This review contains spoilers
In some ways Spider-Man 2 is an improvement from the original that manages to surpass some of the best in the genre. On the other hand lots of Spider-Man 2 feels like it doesn't learn much from the issues of its predecessor while introducing issues of its own. I still enjoyed my time with it but nonetheless came out a bit dissapointed.
Starting off strong I'd say on the gameplay front that Spider-Man 2 exceeds the original and them some. Deciding to keep suit powers gone like in MM was a great choice and the new abilities/gadgets do a lot to keep the game pace fast and frantic. The new traversal abilities in the form of Web Wings also feel phenomenal to use and help navigate the enormous world of Spider-Man 2, with both Peter and Miles being able to get through the expanded New York with ease. The open world is also my favorite of what Insomniac has done, with only the spider bots being annoying to find (though still not as bad as something like the Taskmaster or Sable camps in the original). Another thing I enjoyed in comparison to the other games were the boss fights, as they all feel like actual fights that use all of the mechanics to the fullest potential.
SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT
If I had to say what my biggest issue with Spider-Man 2 it'd easily go to its narrative. While it does start off strong with Kraven being a strong villain and Harry being a phenomenal supporting character, it quickly gets muddled and tries to do way too much. Miles in particular gets hurt by this because he really has nothing really noteworthy for a good chunk of the game besides going after Mister Negative (who isn't nearly as engaging as he was in 2018). I did enjoy Venom and Tony Todd does excellent work with the material but I also feel like he has too little of things to do, being strictly in the climax and getting defeated in surprisingly quick fashion. Besides that big issue I also felt that the upgrade system was a HUGE step back, feeling way too grindy and everything being given in a much slower way that pads out the game. On a more subjective note the Suits in this game also felt incredibly hit/miss with both Peter and Miles only having a few good suits with way too many movie suits muddling things (they also can't be stylized which is a huge miss). In particular Miles final suit might just be one of the worst I've seen in a Superhero game, being an utter joke of a costume that's also apparently an ad which makes it being his FINAL SUIT even funnier.
At the end of the day Spider-Man 2 is still a ton of fun but I think I'd take the original at the end of the day. While the gameplay and open world are superb, the narrative being too messy and the upgrade system being a mess takes away too much to consider this a better game. Still excited for the inevitable Spider-Man 3 and Wolverine but after that I hope Insomniac stops with Superhero games for a while and do something more original.
8.5/10
Starting off strong I'd say on the gameplay front that Spider-Man 2 exceeds the original and them some. Deciding to keep suit powers gone like in MM was a great choice and the new abilities/gadgets do a lot to keep the game pace fast and frantic. The new traversal abilities in the form of Web Wings also feel phenomenal to use and help navigate the enormous world of Spider-Man 2, with both Peter and Miles being able to get through the expanded New York with ease. The open world is also my favorite of what Insomniac has done, with only the spider bots being annoying to find (though still not as bad as something like the Taskmaster or Sable camps in the original). Another thing I enjoyed in comparison to the other games were the boss fights, as they all feel like actual fights that use all of the mechanics to the fullest potential.
SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT
If I had to say what my biggest issue with Spider-Man 2 it'd easily go to its narrative. While it does start off strong with Kraven being a strong villain and Harry being a phenomenal supporting character, it quickly gets muddled and tries to do way too much. Miles in particular gets hurt by this because he really has nothing really noteworthy for a good chunk of the game besides going after Mister Negative (who isn't nearly as engaging as he was in 2018). I did enjoy Venom and Tony Todd does excellent work with the material but I also feel like he has too little of things to do, being strictly in the climax and getting defeated in surprisingly quick fashion. Besides that big issue I also felt that the upgrade system was a HUGE step back, feeling way too grindy and everything being given in a much slower way that pads out the game. On a more subjective note the Suits in this game also felt incredibly hit/miss with both Peter and Miles only having a few good suits with way too many movie suits muddling things (they also can't be stylized which is a huge miss). In particular Miles final suit might just be one of the worst I've seen in a Superhero game, being an utter joke of a costume that's also apparently an ad which makes it being his FINAL SUIT even funnier.
At the end of the day Spider-Man 2 is still a ton of fun but I think I'd take the original at the end of the day. While the gameplay and open world are superb, the narrative being too messy and the upgrade system being a mess takes away too much to consider this a better game. Still excited for the inevitable Spider-Man 3 and Wolverine but after that I hope Insomniac stops with Superhero games for a while and do something more original.
8.5/10