Played: November 2023
Miles Morales apparently raised this franchise into the category of "buy at full price" because I needed my web-swinging fix to continue immediately after finishing it, and Spider-Man 2 was there to give it in spades. How well Insomniac has mastered traversal is truly remarkable. I love flipping through new suits, gliding through New York City (now up to 3 boroughs), and punch-swing-kicking bad guys like it's Saturday morning, and I'm 10 years old. As suspected, Peter really does hit stronger protagonist notes than Miles. I could actually feel how the symbiote was affecting him through combat. And while moment-to-moment story beats do little for me, the sum of the parts add up to more than enough by the endgame. Like the first game, the emotional investment creeps up on you, even if individual scenes or character chemistries waver throughout. Still, it never reaches those Doc-Ock highs.
I wouldn't be interested in this story outside of the context of a game, but when you're in their shoes, the Spider-Men are good at making you care. These games are too slight to reach my all-timers, but coupled with the extremely feel-good gameplay over a tough Thanksgiving, Spider-Man 2 was worth the full $70 USD.
Miles Morales apparently raised this franchise into the category of "buy at full price" because I needed my web-swinging fix to continue immediately after finishing it, and Spider-Man 2 was there to give it in spades. How well Insomniac has mastered traversal is truly remarkable. I love flipping through new suits, gliding through New York City (now up to 3 boroughs), and punch-swing-kicking bad guys like it's Saturday morning, and I'm 10 years old. As suspected, Peter really does hit stronger protagonist notes than Miles. I could actually feel how the symbiote was affecting him through combat. And while moment-to-moment story beats do little for me, the sum of the parts add up to more than enough by the endgame. Like the first game, the emotional investment creeps up on you, even if individual scenes or character chemistries waver throughout. Still, it never reaches those Doc-Ock highs.
I wouldn't be interested in this story outside of the context of a game, but when you're in their shoes, the Spider-Men are good at making you care. These games are too slight to reach my all-timers, but coupled with the extremely feel-good gameplay over a tough Thanksgiving, Spider-Man 2 was worth the full $70 USD.