Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is Insomniac Games’ ambitious continuation of the Spider-Man universe established by the previous two games.

The game brings Peter Parker and Miles Morales together, allowing players to switch between the two heroes while exploring a larger version of Marvel’s New York.

The sequel introduces new traversal mechanics, expanded combat abilities and a story centered around threats including Kraven the Hunter, Lizard and Venom. The PS5 version was built specifically around the console’s hardware, while the PC release arrived on January 30, 2025 with additional graphical and display options.

Story

The story follows Peter and Miles as they attempt to balance their personal lives with their responsibilities as Spider-Man.

Peter’s life becomes increasingly complicated when the arrival of Harry Osborn and the symbiote changes the direction of his story.

At the same time, Miles continues developing his own identity as a hero.

The relationship between the two Spider-Men is one of the strongest elements of the campaign. Their personalities and approaches to being heroes are different, but they complement each other well.

The introduction of Venom also gives the story a much larger sense of scale.

Rather than simply repeating the structure of the previous games, Spider-Man 2 focuses heavily on the relationship between Peter and Miles and the consequences of the choices surrounding them.

Gameplay

The gameplay builds upon the excellent foundation established by the previous Spider-Man games.

Movement through the city is faster and more fluid, while the new Web Wings give players another way to travel across New York.

The ability to switch between Peter and Miles also adds variety to the campaign.

Each character has different abilities and upgrades, so playing as both heroes prevents the experience from feeling completely repetitive.

Combat has also been expanded with new abilities, gadgets and skill trees.

The result is a combat system that feels more varied than the previous games while maintaining the accessibility that made the series so enjoyable.

Exploration

Marvel’s New York is larger than in the previous games.

The map expands into Brooklyn and Queens, while returning areas such as Manhattan remain available to explore. Coney Island is also featured as one of the game’s notable locations.

The Web Wings make exploration particularly enjoyable.

Instead of simply swinging from building to building, players can combine swinging, gliding and other movement abilities to cross large distances quickly.

The city also contains a variety of side activities, collectibles and optional missions.

While not every activity has the same level of depth, the larger map provides plenty of reasons to explore.

Graphics

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is one of the most visually impressive games in the series.

Character models are highly detailed, environments are dense and animations are remarkably fluid.

The game also takes advantage of the PS5’s SSD to make transitions between different parts of the city extremely fast. Insomniac specifically designed the game’s technology around faster traversal and near-instant character switching.

Weather, lighting and reflections also contribute significantly to the visual presentation.

On PC, the game adds additional graphical options, ultrawide support and enhanced ray-tracing features designed to take advantage of different hardware configurations.

Audio

The audio design fits the scale of the game extremely well.

New York feels alive through traffic, conversations, environmental sounds and the constant activity happening throughout the city.

The soundtrack also adapts to different situations, from quieter story moments to larger action sequences.

The voice performances are another highlight, particularly during the interactions between Peter, Miles and the supporting cast.

The PS5 version also supports 3D audio, adding another layer of immersion when exploring the city and during encounters.

Performance

The PS5 version was designed around the console’s hardware and provides fast loading, rapid traversal and smooth character switching.

DualSense features also add tactile feedback to movement and abilities, while adaptive triggers contribute to the sensation of web-swinging.

The PC version provides considerably more flexibility for players with different hardware.

Nixxes worked alongside Insomniac and PlayStation to optimize the PC version, with additional graphical options, ultrawide displays and enhanced ray tracing.

Characters

Peter Parker and Miles Morales are the heart of the game.

Peter is more experienced but is also dealing with significant personal challenges.

Miles, meanwhile, continues developing his own approach to being Spider-Man.

Having both characters playable allows the story to explore their relationship from different perspectives.

The supporting cast also plays an important role, particularly Harry Osborn, MJ and Ganke.

The expanded focus on the characters makes the game feel more personal despite its larger scale.

Villains

Spider-Man 2 features a strong collection of villains.

Kraven the Hunter serves as one of the central threats, while Lizard and Venom play major roles in the story.

The villains give the campaign a greater sense of variety, with different conflicts requiring different approaches.

Venom in particular has a significant impact on the overall narrative and Peter’s character.

Progression

The progression system is divided between Peter and Miles while also offering abilities shared by both characters.

Players can unlock new skills, improve abilities and expand their available options as they progress through the campaign.

This system gives exploration and side activities additional value because completing optional content can contribute to character progression.

The suit system also returns, allowing players to customize the appearance of both heroes.

Replayability

The game received several post-launch additions that improve its replayability.

New Game+ allows players to replay the campaign with progression carried over, while Mission Replay makes it easier to revisit individual story missions.

The game also received additional suits, accessibility features and options to change the time of day.

The PC version launched with the previously released updates, including New Game+, additional suits, Ultimate Levels and other features.

Accessibility

Spider-Man 2 offers a wide range of accessibility settings.

The game includes features such as Screen Reader and Audio Descriptions, alongside other options that allow players to customize the experience.

These options help make the game more adaptable without changing the core experience.

Playtime

The main campaign generally takes around 15–20 hours, depending on difficulty and how much optional content the player completes.

Players who explore the city, complete side missions and pursue additional objectives can spend considerably more time in Marvel’s New York.

Completing additional content and returning through New Game+ further extends the experience.