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I wasn't sure it was possible, but Insomniac has somehow made traversal in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 more fun. Of course, making movement fun is very much in Insomniac's DNA. From running about and flying in Spryo the Dragon, grinding and wall-running in Sunset Overdrive, to swinging through New York in this series, it's always been a huge part of why Insomniac's games are so enjoyable. But who knew that adding a wingsuit - or web wing - to Marvel's Spider-Man 2 would switch things up for the better.
I was skeptical at first, I'll admit. Swinging through the skyscrapers of New York has always been a core pleasure in the Spider-Man games, coupled with nailing that perfect wall run or ledge leap to keep the flow going. But, the web wing only helps with that sense of momentum. You can switch to the web wing whenever you want between swings, allowing you to move across areas where there aren't skyscrapers to web onto, like Central Park or across the East River. Air vents can propel you skywards again too and for even more speed you can move through jet streams all over the map, which present themselves like airborne rings to glide through.
Essentially the web wing is pretty crucial for keeping you moving in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. This is the biggest map in the series yet, bringing together the locations we've come to know in both Peter Parker and Miles Morales' adventures like Manhattan and Harlem, but also expanding into Brooklyn and Queens. There are low residential buildings here, the more coastal areas of Coney Island, and just far greater diversity of architecture. Neither Peter nor Miles can swing from nothing, after all.
"What's really interesting about bringing Brooklyn and Queens to life is that Miles is from Brooklyn, Peter is from Queens," explains senior art director, Jacinda Chew. "[We were] able to bring, for example, Aunt May's house to life - [Peter's] childhood home - and for Miles, Brooklyn Visions where he goes to school. Just having that contrast of what their lives are like in these distinct areas is very personal to each character."
"But then also getting to do that variety of environments too. For me, building out Coney island was the best thing ever, because it's really cool. You can actually walk on the boardwalk and walk along the sand, and there's the water. That's not something that happened in the first game."
Switch and shout
There's a lot in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 that doesn't happen in the first game, though. The biggest thing is that we've now got two Spider-men sharing the spotlight here, with a duo of unique narratives combining to make one epic tale. In the open world - aka outside of core missions - you can switch between each Spider-Man whenever you want, catching them in the middle of whatever they were doing for some hopefully hilarious and creative idling animations. Interestingly, Chew says we won't catch them at school, or napping at home, as both Peter and Miles will always be ready to swing.
"If it's a player-controlled switch, which happens in the open world, because it's in gameplay then you'll be in your suit."
That switching though isn't just about learning more what an off-duty Spider-Man is up to, but also to give you the option to mix up the gameplay whenever you fancy it as you explore New York. If you played Spider-Man Miles Morales, you'll be very familiar with Miles' electric-based powers - or at least from what I saw in this preview they're familiar - but Peter's really got a lot going on. The preview section we jumped into was a few hours into the game, by which point Peter already has the symbiote Venom powers, and he's struggling with how they're affecting his personality and emotions. His friends are noticing it too, both Miles and MJ, and his best pal Harry Osbourne who plays a huge part in Marvel's Spider-Man 2's narrative.
They're also super badass. Sitting on L1 + the face buttons, I had access to an urchin-like attack that can spike several enemies at once, while another grabbed multiple foes with tentacle-like arms and then smashed them to the ground. One of the others let Peter basically become consumed by the symbiote and move like a powerful jet of black goo to rush an enemy and pin them against a surface. They're all on timers, so don't necessarily feel overpowered, but it definitely seemed like there were a lot more enemies to take on to compensate for the option of taking out so many at once.
The black suit is also seriously cool. Chew says the team wanted to make sure it had a visual relationship with the symbiote from the off. "Our black suit design, you'll see that it's kind of wet and shiny, it's moving slightly, and has some tentacles on it. It's our way of bringing it all together, to give you a hint that something ain't right," laughs Chew. I also love the way it creeps down the back of Peter's neck like a horrible little bug. But with 65 suits featured in the game, and over 200 new styles to unlock (essentially color-variations on certain suits, but not all), it's going to be very quick to keep both Peter and Miles looking fly.
On the web
Both of our Spider-Men can be upgraded too, and it looks like regardless of who you're swinging as, they'll both level up. Ability points can be spent on skills that are either shared or unique to each Spidey, which is a nice touch so you're not penalized for who you spend your time with in the open world. Missions of course, will have you switching between the two. For example, in this preview beat I was mainly following Peter's attempt to track down Dr Curtis Connors, who may have the only cure for Harry Osborne's illness. However, he's been turned into the Lizard by Kraven the Hunter and will need help to transform back again.
Meanwhile, Miles is helping out a friend of his mom's - a woman who's trying to get funding for a musical museum in Harlem only to find it being robbed. Miles sends in his spider-bot to get visuals on what's happening inside, using little web shots on a drum kit here and a piano there to distract the goons. Later, Miles himself comes in for some stealth action and a new ability that lets him create tightrope-esque web strings whenever he wants for serious aerial antics.
Later Peter calls him to ask him to scout out a potential Lizard spotting nearby, before joining up for the epic chase scene that we saw in the recent gameplay reveal. The fact that the game can have two narratives occurring side by side in one mission plays out really well, with you able to get a better sense of who these two young men are and what they're driven by simultaneously.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Spider-Man game without some kickass boss battles, and at the end of my preview session I'm taking on the Lizard. It's a three-stage boss battle that relies on a lot of movement and taking full advantage of the game's new parry system. There are some heavy attacks both in boss battles and combat elsewhere that can't be dodged. Flagged by a quick pulse of yellow on an attack, they're not the easiest to spot in a heated battle, and learning to tap L1 to parry is going to take some muscle learning - especially as Peter's symbiote powers and Miles' electric ones are also mapped to L1.
But, it's a promising start - although at this stage that shouldn't be a surprise. Insomniac is treading beautifully familiar ground here, bringing together both of its epic Spider-Man tales into one glorious package. With so much riding on both heroes, the wider impact of their friends and families, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 promises to be as impactful in its storytelling as it is its combat and exploration.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 drops on PS5 on October 20.
