Spider-Man 2 is BRILLIANT but Flawed

Insomniac Spider-Man 2 is finally here and critics are raving 3 years after the Miles Morales game and 5 years since the original the highly anticipated sequel is launched to massive Acclaim and record-breaking sales for PlayStation a true Testament to not only this series of games but Spider-Man's lasting cultural appeal this was easily one of my most anticipated games of all time as a massive fan of Spider-Man as a whole and insomniac's take on the characters but like great power and great responsibility with massive hype comes massive expectations so was I happy with the follow-up short answer yes long answer yes but I have a lot of feelings about the game story and while I do think overall it delivered an unforgettable experience with some of my favorite moments in Spidey history it does feel like there were maybe a few pieces missing that could have made the narrative feel a tad more cohesive but that doesn't mean I don't have a ton to gush about Spider-Man 2 is a Triumph in so many ways and I'm going to tell you exactly why hey if you haven't seen him yet make sure to check out my videos on Marvel Spider-Man and Spider-Man Miles Morales before you watch this one and if you're Jones in for more after that swing through and check out my Spider-Man retrospectives on the various animated series or my videos on spiderverse if you couldn't tell I really love Spider-Man thanks also just a heads up this is primarily a dissection of Spider-Man 2's narrative which means there are going to be spoilers throughout the entire video so this is your last warning all right still here let's do it during the production of insomnia X for Spider-Man game the question of including the symbiote suit as an unlockable costume was posed and since Insomniac really seems to understand the most important aspects of spidey's History they rightfully held off and opted to save the inclusion of this suit for when the narrative demanded it a really smart move if you ask me it not only placed significance on its inclusion period but built hype for the future of the franchise with the fan base's major anticipation for the Symbiote Saga Insomniac was also smart enough to lay down a ton of groundwork in the first game and its spin-off Harry has a presence in the first game throughout his research station across New York which neatly tie into his narrative in this game and obviously the reveal about the true nature of his absence late in that narrative are key as well but they also build really effectively from where the previous games left off the aftermath of May's death the growing pains for Peter and MJ's reformed relationship Peter's job loss miles continued grief after losing his father and his struggles to maintain his hero slife balance some of these things are handled really well while some feel like they needed an extra plot point or two but we'll get there eventually one thing the game did exceptionally well was highlight the aformentioned struggle to balance heroism and life responsibilities as they say when Spider-Man wins Peter loses and the opening of this game just immediately Dives back into that struggle Peter has to abandon his first day teaching at Brooklyn Visions in order to go stop Sandman a job he desperately needs after the events of the last game likewise miles ends up ditching a vitally important college prep meeting to stop Marco as well but I absolutely cannot express how much joy I experienced in this opening sequence of the game despite the fact that it's essentially an extended tutorial which now takes a tad longer given that they need to both intro gameplay for Peter and Miles this entire battle represents so much that I've wanted to see from a spidey story and things I didn't even realize I wanted to see I had no idea that Kaiju Sandman was something I really needed in a game this badly just an overwhelming threat to start the game off on an absolutely epic scale even cooler was swinging all the way from Brooklyn to Manhattan with that giant threat on the horizon but what gave me just an endless dose of Serotonin was seeing miles and Peter as dueling Spidey fully realized two Spider-Man working together as partners having to problem solve on the fly on the biggest scale utilizing each other's strengths in real time obviously there are still aspects of Peter mentoring miles in this game but that's a dynamic we've seen before the full partnership between the pair hasn't really been seen in this way and it just got me so stoked honestly the aftermath of this battle was also something I really loveed to see for very unexpected reasons sandman's tie raade leaves lower Manhattan absolutely buried in sand with buildings destroyed and people trapped showcasing not just the spidies helping the people who were trapped in the sandstorm but firefighters and First Responders as well not to be too dramatic but I would be shocked if the imagery wasn't at least partially inspired by Ground Zero in the wake of 9/11 when this exact area of Manhattan was buried in debris it's just nice to highlight nons superheroes doing their best to help in the aftermath of a disaster where the opening mission in the first game the takedown of Wilson Fisk was actually the inciting incident that created the Power vacuum in New York City this game plays it a bit differently sandman's attack was actually a warning sign of what would be the major inciting incident for the game if you need help all you have to do is ask you're the ones who are going to need help when they come for you this inciting