Warning: Spoilers ahead for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2As expected of Insomniac Games at this point, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 tells an excellent story to accompany its thrilling combat and traversal. Tremendous performances from the voice cast ensure that every moment hits hard, whether it is a high point of the game like Peter fighting Miles due to the Symbiote’s influence or an impactful side mission with Howard. As is often the case with great story-driven games, a final boss can provide emotional payoff and be incredibly cathartic, though Venom only achieves this somewhat.
To be clear, nearly everything involving Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is fantastic. The way he deals with Kraven is brutal and unforgettable, especially given the game’s T for Teen rating, while his playable segment makes gamers feel extremely powerful for a short period of time. His design is top-notch, with fans loving his gigantic size and the look of his spider, and Tony Todd provides the perfect voice for the monstrous character. However, though Venom’s boss fight plays very well, it feels like it gets its two halves backwards.
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Peter Shouldn’t Have Been Up To Bat First in The Venom Fight
Miles Finishing The Venom Battle Feels Like a Mistake
The first portion of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Venom fight takes place on a large field, with the pieces lifted into the sky by the Symbiote’s tendrils. While cool, this setting feels less personal than the second arena does, as the back half of the battle moves to the inside of the Emily-May Foundation. Naturally, it would make sense for Peter to defeat Harry inside the building that was dedicated to their mother and aunt, but for whatever reason it is Miles who does the fighting here.
Having Miles open the battle in the football field, the less personal arena by comparison, would have allowed Peter to finish the fight inside the Emily-May Foundation. While Miles has his issues with Harry Osborn, as Harry’s return saw Miles being pushed out of Peter’s life and neglected, this jealousy does not compare to Peter and Harry’s conflict. Letting the more emotional part of the battle go second would have made more sense, as it could have left a lasting impact on players. While there are great moments throughout the fight like Venom sprouting wings, and both sections are fun, the powerful dialogue delivered by Peter and Venom early on should have come in the Emily-May Foundation. With Miles closing the fight instead, the amazing conversations during Peter’s part of the fight run the risk of being forgotten.
One More Venom Phase Could Have Been a Perfect Middle Ground
Only Insomniac Games knows why Miles served as the final part of the fight, though perhaps the developer wanted to make sure that he was not overshadowed by Peter. However, considering that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s story is more about Peter anyway, at least when it comes to everything with the main antagonist, letting Peter keep the spotlight in the all-important final battle could have been the better route to take. Alternatively, a final phase that highlights both heroes could have been a perfect compromise.
The mid-air portion of the fight where Peter and Miles beat up Venom together could have been a good place for this, with an extra bit of gameplay inserted here instead of a QTE. A fight through the city could have matched the concept art and CGI trailer.
One extra phase could have placed both heroes on equal footing - something that was clearly a goal for Insomniac. This hypothetical last phase could have seen players switching between Miles and Peter each time a bar of Venom’s health was depleted, with a big barrage of team-up attacks capping off his last bar of health. Currently, though the fight is a blast, its structure feels a bit backwards. It feels like Miles steals Peter’s moment a bit despite him not being Venom’s main enemy, but at the same time, Peter landing a few more hits in a cutscene after the second phase makes Miles’ fight with Venom feel a bit pointless. With three Spiders to consider for Marvel’s Spider-Man 3, it is important for Insomniac to learn from this battle. Whoever is at the emotional core of the story should always lead the last segment of the fight so that there will be a better payoff, and every hero should contribute at the very end of the battle.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
The sequel to 2018's Spider-Man and its Miles Morales spin-off, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a PS5 console exclusive. Insomniac's open-world game features Peter Parker and Miles Morales as dual protagonists, with the two heroes going up against the likes of Kraven, Venom, and Lizard.
