Making a sequel isn't easy because you need to try and make it better than its original which is hard to do when it's so beloved. Spider-Man 2 likely did what it set out to do which is to continue the story of these Spider-Men, introduce new characters and villains and some new themes while setting up their third and final game: Spider-Man 3.
Pro's:
Story: The narrative of this game is written well and doesn't overstay its welcome, it doesn't drag along any theme or specific story to the point it becomes stale. They took some chances on trying to do something different and for the most part they succeeded, especially with some of the personal storylines. Characters also feel quite realistic in their reactions and how they approach certain situations which made them a whole lot more believable.
Gameplay: The overall gameplay of SM 2 is really good and made a good amount of improvements in all areas. Combat is more enjoyable and has a better feel to it with new abilities entering the mix for both Peter and Miles, adding an extra layer of combating certain threats and show of some of your skills. Traversal itself also had some improvements in fluidity and enjoyability which is great since Miles Morales, the spin off already came quite close to making the perfect swinging system and I feel like they made it even better in this sequel with a handful of new ways to traverse with the wingsuit, sling shot, super sling shot and more to manage your way through New York.
MJ misions: MJ missions in the first game were such a drag and boring, when I first heard about them returning, I was pissed. But once I played them in the game itself, it was actually quite enjoyable as the level design is a whole lot better. Sneaking is the best option but not your only one as MJ now is trained in combat and stealth with her own equipment that makes for a fun experience. There's not a lot of them in the game, 2 or 3 moments at best but they were enjoyable and I wouldn't mind having more of them like this.
Cons:
Too safe: Again, sequels are hard to pull off and although I feel like they did a great job but during certain moments in the story, when a lot was at stake they played it a little bit too safe or when they tried to commit to doing something big, they backpedeled at the last moment. The game was advertized to be a bit darker than the first one and in some ways it has become darker but Insomniac definitely didn't commit to it nearly enough which hopefully they'll change in the last installment, likely another 5 years from now.
Side Activities: The first game struggled with side activities and even Miles Morales. SM 2 doesn't add much more to it and doesn't really try to improve on it that much more, I wouldn't say that there isn't any improvements to the side activities, there are definitely some but it doesn't change the fact that they are still boring at times or repetitive with a few outliers that either created possible story lines for a DLC / expansion or for the third game. Some of the rewards were worthy for the tasks we were given but mostly, it was just something that had to be done to complete the game 100%.
Bugs, glitches and more: I usually don't care about bugs and glitches that much if they don't come in big numbers or ruin my experience consecutively. Unfortunately during my playsessions, I came across several visual glitches, lighting problems, audio bugs and even some freezes among two individual crashes. The biggest culprit is probably Cony Island where there was a bunch of bugs and glitches going on at the same time, one after the other and it just ruined my experience. While playing the game during other times, they were mostly unnoticable or very rare but especially during Cony Island and some other small sections in the game, it was hard not to notice some of them which is a bummer and it feels like this game could've been in the oven for another 2 weeks before being perfect.
Overall I had a good time, it's a fun game with a bit of replay value which might increase once a DLC or expansion drops so for now, I'd give it an 8/10
Pro's:
Story: The narrative of this game is written well and doesn't overstay its welcome, it doesn't drag along any theme or specific story to the point it becomes stale. They took some chances on trying to do something different and for the most part they succeeded, especially with some of the personal storylines. Characters also feel quite realistic in their reactions and how they approach certain situations which made them a whole lot more believable.
Gameplay: The overall gameplay of SM 2 is really good and made a good amount of improvements in all areas. Combat is more enjoyable and has a better feel to it with new abilities entering the mix for both Peter and Miles, adding an extra layer of combating certain threats and show of some of your skills. Traversal itself also had some improvements in fluidity and enjoyability which is great since Miles Morales, the spin off already came quite close to making the perfect swinging system and I feel like they made it even better in this sequel with a handful of new ways to traverse with the wingsuit, sling shot, super sling shot and more to manage your way through New York.
MJ misions: MJ missions in the first game were such a drag and boring, when I first heard about them returning, I was pissed. But once I played them in the game itself, it was actually quite enjoyable as the level design is a whole lot better. Sneaking is the best option but not your only one as MJ now is trained in combat and stealth with her own equipment that makes for a fun experience. There's not a lot of them in the game, 2 or 3 moments at best but they were enjoyable and I wouldn't mind having more of them like this.
Cons:
Too safe: Again, sequels are hard to pull off and although I feel like they did a great job but during certain moments in the story, when a lot was at stake they played it a little bit too safe or when they tried to commit to doing something big, they backpedeled at the last moment. The game was advertized to be a bit darker than the first one and in some ways it has become darker but Insomniac definitely didn't commit to it nearly enough which hopefully they'll change in the last installment, likely another 5 years from now.
Side Activities: The first game struggled with side activities and even Miles Morales. SM 2 doesn't add much more to it and doesn't really try to improve on it that much more, I wouldn't say that there isn't any improvements to the side activities, there are definitely some but it doesn't change the fact that they are still boring at times or repetitive with a few outliers that either created possible story lines for a DLC / expansion or for the third game. Some of the rewards were worthy for the tasks we were given but mostly, it was just something that had to be done to complete the game 100%.
Bugs, glitches and more: I usually don't care about bugs and glitches that much if they don't come in big numbers or ruin my experience consecutively. Unfortunately during my playsessions, I came across several visual glitches, lighting problems, audio bugs and even some freezes among two individual crashes. The biggest culprit is probably Cony Island where there was a bunch of bugs and glitches going on at the same time, one after the other and it just ruined my experience. While playing the game during other times, they were mostly unnoticable or very rare but especially during Cony Island and some other small sections in the game, it was hard not to notice some of them which is a bummer and it feels like this game could've been in the oven for another 2 weeks before being perfect.
Overall I had a good time, it's a fun game with a bit of replay value which might increase once a DLC or expansion drops so for now, I'd give it an 8/10