Highlights

  • A possible half-sequel to Spider-Man 2 may feature Venom as the playable character.
  • Venom's traversal abilities are expected to be different from Spider-Man's graceful web-swinging, with a focus on powerful and destructive movements.
  • In a Venom-centered game, combat mechanics should emphasize brutal, close-quarters attacks.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2, like many other first-party Sony games, has been rumored to be getting a half-sequel that serves as a checkpoint between it and the next full-fledged release. Since it's just a rumor, it's not clear which Spider-Man 2 character will helm the half-sequel, but there's a good chance that the black alien symbiote will make an appearance.

Spider-Man 2 sets Miles up to be the star of the potential half-sequel, but last year's Insomniac ransomware hack may suggest a slightly different direction: one of the projects exposed is something called Venom: Lethal Protector, which seems to be a game starring the titular antihero. This Lethal Protector title could in fact be the half-sequel, but even if it's a feature-length game, a half-sequel with a playable Venom could bridge the gap between the full Venom game and Spider-Man 2. This would lead to some unique and hopefully markedly different gameplay mechanics.

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What Playing as Venom Could Be Like in a Spider-Man Half-Sequel

Venom's Traversal Abilities

Insomniac has developed exceptional traversal mechanics in its Spider-Man games, building movement around a system that is easy to pick up, but with enough of a skill ceiling to stay interesting over several hours. Satisfying locomotion is something that a lot of players expect from an Insomniac superhero game, and while Venom's movement will be necessarily and fundamentally different from Spider-Man's, there's still room to implement some on-brand, polished traversal.

Players get a brief glimpse of how Venom moves during his playable chapter in Spider-Man 2. As might be expected, the symbiotic hulk can close dozens of feet in a single leap, land with a definitive, earth-shaking thud, and sprint at terrifying speeds. Venom's primal and out-of-control symbiote essence is reflected in how he moves, so doubling down on this in the half-sequel or his solo game would make him fun to control while being a refreshing step away from the graceful and elegant web-swinging of the Spider-Men.

This likely won't just be superficial, though; the mechanics of controlling Venom should be considerably different from controlling Peter or Miles. Perhaps he could be more difficult to maneuver, with certain penalties for excessive environmental destruction. A common criticism of movement in Marvel's Spider-Man games is that it's not challenging enough, so perhaps Insomniac will address this by making Venom's movement harder to master.

Classic titles like Hulk: Ultimate Destruction or Prototype could be good jumping-off points for Venom's traversal mechanics.

Venom's Combat Needs to Be Weighty in a Spider-Man Half-Sequel

Insomniac didn't hold back when crafting the short snippet of Venom gameplay in Spider-Man 2, putting the villain's brutality front and center. Venom is a swollen, destructive mass, capable of flattening anyone who doesn't have superhuman abilities of their own. Venom's finishers and special abilities are particularly gruesome, with players able to tear enemies apart or rip into them with Venom's razor-sharp teeth.

The next time players step into Venom's shoes, this level of brutality in combat will have to be retained. Expanding on combos and core mechanics is a given, but Insomniac should keep the focus on offensive abilities—it wouldn't make too much sense for Venom to be flying around combat arenas, gracefully dodging like Spider-Man.

In keeping with this general design philosophy, Venom's combat abilities will probably incentivize constant damage output, perhaps through more combo-activated abilities and very few long-range options. Venom's physicality is key to his persona, so more moves involving teeth, claws, and body slams seem likely.

Insomniac usually doesn't develop games with wrecking-ball protagonists like Venom, so it will be interesting to see how the studio tackles the iconic symbiote host, as his gameplay will surely be considerably different from Spider-Man's. Whether he appears in a half-sequel to Marvel's Spider-Man 2 or a full game, Venom's fearsome nature needs to permeate both combat and traversal mechanics.