incident is of course Craven's entrance into New York City which as we learned has actually already happened Sandman was just one of his first Targets this is a pretty interesting way to introduce the story but I think it works really well lead off with an absolutely massive threat to really set the stage and then reveal that this threat was actually just scared of something even worse I've seen some people complain about the nons Spidey aspects of this game but to me they are absolutely quintessential to this Spider-Man experience Spider-Man doesn't mean anything if we aren't connected to Peter Parker and the first Peter Parker sequences of the game are genuinely some of my favorites May's death from the end of the last game is still looming over the events of this one Peter lives in her house and struggles to pay her mortgage still stricken with grief from her loss showcased by his inability to donate any of her old things I was so thankful that they brought May back in this flashback sequence one of the best emotional moments of the game relating to Peter and highlighting exactly what he needs to learn over the course of this story balance is a process not a destination I'm still working on that oh come on [Music] but even more than the May scene I loved Harry's proper introduction obviously we really only got to infer info about Harry and Pete's relationship through his messages at the research stations and his letter explaining his illness later in the first game as Spidey fans we know Peter and Harry's friendship is important but Insomniac didn't just rush past this important step for these versions of the characters despite the fact that they're catching back up later in their lives I was thinking we might roll like we used to I cannot express how much I loved this Peter and Harry Mission just riding bikes from ma house to Midtown high shooting Hoops catching up and reminiscing about their childhood together these are the vitally important human moments that make Spider-Man stories matter if these relationships don't mean anything to the audience the Spider-Man Stakes don't matter either the best Spider-Man stories are also fundamentally Peter Parker stories or Miles Morales stories I don't care if these sequences aren't action-packed experiencing these best friends reconnect not only warmed my heart but went such a long way to establish why this friendship is important to this narrative and that shins needle drop I mean come on in the middle of this we also get a flashback Mission showing some of the events in their high school days that made Pete and Harry such great friends coinciding with the most affecting moment in Harry's life the death of his mother not only his biggest loss but the first realization that he may succumb to the same illness that she did I love that Harry's research stations in the first game sort of telegraphed his more altruistic nature inspired by his mother attempting to utilize oscorp's Tech to actually help the world it leads perfectly into the narrative here I got a second chance and I'm going to take advantage of that but I need you with me Pete we're going to heal the world what I think works so great about this storyline for Peter is the way the goals and possibilities of the Emily May Foundation perfectly line up with that all-important Mantra with great power comes great responsibility Peter is on the fence about helping Harry because of of his Spider-Man responsibilities but the reality of the ambitious nature of Harry and Peter's Foundation is that it could help so many people when I was in treatment all I could think about was what would I do if I survived and I kept hearing my mom's voice telling me that our planet is in trouble and it's my responsibility to save it I think this genuinely asks an important and daring question for a Spider-Man story are there ways that P talents could be better served in regards to great responsibility stopping these big threats as a superhero is obviously important but solving systemic and fundamental problems with the planet we live on could potentially help on a massive massive scale I think it's a really interesting idea that the story grapples with and most importantly there are personal Stakes of the center that tie to the incoming symbiote story very well thematically but we'll get there soon this game obviously co-stars miles and while there are aspects of his narrative that work very very well I sadly think that he wasn't as intertwined with the overall story nearly as much as I wanted him to be which is a huge bummer because I truly loved his story in a Solo game it's a tad frustrating because you can sort of see the places where just a little bit more could have gone a really really long way that being said other aspects of his Arc are so damn great in isolation as a new Spider-Man it makes sense that miles would struggle even more with his work life balance especially with the major life changes that come with prepping for college they set up a lot of really great stuff here a SC that particularly moved me was Rio telling miles about the man she's been dating I'm sure there's some spider stuff I can be doing I can give you some privacy no I'd like him to meet you though I do really wish that this had maybe played a bigger role in the story overall since Insomniac always hits with these important relationship moments but the aspect of my story that does absolute hit throughout to the end is his internal struggle with Martin Lee more on that to come let's talk Craven because I think they handled his story