2018's Marvel's Spider-Man got a lot right. Yuri Lowenthal's portrayal of the Web-Head was grounded and lighthearted in all the right places, and the overarching plot was admittedly quite simple, but featured plenty of thrilling set pieces and hard-hitting emotional beats. The game's actual mechanics were truly outstanding, featuring a more fluid take on the Batman: Arkham combat style that really highlighted what makes Spider-Man such a fun character to watch and play as. But of course, any Spider-Man game is only as good as its swinging mechanics, and although Spider-Man's were great, there's one particular area that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 can improve upon.
Over the years, a plethora of Spider-Man games have given players countless different ways to swing through New York City. The original Atari 2600 Spider-Man game saw players clumsily climb skyscrapers by swinging slowly from a web-line, 2004's Spider-Man 2 was the first 3D title to really capture the speed and agility of web-swinging, and Marvel's Spider-Man added more weight and spectacle to the experience. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 can take it one step further by doubling down on one of its predecessor's best features: its environmental interactions.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Should Feature More Environmental Interactions While Swinging
While plenty of solid attempts came before it, Marvel's Spider-Man and its sequel Miles Morales both feature the best form of web-swinging fans have ever seen in a Spider-Man video game to date. While it may not be the fastest web-swinging in franchise history, Spider-Man's traversal mechanics are both engaging and intuitive, with a perfect blend of fluidity and spectacle. By pressing and holding just one button, players are able to swing through New York City with ease, run up the sides of skyscrapers, and leap off the edges of buildings. With one more button input, players can slingshot around the sides of buildings and over the top of them, and with just one more press, they can zip instantly to their desired destination.
The best part of Marvel's Spider-Man's web-swinging is that it somehow manages to feel weighty and responsive, while also looking incredibly cool, and a lot of that is down to the game's varied animations. Letting go of a web strand at the right time will barrel Spidey through the air, evoking one of many different possible web-out animations. These animations, and the ease at which the player can access them, are what keep Spider-Man's web-swinging engaging to watch long after the credits roll and the player has achieved 100% completion. One of the most thrilling animations comes from when the player is able to interact with the environment.
Dotted around New York City, players will be able to find a range of different environmental obstacles while traversing through Marvel's Spider-Man. These environmental obstacles can be easily interacted with if the player is approaching them at the right angle, and doing so will reward them with a slick unique animation. Players can zip through the legs of a water tower, glide through the gap in a neon billboard, and squeeze elegantly through a construction pipe dangling from a crane. These obstacles are the perfect way to keep the player on their toes and add a little spectacle to traversal, all while retaining the fluidity of web-swinging.
New York City should be absolutely filled with these environmental interactions and obstacles in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Players should be able to propel themselves from lampposts, bound off cars, squeeze through the gap between train carriages, and a variety of other heart-pounding feats of athleticism. Including these environmental interactions not only makes the player feel more like Spider-Man, but also makes New York City feel more like its real-world, ever-busy counterpart.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is scheduled to release in 2023 on PS5.
