I absolutely adore Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and all of Insomniac’s previous takes on the Spidey universe, but I’m officially tired of swinging around New York City, and it would be a crime to stick around.
Spider-Man 2 is another stellar title in a ridiculously stacked portfolio of award-winning work from Insomniac Games. One thing the developer excels in is releasing highly polished and entertaining titles while keeping things fairly safe. The team’s Spyro the Dragon and Ratchet & Clank series’ are prime examples of this.
The release of Spider-Man 2 sees that safeness finally biting Insomniac in the backside, however, as the latest Spidey game struggles with some repetition. I’m worried that if we don’t deviate from the norm in a potential Spider-Man 2 sequel, then the decision could risk the venom of fans.
Spider-Man 2’s New York is still just New York
New York is twice the size in Spider-Man 2, with Coney Island and its fairground comfortably being my favorite addition—especially the Peter, MJ, and Harry bonding section.
However, this is still mostly the same kind of New York we’ve already experienced in the first two games.
I haven’t taken a stroll in Insomniac’s Spider-Man universe since completing Miles Morales in 2020. So the first few hours of Spider-Man 2 were a sheer delight as my muscle memory kicked in, and I was once again pulling off impressive tricks at head-spinning heights and zipping around the city at mind-boggling speeds.
After 10 hours, though, I was already over the recycled environment. You can only swing through the streets of Manhattan and Greenwich so many times before you realize you’ve done this for hours previously. Skirting past the Empire State Building no longer feels special, and the Avengers Tower is just there—again, not doing anything other than being commendable fan service.
If this is your first time with the recent Spider-Man games, then it literally is a whole new world. Unfortunately, like many players, this is not my first walk in Central Park.
Repetition risks ruining reinvigoration
Thanks to a whole new story, brand-new activities, a ton of fresh side missions, new superpowers, dual-Spider-Man usage, and so much more, the long-awaited sequel truly expands upon the first two entries in spectacular Spider-Man fashion.
And yet, here I am lamenting its setting. Can you honestly say you can stomach a fourth playthrough of a rejigged New York? After all, players will be spending even longer in the city when New Game Plus arrives, meaning the aura of New York will dwindle and dissipate further. At what point should we question if the creative juices are no longer flowing?
Even if the Avengers or Fantastic Four suddenly get involved at a later date, as teased through Easter Eggs, would it be nothing more than another fabulous, emotive story arc simply glossing over the core issue at heart?
Spider-Man 3 needs to take us Far From Home
I wouldn’t consider myself even close to being a hardened fan, but even I know our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has ventured outside of New York’s walls before.
London, Italy, Czech Republic: these are all European hot spots 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home visited. It completely skewed the geographical ethos of what Spidey fans know about the franchise, but people loved it!
So the precedent is already there, the source material has been established, and it could be time to take Spider-Man on the road. Would it not be cool to see Peter and Miles doing web donuts around Big Ben?
What I do know is this: Insomniac has cultivated the most solid foundation possible for Spider-Man. The world, its characters, and even the reappearance of villains have all helped to set the mood, and status quo, and there’s a comfortable feeling of familiarity about this pretty playground.
But Insomniac can’t get complacent. In 2015, after releasing Batman: Arkham Knight, Rocksteady Studios walked away and decided it had done all it could with its beloved Arkham series.
I don’t think we’re quite done with Spider-Man. At the very least, we can suit up and shoot off one last time, allowing Peter and Miles to embark on an international, arachnid anti-crime adventure.
I’ll probably still enjoy Spider-Man 3 if it sticks with its New York ideology, but I fear it would draw more ire than a Jonah Jameson-sized meltdown.