mostly really effectively I do think it's fair to argue that having an entire Army of hunters isn't exactly the most Craven thing to do but I think it mostly Works in this game for one I just think it's the nature of these kind of video games there's always got to be some kind of overwhelming threat to the entire city and I think the story justifies Craven's actions here utilizing the Army to capture his opponents for him to battle one-on-one the reveal that he's hunted down and killed the vast majority of spidey's villains many of whom we fought in the first game is such a brutal way to build him up as a threat but I think the most interesting thing they do with Craven here are his motivations they reveal that Craven has some kind of terminal illness and that his endless search for a worthy opponent isn't just his ego as a hunter but his attempts to go out on his own terms he won't allow illness to make him look weak and end his life in a way that he perceives as pathetic he wants to go out at the top of his game dying a death that he feels is worthy of his pedigree and obviously he actually succeeds here I just think that's a really cool take on Craven and this is a good lead in for the Symbiote and Venom story line and while I wish the Venom section of the game had been a bit more robust I think the execution of Peter's Arc and a symbiote storyline is probably the highlight of the game overall for one I think the new entry point into the Symbiote Arc was a really smart adaptation I know some people likely have misgivings with them using Harry as Venom instead of Eddie Brock but I love that they opted to use the Symbiote in a new way as it basically keeps Harry's terminal illness at Bay it thematically ties to Harry and Peter's goals healing the world and also gives everyone a more personal connection to its existence there are way more Stakes when the think keeping best friend alive is actually an evil you need to destroy and it makes the scene where the Symbiote transfers from Harry to Peter to save his life much more impactful I've seen a lot of very bad takes that Peter was nerfed in this game or that they propped up other characters to make him look bad and I just really wish people were willing to engage with Peter's story here I just cannot relate to the people who need their favorite characters to be the biggest strongest boys rather than empathize with the actual Journey the character is going on May's flashback scene pretty explicitly spells this out and telegraphs exactly why Peter struggles over this narrative a lack of balance she tells him about all of the responsibilities she took on in school when she was his age every year I wanted a new feather in my cap but when I tried to add honor rooll student on top I fell apart instead of being good at a few things I wasn't good at anything so I scaled back in the first game Peter was mostly isolated he pretty much only spent his time spidermanning and he even got evicted because of it in this game Peter now has a girlfriend he's taken on May's mortgage and despite his reservations knowing that it will eat into his responsibility as Spider-Man he takes on the job at the Emily May foundation with Harry he does the opposite of scale back Peter absolutely struggles over the course of this game and it isn't to prop up other characters it's to high highlight exactly what he needs to learn not only as Spider-Man but especially as Peter Parker Peter's Embrace of the symbiote suit is basically his refusal to actually acknowledge this is an issue he essentially uses the Symbiote as performance-enhancing drugs and Yuri lenthal rightfully played this part of the story as though he was going through an addiction I need this suit it makes me a better Spider-Man you just want it for yourself Peter slowly succumbing to the Symbiote is so well done and surprise surprise it's the section of the narrative where he struggles the least fighting a Spider-Man and struggles the most in his personal life it's definitely not an accident guys they even adapt the iconic sequence where the Symbiote uses Peter's body while he's asleep first seen in Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man number 95 and expertly adapted in The Spectacular Spider-Man animated series what I love most about this sequence is that it puts you in MJ's shoes which really highlights how terrifying Peter has become basically playing out like a horror movie and the this really shows How Deeply Peter has failed in his personal life by embracing the suit nearly killing MJ in the process Peter wakes up on a park bench the next morning without a care in the world he ignores texts from MJ and even from Rio who is desperately searching for miles after he was kidnapped by Craven and then Peter is immediately awful to Harry who is now dying without the symbiote suit is the only reason I'm still alive yeah it's pretty great isn't it why don't you pop some more pills and say what really feel hey don't Peter slowly losing himself as the suit takes over is so so well- handled easily one of my favorite aspects of the narrative both in execution and how it ties to the story thematically sadly despite really high highs I think the Symbiote story loses a bit of steam after the introduction of Venom but that's such a key aspect of the climax let's talk about some other villains first this game does an unbelievable job implementing so many iconic villains and Side characters into the gameplay and narrative obvious obvously the opening tutorial Kaiju fight with Sandman is incredible but that's