Marvel’s Spider-Man 2， the Game

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: hands-on report – gameplay details on symbiote powers, combat, PS5 features and more

Plus additional insight from Insomniac Games on the game’s missions and story.

With Insomniac Games hard at work currently finalizing Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, the developers are also teasing us more and more with additional information coming out for the game. Manager, Content Communications at SIE, Gillen McAllister shared brand-new details about Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 after playing a short preview build of the upcoming web-slinging adventure that was shared with them, which also featured a tense cutscene face-off between Kraven and a symbiote-encased Spider-Man and gave us details on symbiote powers, combat, and a lot more.

As we already know Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will feature both Spider-Mans, Peter Parker, and Miles Morales. Both of them will have an equal role in the new game. Thanks to the powerful PS5 hardware and the super-speedy SSD, you will be able to switch between the two Spider-Man at any time you want and during the transition, you will be able to see some fun character moments as well. Both of them share a chunk of the side activities, Spider gadgets, and base upgrade paths. Apart from the shared bits, both of them have unique storylines, missions, and skills to unlock as well.

https://youtu.be/grZigSpVDno

The button layouts are identical so you do not have to learn combos and button inputs for two separate characters and some of the abilities are also shared which will allow you to feel at home no matter which Spider-Man you choose to play with at any given time. Both Peter Parker and Miles Morales will have evolved move-sets with a backstory. As shown in the reveal trailer, Peter Parker was using his four mechanized Spider-Arms to defeat enemies, it was just one of many customizable suit powers that you will find in the game until the Symbiote comes into play.

He will have his own default loadout in the game however Insomniac Games has not shared any details on that at this particular moment. On the other hand, Miles Morales will have two distinct colorings for his bio-electrical Venom powers. The evolving moveset of Miles Morales plays into his story arc and both mechanical and electrical powers will have their own unique skill tree. Earning XP will gradually unlock AoE attacks, multi-foe launchers, and much more for you to play around with. This time around, the web shooters will have an increased capacity of twelve shots, and they will also recharge quickly.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Symbiote Powers

The preview build also revealed two gadgets Upshot which deploys a drone that peppers web shots at nearby enemies, knocking them into the air, and Web Grabber which fires webbing from all sides and then yanking anything attached for a powerful AoE attack opportunity. One of the key things revealed from the trailers right from the start of the game is the black suit of Spider-Man which features the symbiote. It will have its own unique skill tree and will allow you to land powerful attacks. These attacks will range from auto-grabbing, lifting, and then slamming the enemies to the ground to powerful grabs as showcased in the Kraven fight.

Two powerful moves have been revealed so far including the Symbiote Punch and Symbiote Strike. During the Symbiote Strike, the suit will envelop Peter into a writhing mass that shoots forward, momentum, and additional extruding spikes catapulting an enemy backward. The Symbiote Punch is another powerful attack that leaves enemies stunned and airborne for follow-up combos of your choice. The suit’s special is called Symbiote Surge which you activate by pressing L3+R3 and it is a savage, fast-paced grab-and-slam attack that allows you to manually target and permanently ground enemies. Both Miles and Peter can parry incoming attacks. Any incoming attack that can be parried is denoted by a yellow circle turning red and if you press L1 at the right time, you will parry the incoming attack and repel the incoming attack with an attack yourself. Naturally, not all attacks can be parried and therefore, you will need to avoid them using dash or swinging.

Just like the lore, the Black Suit is hypersensitive to sound, and players will experience this through not only the screen but with the controller’s feedback as well. One thing that players will notice in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is that the villains are more monsters instead of the ones that rely on technology like most of the villains in the first game. Both Lizard and Venom are monstrosities that are able to transform, and Mister Negative is a villain who is making a comeback in the second part of the game as well. Kraven’s Hunters will always try to circle you and will come in large numbers and from every direction but lucky for you, you will have your symbiote powers in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 to take them out.

The story of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 picks off after eight months of the events of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. In the world of Marvel’s Spider-Man, Harry Osborn has been Peter’s best friend since high school, and they are as close as brothers and bonded over a love of environmental science. However, he has been absent for a while and now he has made his return. He knows about Peter and Miles being Spider-Man and both of them are trying to fix Harry’s illness. You will get to notice the tension and the awkwardness of mutual friendships during the story of the game.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is slated for release exclusively on PS5 on October 20, 2023. Additional details about the game will be revealed in the upcoming days. In the meantime, make sure to check out the previously released story trailer for more Venom details or the PS5 bundle which features PS5 plates and an amazing controller as well.