Spider-Man, those at Insomniac had a great intuition: they developed the narrative as a typical "what if" a la Marvel, but without retelling the hero's origins. They reserved that treatment for the second Spider-Man (it's a bit confusing, actually) when introducing him. Miles Morales to the general public who did not yet know him through the story of the first chapter and dedicating a miniature title to him that acts as a fundamental interlude between Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
Peter Parker Everyone already knows: there is no point in retelling the story of Uncle Ben's death and starting from scratch, so the first game began when theSpiderman He had been fighting crime for eight years and had already met many allies and supervillains. A solution that streamlined the story, freeing it from the burden of having to explain everything to focus on the plots that really mattered and that had to be outlined from the beginning.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 continues down this path, tapping into Marvel's limitless imagination with twists that might surprise even the most die-hard Spider-Man fans. There is no point in pretending: everyone already knows it Veneno, but the way we get to the very famous black symbiote is very interesting and is a medal of merit for the group of writers who signed the new script. HE director Bryan Intihar y Ryan Smith They continue to build their small personal universe on the foundations already laid; The summary at the beginning of the game helps put the pieces together, but most of the plot takes on real meaning only if you've followed this path in its entirety.
this Doesn't mean Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is incomprehensible to those who missed the first two dates and the DLC The City That Never Sleeps. In the end, the characters are known to most people and Insomniac does everything possible to characterize them even outside of the cutscenes, taking advantage of the dialogues, phone calls and monologues that are now a typical form of communication in third-party adventures. person.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2, however, works harder at one much more complex narrative than we would have imagined, especially now that we have to navigate between two protagonists. It had been easy to relegate Miles to a supporting role in the first game and send Peter on vacation in the second; now instead the story alternates organically and naturally between the two Spider-Mans, following the vicissitudes in parallel but continually interweaving them, drawing a true interactive comic that explodes in the final act, when all the issues come to a critical point.
The first hours, however, are not so calm. After a spectacular start with the now traditional boss fight that serves as a tutorial, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 takes its time, build relationships, place each piece on the board. The fulcrum of the story, needless to say, is the return of Harry Osborn, who Peter and Mary Jane knew was in Europe, only to discover that his father Norman had hospitalized him in an attempt to cure him of a deadly illness. .
Up to this point we have known Harry through the protagonist's memories, so in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 we need to define him better, rebuild his friendship with Peter, give him a very important value and fit him into the mosaic that also includes Miles Morales. , Mary Jane and everyone else. At the same time, Insomniac also needs to develop them. The protagonist is still Spider-Man, singular, but the choice of title is significant. More than you think.
Miles's story, in fact, is no less central.. The events of the game dedicated to him have shaken his resolve and we discover that the young superhero has not yet gotten over the loss of his father. Then there is Mary Jane, a character who should be secondary but who in every way we can include among the protagonists, and who now works full time for a Daily Bugle that ended up in the clutches of J. Jonah Jameson. Her ethical and professional dilemmas are unexpectedly important to the story and her much-discussed change of look, now less childish, fits perfectly with the development of her character.
It may seem like a confusing puzzle, full of scattered pieces to which the various secondary characters are added (Ganke, Rio Morales, Hailey, Norman Osborn, etc.), but in reality everything makes a very precise sense. To upset the balance established in the first act of the story, the slowest and most introspective, The requirements: His arrival in New York lights a fuse that will trigger a chain explosion, directly or indirectly influencing the relationships between the characters, which will question and falter on several occasions. Fertile ground for a certain symbiont that feeds on insecurities. And the way Insomniac presents things, anything can happen from that point on, but the story manages to resolve itself with a more than satisfying sense of completion, despite opening the door to a third, and final? - videogame.
Ironically, The requirements He is one of the best antagonists in a story full of them. Perhaps driven by the need to relaunch a B-movie villain now that a movie focused solely on him is looming, those at Sony have decided to include him in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 with a primary role. We won't be able to tell you the hows and whys of Kraven, but suffice it to say that his charismatic and sinister figure influences a good part of the story, although he is often behind the scenes giving orders and planning his hunts: it is one of the highest points of Kraven. a narrative that is hardly wrong in anything and that embraces the rhythm of the greatest comic sagas of the House of Ideas.