just how the game opens there is a massive multi-part Chase in fight with the lizard the implementation of Kurt Connor into the story was really well handled there's clearly a history with Spidey but he's been given a second chance trying to help Harry and Norman reel in the Symbiote as a treatment for Harry's condition I particularly loved how we saw the more familiar lizard design from the comics more humanoid with the lab coat before he further mutated into his massive monster thanks to Craven's interference a really cool video gamey way to escalate the threat without ignoring the character's history all of these sequences also went a long way to help cell Peter succumbing to the Symbiotes influence as taking down a literal dinosaur isn't exactly the easiest task one of the highlights of the game is a mission and fight sequence involving miles Felicia and a wand that can create portals heisted from the sanctum sanctorum for one on a technical and visual level this is just top tier unbelievable stuff as miles you're chasing Felicia through New York City while she jumps around using this portal magic you seamlessly Traverse huge distances cruising through each portal in real time my jaw was on the floor for the entire sequence it's also I think a fun use of larger Marvel lore which in general I feel mixed about in these games while we don't see doctor strange it's clear he and Wong were protecting this wand and we even get a Wong Nam drop when they take the wand back after the mission sometimes it's hard to believe that such massive threats would go completely unimpeded by other Heroes like The Avengers when they clearly have a present in New York in this universe given Avengers Tower not that I want the Avengers to show up in this game I'd personally prefer it to be more Spidey focused but referencing the larger universe sometimes makes it feel muddier and less believable but I guess that could just be a quirk of this universe I'm very curious if things will build out in this world even further with the upcoming Wolverine game but regardless I thought this smaller reference to doctor strange and Wong worked really well in this case I also really love that they opted to have miles undertake this Felicia Mission forcing both of them to make judgment calls about people they don't have any real history with Felicia doesn't know if she can trust Miles and Miles has been explicitly told that he can't trust Felicia he's put on the spot and has to make his own decision about Felicia's intentions Spider-Man was right about you you only care about yourself look kid not that it's your business my girlfriend's in Paris and I got her into trouble with some bad people have you ever done something for love this is such a great Spider-Man moment for Miles while miles has really come into his own as Spidey over these three games he still looks to Peter and MJ for advice especially going into a situation like this one with an adversary he's unfamiliar with so to be told explicitly not to trust Felicia but then to make his own decision In the Heat of the Moment one that prioritizes the well-being of others perfectly Spider-Man these are important steps for Miles as he grows as a hero and while I still have some issues with how miles was implemented into the story overall there are some clear exceptions particularly as mentioned before with his Martin Lee Arc this entire story is played so so beautifully with Miles unexpectedly seeing Lee as he's being transferred and leading to a storyl long struggle with his feelings of Vengeance I've seen some people question the story point and I honestly just have to question that media literacy as though seeing the man responsible for his father's death face to face wouldn't be deeply traumatizing especially when it wasn't expected and ends with that man's escape the miles and Lee plot points are some of the highlights of the game with Craven even forcing the PA to fight each other in a gladiator like Arena after he kidnaps both of them a really wild setup for a great boss fight ending with Miles once again making a heroic decision and showing that he's working towards rejecting the feelings of Vengeance that he's been struggling with when you're out find Spider-Man while Lee has obviously done unforgivable things I think they do a great job showcasing his deep regret for giving in to his Vengeance he could have fled after miles saved him but but he actually found Peter and told him where to find miles which leads to another of the best sequences in the game Peter's fight with Craven and then with Miles the Peter V Craven fight is excellent showing Peter give in to some of his worst symbiote Tendencies while Craven acknowledges that despite this he still hasn't fully given in beautiful but you still hold back kill or be killed God this image of symbiote Peter holding Craven goes so hard but this leads into probably my favorite boss fight of the entire game as well as to me the peak emotional moment all I want is to save you I'm the hero I don't get sick miles being forced to fight his mentor and friend to rescue him from the pits of his addiction is so raw so emotional I think it is Far and Away the best depiction of Peter overcoming the Symbiote that we've ever seen and it fits the ideas and themes behind the suits control so perfectly the classic Bell Tower scene is obviously iconic for a reason but with the way this story treats the suit like an addiction something Peter slowly becomes dependent on at the expense of his loved ones it's so much more beautiful to see that