An almost perfect sequel. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 [RECENZJA]

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the third installment (after the first part and “Miles Morales”) of Spider-Man’s adventures from the Insomniac studio. I must admit that when I received the first information about this project, I was afraid that the material would be “tired”. After all, we once again find ourselves in New York, known from previous games (although expanded with additional districts), which has been taken over by organized crime and supervillains.

My fears turned out to be unfounded. Although the basic game mechanics remained unchanged, the creators added so many additions and features that I once again flew between New York’s skyscrapers and absorbed the atmosphere of the virtual metropolis with great pleasure.

In Spider-Man 2 we play not one, but two “arachnids”. Peter Parker and Miles Morales work together to fight evil and vice, and while exploring the city we can switch between them – just like in GTA V.

Of course, both heroes also have their own plot lines and missions reserved only for them. Peter Parker meets Harry Osborn, his childhood best friend who has a dark secret. Miles Morales enters adulthood and still faces the trauma of the death of his father, who died at the hands of Mister Negative.

Spider-Man 2 photo: Insomniac

And speaking of supervillains, the main antagonist here is Kraven the Hunter, one of the most ruthless characters in the entire Marvel universe (and at the same time – for reasons I don’t understand – my son’s favorite “hero”. Kraven got bored with life in the jungle and decided to move to the urban jungle. His goal is not only to take control of New York, but also to hunt down the villains living in this metropolis, such as Scorpion, Lizard and the aforementioned Mister Negative.

There is also Venom, an extraterrestrial symbiote that suddenly appears in Peter Parker’s life and – literally – turns our “nice neighborhood superhero” into a “ruthless killing machine”. However, I do not want to dwell on this thread, because it is one of the most interesting plot surprises in the game.

Spider-Man 2 photo: Insomniac

If sometimes it seems to you that what you are doing doesn’t make much sense, think how the developers from Insomniac studio, who are responsible for the fast travel system in Spider-Man 2, must feel. It is completely unnecessary. This is because swinging on the nets and traversing the city is an adventure in itself. In the sequel, the creators perfected this element almost to perfection.

There is also a long-awaited new feature, the “wingsuit”, which allows us to glide. To move around the city faster, we can now use the so-called air tunnels. They are especially useful when the use of spider webs is difficult (e.g. on water or in areas without tall buildings).

Spider-Man 2 photo: Insomniac

The combat system has been thoroughly overhauled and is now more demanding, but also more satisfying. In addition to dodging, we can parry opponents’ blows, and the effectiveness of our counterattacks depends on proper timing.

Special moves also play a more important role, and we now use them as often as the gadgets known from previous versions. It is worth noting that both Peter Parker and Miles Morales have their own individual special actions.

I played the Insomniac game on normal difficulty level and more than once I lost a fight with a larger group of opponents. Spider-Man 2 requires a much more tactical approach to combat and the use of absolutely the entire arsenal of moves, special actions and gadgets, not just two or three proven solutions. This makes even generic encounters with criminals on the streets of the Big Apple much more interesting.

Spider-Man 2 photo: Insomniac

From the audiovisual point of view, Insomniac’s game looks amazing. Character models and physics, animations and texture quality are absolutely world class. I’m mentally searching for PlayStation 5 games that look better. Perhaps a remake of “Demon’s Souls” and “God of War: Ragnarok” would have something to say here, but neither of these titles offers the sense of fluidity that Spider-Man 2 offers.

At this point, I must point out that I definitely recommend playing in 60 FPS mode and with slightly limited ray-tracing (“Performance” mode). In this mode, Insomniac’s title sticks to a constant 60 frames per second and – in my opinion – this does not come at the expense of graphic quality. Of course, if you really want full ray tracing, there is also a 4K/30 FPS mode.

Spider-Man 2 photo: Insomniac

The city itself is also impressive. While in the first version New York looked more like a model, now it has turned into a bustling agglomeration. The creators took care of every little detail. We can, for example, look into the windows of skyscrapers and come across scenes from the lives of the residents. However, it is sometimes worth coming down from skyscrapers to the ground to see how people react to our arachnid.

If I were to point out the flaws of Insomniac’s latest game, the only thing that comes to mind is the lack of balance between the plot of Peter Parker and Miles Morales. This is the first one

Spider-Man 2 is an almost perfect sequel. Bigger, more interesting, and at the same time offering a more mature plot. If you’re looking for a game that will take 25-30 hours out of your life this fall, you’ve found it.

Rating: 9/10