Swinging over New York
In the fresh narrative of Marvel's Spider-Man 2, which is the main mission that is divided into several chapters, the secondary objectives which fans of previous titles will immediately recognize: there is really no difference in structural terms, and perhaps this is precisely the most predictable feature of Insomniac's new title. You don't change a team that wins, says a well-known proverb, but perhaps in this case it would be more appropriate to say it in English: if'an't Broken, don't fix it. Marvel's Spider-Man series works in a certain way and also for this reason it has won over its fans.
So he progression The content remains the same as in the past: at a certain point in the main story secondary objectives are unlocked that we can ideally divide into categories. The photos are taken again, this time of everyday moments in the Big Apple, having exhausted the famous places in previous adventures; chase missions and hideouts to clear the return, leading to tasty backstories about Kraven's family; Logic puzzles and hidden or visible collectibles return.
On the narrative front, we must admit that the side missions They disappointed us a little. Some, such as those linked to the characters of Sandman and Mysterio, are quite interesting and satisfactorily characterize two historical antagonists of Spider-Man who play a supporting role here. Others, like the Flame quest cycle, focused on the mysterious - but not too - mysterious vigilante who calls himself Wraith, refer to a possible DLC, if not the next chapter in the series. They are secondary tasks that are faced for the rewards, including experience points, costumes and tokens, and which the game distributes sparingly during the main campaign, but perhaps more could have been done.
In terms of gameplay, however, Insomniac has definitely done its homework. Although divided into the aforementioned categories familiar to those who completed the previous Marvel's Spider-Man, the new supporting cast seemed noticeably more varied than in the past. At the Burbank offices they had to take into account the feedback from fans, who complained of significant repetitiveness in this optional activity of the first adventures of the two Spider-Men, so they diversified the offer by introducing new types of challenges, obstacles and logical puzzles.
The most interesting thing is that The dynamics of the game tend to intersect.. Some challenges that represent a certain category of secondary can suddenly appear in a completely different group, keeping the player on their toes and offering a greater variety of situations. For example, EMF missions (we won't reveal the meaning of the acronym to spare you a spoiler) focus on new logic puzzles, but you can also encounter these types of puzzles in other circumstances, for example in missions. marked by blue pointers that often delve into subplots or secondary characters. In this sense, Howard's pigeons also return: a mission that we really advise you not to miss.
Insomniac has also worked on the level design of the classic hideouts and the missions you can tackle furtively, eliminating enemies with a little strategy, or harshly, setting off the alarm and fighting off wave after wave of opponents. It's nothing we haven't already seen over and over again in past Marvel's Spider-Man games, but some settlements surprised us with extra objectives and little puzzles that made us think about the most satisfying way to take home the victory.
Despite the greater variety of optional missions (we especially liked the ones focused on Prowler's hideouts, among other things), there is a continuous and omnipresent feeling of already seen. The player is not obliged to perform these tasks at all, and even when the story stops, it is enough to search for some crime, marked with the usual red indicators, to unlock the next main mission. Those too small random assignments They have been rethought: some are now more immediate, such as chases that complete more quickly, while others seem more complex. It is not uncommon for us to have to take a wounded person to the nearest emergency room after having foiled an attack or putting out a fire, and it may happen that a gang of enemies attacks us while we are defeating other adversaries.
Every neighborhood in New York generates money experience points -so to speak- based on our actions, whether completing a main mission, a secondary mission or foiling a crime. There are three levels: the first and last reward useful tokens to strengthen the character, while the second level unlocks fast travel to that neighborhood.
Il fast travel In the past it was obtained simply by advancing in the main story, but now it is closely linked to a kind of routine that depends solely on the user. It can be unlocked relatively quickly by completing each side task that appears on the map as soon as possible, or you can ignore this aspect completely and make it to the end credits without using this feature.
