Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: Two superheroes who reach new heights

The mood at Marvel hasn’t been festive for a while. Already on the big screen, due to the fatigue of superhero productions. In the field of video games, its division looks gloomy, with a very poor performance of the game Marvel’s Avengers Crystal Dynamics, released in 2020, although it was highly anticipated, and support was cut off at the end of last September.

A completely unjustified failure Guardians of the Galaxy Released in October 2021, it still exudes unconditional love for the original material. Excellent Marvel’s Midnight SunsThe tactical RPG developed by Firaxis Games and released in July 2022 was a flop. And we’re not talking about the various variations of the mobile game license, a few of which have also been discontinued…

Released in September 2018 and developed by the very talented studio Insomniac Games, Marvel’s Spider-ManExclusive to Sony’s PS4 console, it was nevertheless a colossal sales success: in August 2019, one year after its release, the game sold more than 13.2 million copies.

Two years later, his new PS5 console was billed as Spider-Man: Miles Morales. stand alone and turning off, will allow you to play for the first time this comic book hero, made very popular by the fantastic animated feature film Spider-Man: New Generation. Graphically stunning, rhythmic and sharp, it offers engaging characters, drenched in a soundtrack in unison, Spider-Man: Miles Morales It was also a great success, fully deserved.

Acquired by Sony Playstation for a little over 200 million dollars in 2019, it cannot be said that the Insomniac studio has become a real martingale for the firm in a few years, an essential pillar that has ultra-strong franchises in its bag like Ratchet. & Clank, the last of which, Apart from the split (2021) was excellent and technically very impressive.

A know-how that comes precisely to perform a new and rather stunning demonstration of power Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Contrary to the title, this is the third part of a saga that began in 2018.

Here’s the trailer (again)…

Two Spideys for the price of one

This takes place shortly after the end of the game, Spider-Man: Miles Morales (of which you can have a good recap of the events of the video “Before we…” available from the start menu), Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 offers two Spiders for the price of one; Unite for better, and often for worse, during the story and skillfully exploit its features over thirty hours of gameplay.

For both characters, time and maturity. Miles tries to find time to write his college entrance essay, but he keeps procrastinating and focuses on his work as Spider-Man. Meanwhile, Peter is underwater with the bills on Aunt May’s house, but logically feels he can’t sell. MJ wants to help Peter with the mortgage, but he has his work cut out for him when J. Jonah Jameson is back at the Daily Bugle looking to clean house…

Doubts and personal introspections are logically put to the test during the story, especially thanks to the entrance of the main antagonist, especially cunning and, above all, completely ruthless: Kraven the hunter.

One of the most iconic supervillains in the Marvel Universe, boosted by the addition of Spider-Man to his hunt. We also note the gentle irony that the game will gently pull the rug out from under the feet of the character in the upcoming movie that JC Chandor is cooking up in his corner, which is expected to be released in August 2024.

Either way, we hope he’ll be as charismatic as he is in the game, always one step ahead or nearly the best of his enemies. Images of the game also revealed the presence of the symbiote and Venom. Of course, we’ll be careful not to reveal when or how he arrives in the plot, or we’ll spoil the fun of discovery. At most, we can say that it is skillfully delivered, giving the story a huge new impetus.

Regularly enhanced by intense battles and very spectacularly staged sometimes hair-raising frames, such as the showdown that opens the game against Sandman or Lizard, the story also knows how to manage its effects by offering truly weightless sequences.

Like this wonderful quest that briefly leads to Hayley, Miles’ deaf and mute friend who communicates in sign language. Immersed in his silent world, without any music, the player understands the emotions of Haley and his interlocutors through the prism of emojis/pictograms that are supposed to represent them. Easier to experience with a controller in hand than to describe, the experience, however short, is really interesting. And touch again.

Black is beautiful

If Insomniac is careful not to have a more or less hidden political agenda, the studio remains in the footsteps of the previous part, always taking care to bring a real touch of inclusivity and a celebration of ethnic minorities that have mostly been created over the decades. crossThe American way of lifeAnd especially the big apple.

It seems, for example, with this wonderful mission for Miles, where we have to find a collection of very valuable, iconic musical objects, stolen and intended for an exhibition organized in the center of his neighborhood, Harlem. Her name ? “Community pride, worldwide influence”.

A subtle and intelligent way to celebrate the very important – even essential – contributions of African Americans to the country’s culture, as it talks about legends like the saxophonist musician. Charlie Parkera novelist Claude McKayPianist and singer Hazel Scottor Langston Hughes.

Side effects to say the least, but which actually fit nicely in between a solid and well-executed main story. Far from being proper force-feeding as the game’s frenzied filler, most of the secondary quests instead aim to always give a little more thickness and flesh to its main characters. And he hits the mark.

In fact, with the sense of drama, the stakes deployed, the way its characters are portrayed and interrogated, the sense of framing and staging, we repeatedly felt that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 had more to do with the cinematic. Saga driven by Sam Raimi rather than the sequels. And this is not the least of the features of the game.

A big apple that caresses the retina

Because it’s obviously an absolutely great setting. With New York divided into 14 boroughs, twice the size of previous games (this time adding Queens and Brooklyn), the technological leap is truly spectacular. Especially with the 2018 game, including its remastered version released on PS5. The gap is less significant with the more recent Spider-Man: Miles Morales, but it’s there.

The streets are denser, the attention to detail even greater; The impression of a more “organic” city full of life, decorated with many light controls and weather effects, is called Based on Ray Tracing technology.

It’s always a pleasure to travel around town with characters whose flexibility is absolutely thrilling. Enjoyment noticeably boosts this issue with little newness wing suitwhich allows, as its name suggests, to move between buildings in the city even faster.

In terms of gameplay, Insomniac isn’t really reinventing the wheel; We’re sticking to familiar ground, despite some new features. Three talent trees – one for each character and a common core -, gadgets to gradually unlock, enemy hideouts to clear, heists to stop… Certain missions are specific to each of the two Spideys, while others can be changed. characters. A change that only affects the way you play, as each Spidey has its own characteristics and special moves.

Epilogue…

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, the best superhero game ever? Probably not. But he climbs to the top of the basket without a problem. In three games, the studio was able to lay the foundations for a huge saga that could stand on its own. We still doubt he’ll stop there without trying to further deepen the mythology surrounding the character. Not to mention that he is also in the works, let’s remember, a game based on Wolverine.

“Be Bigger” – “Exceed Your Limits” Balance the line attached to the game poster with the address of the players. At Insomniac, we seem to have elevated this invitation to the status of a mantra. We couldn’t have hoped for better.