addiction be overcome through an intervention from somebody who actually cares about him I can't let this go I'm finally everything everyone needs me to be yeah you don't even answer my calls anymore man what about MJ you could have killed I know you're hurting Pete but you're better than this I know I know but no the way that Peter rips the Symbiote off of himself with the vocal support from miles is genuinely perfect it shows that without the support of his loved ones Peter wouldn't have overcome this struggle a struggle with something that is simply more powerful than himself which ties beautifully to those Illusions to addiction as well as the major arc and lesson Peter needs to reconcile with in this game that after 10 years of being Spider-Man he cannot do everything himself he needs to accept help where he can and find balance in his life miles I'm sorry thank you for everything it's what Spider-Man do Spider-Man didn't save me back there miles did it's so sad to me to see some people complain about these aspects of the story simply because they don't think miles should be able to beat a symbiote powered Peter besides the fact that Miles didn't beat him if you can't understand the Thematic resonance and appreciate the struggles of the characters in the story being told are you even interested in storytelling Peter overcoming an overwhelming power with the support of his friends and loved ones is so much more Spider-Man than some power fantasy face off this game is filled with some absolutely major high points like this one some of my favorite moments I've experienced in any Spider-Man media the conclusion of the miles and Martin Lee Arc is the other aspect of my story that absolutely hits the narrative did such a great job showcasing the trauma from my's father's death unexpectedly consuming him in the Heat of the Moment he's faced with something he hadn't really even considered and this all culminates in one of my favorite sequences Lee and Miles working together inside of Peter's subconscious getting to the core of his deepest traumas and helping him unlock the anti venom suit part of why I love this is because of what it tells us about Peter but first I want to talk about how beautifully it ties up miles Arc miles is literally forced to team up with the source of his deepest trauma here knowing it's something he has to do for the good of his friend but it gives him the opportunity to understand Lee and his actions on a more fundamental level which in turn helps him learn to be a better hero and a better person why did you do it what did you want revenge Norman Osborne's the reason my parents are dead so I dedicated my life to making his hell instead you lost your father Peter lost May and I was too stubborn to see I had become what I despised most I'm sorry miles miles was the next in line in a cycle of trauma and Vengeance Norman's actions killed Le's parents Lee's actions killed miles's father but miles broke the cycle by not giving in to that Vengeance despite feeling it I won't forgive you it's just not in me but I can't carry this hate for you anymore man so let's set things right you and me miles proved himself to be a real hero by acknowledging the pain and hurt Lee inflicted on him refusing to forgive him but still pushing forward and being the better man moving on and breaking that cycle it's a great Arc for the character and it also once again brings everything back to Norman Osborne everything in Insomniac Spider-Man universe can be traced back to Norman Osborne unfortunately these are the best examples of Miles being properly intertwined with Peter's narrative in this game I love his involvement in helping Peter remove the symbiote suit and his Arc in the Martin Lee Saga but probably my biggest issue with the game is a whole is that Miles feels separated from the narrative a lot of the time which is a big missed opportunity and it prevents the ending Beats from feeling as satisfying as they could have but in order to properly analyze all of that we've got to go over the remainder of the Venom Arc I think the fact that Insomniac found a new in for this symbiote story is wildly impressive obviously the key aspects are still there it's a living being from space that fuses with its host but the idea that the symbiotic abilities are being harnessed to heal Harry's illness is so so effective in this story I was a tad concerned when they announced that Venom would be someone it hasn't been in the comics but in execution I think it mostly worked great for one we get a truly genuinely loving friendship between Peter and Harry here probably the most wholesome we've ever seen them which really adds to the emotional Stakes not just the stakes of trying to rescue Harry after he's fused with the suit and become venom but the stakes while you're wearing the Symbiote as Peter knowing that Harry is succumbing to his illness without the Symbiotes Aid and the sad realization that it is far too dangerous to actually give the Symbiote back to Harry I saved your life you won't save mine do you want me to die on top of that the resentment that built up in Harry while Peter was using the suit is exactly what drew the Symbiote back to Harry and caused him to mutate into Venom making Pete feel responsible for the fate of his friend and the Havoc he wre upon New York City I'm a broken record but these games do such a great job adding relationship based emotional Stakes to all of the actual superhero drama it's the secret sauce but how can you talk about Venom without raving about how much fun it is