The biggest announcement of the PlayStation Showcase has finally been shown. Fans have been clamouring for more information about the highly anticipated sequel to one of the finest PlayStation exclusives in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Other than the minimal news that was released when it was officially announced, any more concrete news has been thin on the ground since that trailer at the back end of 2021 involving the two titular Spider-Men and a surprise appearance by Venom, voiced by the charismatic and intimidating Tony Todd.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – The Biggest Game of the Year?
Video games based on superheroes have long since had a bad reputation bar the odd exception – Rocksteady’s Arkham series, being the main one – and so when Insomniac first announced Marvel’s Spider-Man in June 2016, there was as much trepidation about the prospect of another hero being ruined in a video game, as there was excitement to be able to swing through the streets of New York again.
Spider-Man himself has been on both ends of the spectrum, with both excellent and sub-par video games to his name, although none are quite as bad as the 2008 Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-in for Iron Man.
Related: 5 of the Worst Parts of Marvel’s Spider-Man We Want Nowhere Near the Sequel
Thankfully Marvel’s Spider-Man debuted in 2018, and other than a few minor hiccups, it was met with huge praise and plaudits by fans and critics alike, and Insomniac continued this with not only the downloadable content for the game but also with the standalone game two years later based around Miles Morales.
Adding together fan fervor and the quality of the two previous entries means that the upcoming sequel is shaping up to be a huge release come Fall 2023. Many expected Insomniac to announce a concrete date at the PlayStation Showcase, but unfortunately, that hasn’t happened, but what they have shown us will be enough to blow everyone’s heads in anticipation for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
What’s New to Know about Marvel’s Spider-Man 2?
Insomniac and Sony really spoiled us with the amount that was shown of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and to be fair, it was far more than we could have hoped for. The segment opened with a man in a jungle, clearly intent on hunting and hurting someone… unfortunately for said man, he’s hunting Kraven, yes, that Kraven and promptly loses and gets dispatched. Kraven is shown a map of Manhatten with various names and faces, clearly indicating his attempt at taking down the likes of Peter, Miles, Black Cat, The Lizard and many more (even the Prowler was name-dropped here)…
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the entire reveal came next, with Insomniac showing us Peter… in his black symbiote suit! Whilst we knew Venom was going to be involved, no-one expected the studio to go this route so early, but it seems they’re taking the biscuit and running with it, as we’re shown numerous new abilities the suit has afforded Peter, including multiple tentacles, grabbing and throwing enemies from a distance away, as well as a sort-of protective shield ball similar to the symbiote in the less-than-stellar-films has.
The reveal also showed the long-rumored gameplay between both Miles and Peter, seemingly switching when the story necessitated, rather than at will. Whether this is only for this part of the game, or we’ll be able to freely choose later is unknown right now, but it is exciting and will afford us, the players, the ability to tackle the game with both the different playstyles the two Spider-Men affords us.
Perhaps due to the obviously increased map size, both of the playable characters can now glide huge distances as well as web swing, and the stealth gameplay present during some of the slower moments of the first two games seems to have been improved upon, with it looking far more intuitive and actually useful to play in such a way.
The entire reveal was a lot longer than expected, and with it came some unexpected sights. As the two Spider-Men are swinging and fighting their way across the map, it seems they’re looking for Dr Curt Connors, all the whilst being hunted by Kraven and his team of hunters. The Lizard does make a terrifying appearance later in the reveal trailer, leaping at Miles from the water below, and whilst we all assumed the Halloween costume appearance in the first game was accurate, it seems we were wrong. The Lizard is not a joke villain here. He seems intent on hurting Miles and definitely seems capable.
Gameplay as a whole looked and ‘felt’ similar to that of the first, with the fighting style of Peter only different due to the symbiote, but the reveal trailer ends on a promising note, with the two Spider-Men combining in such a way that it seems co-op takedowns will be a thing during the game. Again, whether this would be just in terms of boss fights as in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales or a more regular occurrence is unknown, but the thought of regularly dispatching enemies with another Spider-Man is exciting nonetheless.
Unfortunately for those hoping to pick up a controller and take down Kraven, The Lizard and no doubt more villains with a friend, Insomniac Games have already said that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will be a purely single-player experience. Sorry to dash those hopes. With a few months left until the game releases though, there’s going to be more shown, more surprises, and more to be excited about for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and like yourselves, we cannot wait!
There we have it, whilst already one of the most anticipated games of the year, those revelations from the PlayStation Showcase are only going to increase expectations come release. Are you more excited for the sequel after that, or somehow less so?
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