However, this means significantly lengthening time, as we can often find ourselves oscillating for miles and miles as we move from one goal to another. While fast travel literally requires a couple of seconds of chargingIt is clear that Insomniac has chosen this solution to force the player, at least initially, to exploit the oscillations and the new movement dynamics represented by the wings.
Watching Spider-Man
on movement and oscillation system Rivers of words have been dedicated to Insomniac products, but once again we can firmly confirm their benefits: the Californian developer has hit the nail on the head. practically perfect control system, and highly customizable, which transforms one of the iconic features of the Marvel superhero into pure playability thanks also to an excellent implementation of haptic feedback and DualSense functions. You could swing for hours between the buildings of New York, resorting to a multitude of maneuvers from the beginning: many of the ones you had to unlock in the previous Marvel's Spider-Man are already available immediately, and they are added to the infamous wings. , already introduced in the tutorial.
The latter, which can be removed at any time and allows you to slide, did not convince us too much at first: the momentum, which initially depends on physics, does not last long and at first it is much easier and faster to swing. or exploit the slingshot effect. This is where the abilities of the two Spider-Mans and the Costume Technology screen come into play: endless options that allow you to customize the game and progression not only in terms of mobility, but also in the combat system.
The There are three skill trees.: one for Peter Parker, one for Miles Morales and one shared between the two Spider-Mans. Individuals intervene on specific fighting techniques. By spending the skill points you earn at each new level, you can upgrade techniques like Miles' Chain Lightning or Peter's Spider Whip.
The techniques thus acquire additional characteristics that can shape the player's style: for some fighting techniques, usually associated with a button on the front of the controller, there are significantly different alternatives. At a certain point we will be able to replace the techniques focused on Peter's mechanical appendages with the powers conferred by the symbiote, or establish a combination of both, depending on our preferences. Miles also has alternatives to the bioelectric powers already seen in the adventure dedicated to him, but we don't want to spoil too much.
The shared skill tree, however, improves the characteristics common to the two Spider-Man: mobility, as already mentioned, allowing us to intervene in swing maneuvers and new movements, but also the generic combat system, with a multitude of Additional combinations including the ability to pull or disarm enemies, reduce the cooldown of special moves, etc. It is up to the player to choose what to improve first and how to distribute the points, but in the end maximum level, which is 60, if you have enough to unlock each skill.
the screen of Wardrobe technology It's a little different deal. Please note that the costumes, many of them and often multicolored, have no particular properties: they are only cosmetic and do not influence the gameplay in any way. The Costume Technology screen offers a series of more generic talents and bonuses, divided into four categories, affecting damage resistance, combat and mobility, and which are unlocked by spending the tokens and technological components obtained.
It is on this screen that the gliding of the wings is improved, making it a nice, although not essential, addition to the gameplay of Marvel's Spider-Man 2. The game in certain circumstances forces you to use the wings, but outside of these specific missions. Nor could they ever extract, and only exploit, theoscillation and fast trips to move within the limits of New York. It would be a much slower and more monotonous procedure, but Insomniac allows this freedom.
Actually, even putting the penultimate difficulty (Amazing) we didn't encounter any particular problems except in the final missions of the campaign, and our goal was to unlock all the mobility bonuses first, simply because flying around New York is still very fun and exhilarating: between updrafts, launch pads and antennas. tunnels that increase sliding speed, there's really no lack of variety and it helps make this part of the experience even more refined than in the past.
On the ground the combat system It works just as well, but the innovations are of a lesser caliber and you could say that this aspect seemed the most obvious to us. The dynamic remains the same as in previous titles; We are talking about a freeflow with all the advantages and disadvantages of this particular style of play, which you may or may not like but which is undoubtedly right when it comes to an agile and acrobatic superhero like Spider-Man. Also the introduction of parade is less impactful than it might seem: it's not that the game has suddenly become Sekiro, it's simply an additional mechanic that rewards time with a window of opportunity, especially when facing enemies that use particularly powerful attacks.