to play as him in this ort breakout sequence I had so much fun throughout this entire game but the 10 to 20 minutes where you are Venom busting through walls just throwing guards into Oblivion Next Level stuff obviously culminating in one of the most hardcore sequences we've ever seen in Spider-Man Venom versus Craven the fight isn't particularly hard but I I think this accomplishes two things for one it almost makes it feel like a reward for the difficult battles leading up to this point and two it makes Venom feel like an absolutely Unstoppable Force after a tough fight against Craven earlier experiencing Venom just absolutely decimate Craven really makes you wonder how the hell you're ever going to stop Venom himself as Spider-Man I don't think I need to say much about the decapitation scene just an absolutely unreal moment in Spidey history I lost my mind I also really love the idea that Harry 's wants and desires are fully meshing with the Symbiotes but the Symbiote is still using Harry the scene after where he goes to his mother's grave is excellent what did I just do don't be scared honey you finally have the power to do what we've always wanted we're going to heal the world this manipulation from the Symbiote / Venom works really well here by using the Symbiote as a device that is literally healed Harry of his illness and then combining that with his desire to do right by his mother and Heal the World you've got a pretty ingenious reframing of a symbiote takeover of Earth the Symbiote wanting to consume the world and add it to the hive mind and Harry wanting to rid the world of its illnesses and issues all that being said I think a lot of the stretch of the game from Venom's introduction through to the final battle leaves a bit to be desired there are still a ton of Great Moments in isolation this is where we get the wrap up of miles and Martin Lee's Arc which which I already raved about plus there is an incredible boss battle against MJ as scream but as a whole it feels a bit undercooked as a spectacle Peter vers MJ's scream is next level the scream design is amazing and the fight is a ton of fun but I think they missed the mark laying the groundw work for the relationship struggles at its core as with many great Insomniac Spidey conflicts the relationship at the center is key during the fight mj/ scream unloads all of her resentments about their relationship and his life as Spider-Man that she's been keeping up inside and I think that's a great idea on paper I just don't think the game did enough to pre-establish these resentments there is some ground work Peter refusing to accept MJ's help early in the game and obviously treating everyone badly while he was in snared with the symbiote suit but I think they could have done a bit more to really showcase how Peter's double life itself was negatively affecting MJ the symbiote suit feels like such a specific circumstance I would have preferred to see a bit more of the difficulties associated with just being Spider-Man's girlfriend that can't be easy as I mentioned before I also think mil's integration into the story overall could have been handled much better there are some really great ideas in regards to Peter's relationship with both Harry and miles and how the evolution of those friendships could create resentment between the two of them for the small section of the game where Harry becomes Agent Venom and sort of takes miles place as he and Peter start doing superhero stuff together it's clear that this starts to drw out some insecurities from miles with Peter ignoring him more and more often but at the end of the game Harry Venom really lays into miles claiming that he's become Harry's replacement in Peter's life and I think this is a great idea that is sadly Half Baked in this story we definitely see how mil starts to resent Pete during the Harry situation but we never see anything in regards to Harry's resentment of Miles this would have been a perfect place to tie more of miles into the main story what we should have gotten was one mission where Miles teams up with Harry's Agent Venom we could have seen them get a bit competitive in regards to their relationship with Pete and their crime fighting Harry having a longer relationship with Peter but but miles having more Spider-Man experience with him it could have built out their unique relationship to be a bit more compelling while also really forecasting how those resentments could build up once Harry is full-blown Venom we've also got to talk about mil's new suit which has obviously been discussed a lot on social media already though that's mostly been design focused I actually don't think the design is all that bad but the color palette really sucks the alternate palettes already go a long way to improve how the suit looks even though the hair out of the top is not my preference but I don't have nearly as much of an issue with the suit as I do the complete lack of any reason for it to have happened in the narrative miles literally just pops in towards the end of the game with the new suit on we never see him create it and the justification just feels really weak it's time for a miles moral is original you know I don't dislike the idea of Miles sporting a new suit after going through a change it worked like Gang Busters in the Spider-Man Miles Morales game but if you're not going to justify it in the story why even do it why present present it in such an anticlimactic way it actually feels like there's just a missing story beat between the wrap-up of the Martin Lee Arc and this