Marvel's Spider-Man 2 lead says longer isn't always better for games: "Our job is to make sure that you feel no matter how long it is, it's worth that money"
The superhero sequel aims for more memorable moments, rather than a long campaign
Now that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is finally out, fans can dive into the next open-world superhero game focusing on the Spider-Men - Peter Parker and Miles Morales. However, following the release of reviews earlier this week and with the game's full launch, there's been much discussion about the overall length of Spider-Man 2, which sits at about 15 to 20 hours.
The main topic of debate online is whether 20 hours for a full open-world game is short or just right for a Spider-Man game. Recently, in an interview with BBC News, creative director Bryan Intihar at Insomniac Games spoke about the length of the game and why it was important to make a game worthy of people's investment.
"For us, it really comes down to the experience we want to deliver with the quality we want to hit," said Intihar in the BBC News interview. "Obviously, there's a certain level of, 'hey, someone's going to spend this much money on a game,' so we want to give them the experience that's worth it."
If you're wondering "how long is Spider-Man 2?" compared to 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man, the sequel's main story comes roughly about the same length. With the focus on two parallel stories for Peter and Miles, both of whom struggle with the weight of being NYC's Spider-Men, it's a much more ambitious sequel, yet it doesn't look to overstay its welcome either.
The creative director did hit back at the claims that the game's length falls under expectations. Rather than going for a lengthy campaign, the work done on the sequel is more about ensuring that people feel the game is worthwhile, regardless of length, stating: "Our job is to make sure that you feel no matter how long it is, it's worth that money, it's worth that investment."
In our Marvel's Spider-Man 2 review, Gamesradar+ features editor Joe Donnelly gave Marvel's Spider-Man 2 a perfect score, stating that: "Just about everything here is an improvement over the original game. The combat and gadgetry is a tangible, if sometimes shameless homage to Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham series. And the breakneck traversal is a tribute to anyone with a passing interest in the subject matter, or anyone else who's ever dreamt of saving the world or defying gravity by flying through the skies. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is, quite simply, the best superhero game yet."
If you're looking to dive into the sequel, check out our guide to whether you should choose the Spider-Man 2 Performance or Fidelity mode.
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Alessandro is a freelance writer and editor based in the San Francisco Bay Area who has covered the games, tech, and entertainment industries for more than 13 years. Having previously worked at GameSpot, CNET, and various other outlets writing features and coordinating event coverage, Alessandro enjoys playing games on PC, but also gives plenty of time to his Nintendo Switch. You can find him on various socials at @afillari.