They are back contraption, of course, that are unlocked and updated with tokens and technological components, and that it is no longer necessary to select from a disk-shaped menu: they can now be accessed at any time using specific shortcuts, provided, of course, that of the appropriate ammunition. The gadgets are more or less similar to previous titles, with some fun additional dynamics that represent added value if you play on the higher difficulty levels, including Ultimate which is unlocked by completing the campaign. Combining gadgets with the new. spiderweb cord, which allows you to establish a foothold at will, you will be able to implement interesting strategies.
Added to the mix are the fighting techniques already seen in Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which are associated with four shortcuts in total and which recharge over time. This is essentially what differentiates the two superheroes who, with the exception of Miles' cloaking power, are absolutely identical and they are controlled in the same way, as only the normal animations and those of the cinematic finishing blows change. The attacks continue to fill the Concentration gauges, which we can then discharge to heal ourselves or get rid of enemies in a single hit, while the peak This is a new gameplay feature that is unlocked as you progress through the story and represents the most marked difference between Peter and Miles: a kind of spectacular super technique that is used to get out of trouble at critical moments.
Anyone expecting a significant difference between Peter before and after the encounter with the symbiote may be disappointed. He poison costume - not to be confused with Miles' powers of the same name, a truly unfortunate nomenclature choice - confers no special powers or particular attributes: it is literally an additional skin that only changes some animations. The tentacles of symbiont They replace mechanical arms in normal animations, such as aerial shots, while the player can choose between symbiote and initial techniques that use the arms regardless of the costume they are wearing. In other words, nothing stops you from wearing the black suit and using only the mechanical arms or wearing the classic suit and using only Venom's techniques. The paradox is that what has changed significantly compared to the past are the game sessions in the role of some secondary characters, in particular Mary Jane. They were the most criticized for issues of pace and dynamism, being focused on stealth, so Insomniac changed the cards on the table, perhaps also to underline the more adult and brave characterization of MJ in this story. He secrecy It's still there, but it's been greatly reduced in favor of a more aggressive level design that results in segments that are more reminiscent of Uncharted and that, honestly, entertained us more than expected, being shorter and tighter.
In short, it is not that Insomniac has canceled or even innovated the formula, but perhaps it was not even the time to do so, but rather to iron out rough edges, taking into account the criticism of the players. He introduced an increased number of boss fights, for example, although not all of them convinced us in the same way: some tend to become repetitive, in a succession of phases that are too similar but fortunately brief. Those who have enjoyed it in the past will immediately feel at home and will not have to fear that the third installment of the franchise will distance itself too much from the previous ones... but, ultimately, how much sense would the opposite have made? ? Marvel's Spider-Man is real comfort food, demanding a comprehensive revolution now would be illogical.
Does bigger mean better?
We completed Marvel's Spider-Man 2 in approximately 34 hours with 91% of the Trophies: for the Platinum we should have done something else, such as flying over a part of the map without touching the ground or performing thirty aerial acrobatics in a row, but if we exclude these challenges we can say that we have seen practically everything . We reached the maximum level, unlocked all the abilities, obtained all the costumes, completed all the side quests and upgraded all the gadgets, and we had a lot of fun becoming Spider-Man again in the new Insomniac title, but we can't say that any once we were. Truly satisfied and open mouth.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a very well-crafted product in many aspects, but the third time we fly over this Manhattan we cannot help but remain a little indifferent before a horizon that is now so familiar to us, to the point that it was difficult for us to recognize the diversity addition of new areas such as Queens y Brooklyn, if not in the moments in history that most enhance these neighborhoods thanks to a set of narrative devices and visual solutions.
If in Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales they explored a Christmas New York that played with lights and snowy settings, the Big Apple of Spider-Man 2 takes a step back by proposing a more generic panorama that stands out only in those moments of the story. that Insomniac takes advantage of particular weather or climatic conditions. There geometric complexity It is noticeably improved, as is the density represented by a greater number of inhabitants, vehicles and animated 3D models, but after the first five minutes you get used to it and the improvements fade into the background.
The amusement park scenery alone, especially at night with the light effects of the attractions, flexes the PlayStation 5's muscles, but if the look is certainly impressive, especially when you realize the unlimited visual horizon despite the almost sudden speed of loading when passing from one hero to another or at the moment of fast travel, the truth is that we are talking about a normal metropolis that continues to fascinate but which in general no longer has the same effect that it had in 2018 and 2020. Making a summary comparison, the Horizon: Forbidden West scenarios win by a landslide.
He too Design 3D of the characters travel through ups and downs. The main protagonists are ultra-detailed and textured to perfection, but because of this they differ not so much from the generic inhabitants that wander the streets, but above all from those of the secondary characters who appear less and who still have a good reputation. amount of importance, like Doctor Connors, Flint Marko or Quentin Beck. Let's say that until now no Marvel Spider-Man has stood out in terms of character design, so it's a little sad that Insomniac hasn't taken advantage of this to raise the bar.
Let it be clear that we are picky: we can complain about the ordinaryness of the urban setting or the 3D models that do not demonstrate the obsessive care of an Aloy or a Kratos, but Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is still a very valid and embellished title. One's excellent direction in cinematics and an unmistakable stylistic coherence.
What is striking, for example, is the variety of options offered in the dedicated menus, which allow the experience to be optimized and personalized on multiple levels. Insomniac was not only attentive toaccessibility, which offers a large number of very useful functions that allow you to customize the controls and the level of difficulty, intervening, for example, in the dynamics of the swing or in the damage from falling, but it has also worked better than ever in performances. with a very interesting series. The game implements the infamous Ray Tracing in all modes: Fideltà does not skimp on effects, trying to guarantee a maximum of 30 frames per second; Performance, on the other hand, gives up a little to maintain an almost granite 60 frames.
Additionally, on screens that reach 120 Hz you can configure a intermediate mode which travels at 40 frames per second, with a further dynamic improvement if VRR is also enabled. We have tested all configurations; It goes without saying that Insomniac's title expresses its maximum potential at 60 frames per second, with a fluidity that fits perfectly with the frenetic rhythms of freeflow and that helps a lot in fights where greater synchronization is needed.
We can totally understand gamers who want to enjoy Insomniac's latest work at its finest, setting up Loyalty even if it's just to save a snapshot to Photo mode from the top of the Avengers tower or let yourself be carried away by the most daring cinematics. The direction remains excellent, and although another slow-motion turn of Spider-Man struggles to impress like the first times, the experience remains exciting and cinematic thanks also to the excellent music of John Paesano and the Spanish dubbing, particularly refined and attractive in the most dramatic moments.
Finally, it seems right to also report some issues in terms of code cleanup. In addition to having encountered sporadic slowdowns in Loyalty mode and even rarer crashes, we are encountering more frequent problems with the camera, which tends to lose its orientation in indoor environments, when it is too close to a ceiling or wall. Insomniac has already released an update that appears to have resolved some technical issues (for example, the game stopped crashing at certain times) and another should arrive on launch day to fix more bugs. Aside from these minor criticisms, our test went without a hitch.
Conclusions
Tested version PlayStation 5 digital delivery PlayStation Store Price 79,99 € Holygamerz.com 8.5 Readers (132) 8.2 your voteSpider-Man's latest adventure on PlayStation 5 is a better video game than the previous ones in practically every aspect, dedicated above all to fans who have followed the Insomniac series and who can't wait to put on the tights again to swing between buildings. of a New York that you should already know well. The big thorn in the side of this iteration is, in fact, the absence of truly significant innovations: Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a title faithful to itself that, on the one hand, does exactly what is expected but, on the other, no surprises. as we expected. We can't blame the Burbank developer for taking the same path and being very successful, but next time it will take a little more courage and inventiveness.
PRO
- One of the best Spider-Man stories.
- Characters characterized to perfection.
- More varied and complex situations than in the past
- Many options to customize gameplay and graphics.
AGAINST
- Despite the graphical improvements, New York is not as surprising as before
- Some side quests could have said more.
- Few significant innovations