scene with the introduction of the suit so much of my's journey in his solo game and in this game are about the community that he surrounded himself with I would have loved to see his personal relationships in his community play a role in the creation of his new suit one of the key Side characters in his life is Haley who just so happens to know my secret identity and is a street artist what if we got a scene after the Martin Lee wrap-up where Miles opens up to ha Hal about letting go of that Vengeance about moving forward with his life and about how he feels like a new person because of the weight that is lifted and what if Haley then used her street art abilities to help miles design a new suit that obviously doesn't have to be how it goes down I just think there's a missing piece here and if you're not going to bridge that Gap don't make the new Su a story Point that's just my take there are just a handful of these totally solid ideas many of which really lend themselves to the themes of the game but in execution aren't quite robust enough to feel fully Justified combine this with the fact that I just don't think they utilize miles quite thoroughly enough in the overall narrative and sadly it's enough for me to say that compared to the previous two games I found this one to be a tad underwhelming of course as I've gushed about a ton of the game already I still had an allaround incredible experience I just didn't feel the same level of emotional impact that I did at the end of the first game or even the Miles Morales game but for some of its main story shortcomings there are so many absolutely Peak Spider-Man moments in the side contest here's a tip if you didn't play The Flame side missions do that following up Yuri wadin ab's dismissal as police captain from the Spider-Man PS4 DLC she's now operating as another vigilante wraith these missions do a great job showing Peter and Yuri attempting to reconcile their weird relationship after the events of that DLC with them both having drastically different ideas of what is and isn't okay in their vigilantism but the major reveal at the end of these missions is that the homicidal cult leader of the flame that you've been tracking the entire time time is none other than Cletus Cassidy or at least that's one of his false identities and his entire plan was to retrieve one of the Symbiotes being kept by Oscorp I have a strong feeling that this is their big narrative plan for the DLC a lot of fans were underwhelmed by Hammerhead in the first game's extra content with this in mind and Carnage being such a massively popular character I am fully expecting we'll be getting substantial Carnage Focus DLC down the line but even Beyond these exciting Spidey setups I think where the game really shines is in its smaller more human moments obviously the main missions have a few of these the bike ride with Harry the trio hanging out at Coney Island in particular but there are a couple optional side missions that to me are just perfect there's one in Brooklyn where you have to track down a woman's missing grandfather you run around Brooklyn going to various places he visits until you find him on a park bench and you just sit with him while you wait for his granddaughter I propose to my wife here right here where we sit man you're making the rest of us look bad how'd you ask these moments of human connection are what makes Spider-Man a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man the connection to the people he saves is so vital to that Spider-Man experience and I think this is actually something they continued from the Miles Morales spin-off and fully improved upon from the first Spider-Man game where sometimes the missions could start to feel a bit too much like you're just a spider cop a genuine focus on the people that Spider-Man helps but there isn't any better example than the Howard side mission you might remember Howard in the first game is the guy you had to collect pigeons for a bit of a tedious collectathon but over the course of that mission you learn about Howard and that he watches over the pigeons in honor of his dead wife this time Howard asks you to find a place for those pigeons to relocate but not before you sit with him while he just observes the beauty that the city has to offer looking out over the water reflecting on his life I'm finally going on an adventure but uh what want to set my Birds free first let him see the world outside this City NYC is the best place in the world for pigeons can you take him up North for me somewhere peaceful but they need you Howard it's their time as you escort the birds to their new home The Vibes are just genuinely Immaculate needle dropping the song seabird by the alessi brothers I cannot describe the emotions I felt just flying across the river helping these birds find their new home I've never experienced anything like it in a video game and as I'm sure many figured out this was Howard's goodbye his last act to watch over those birds and do right by them he's on a new adventure now and his wife's with him I don't think Spider-Man 2 is a perfect game but in its best moments it is truly truly special and even though I think the story could have been a bit more cohesive overall I also think that it still really hits in its biggest emotional moments the final battle with Venom is mostly really great I particularly loved that the first part takes place at Midtown High where you became friends with Harry and the second takes place at the Emily May Foundation where they reconnected in their desire to help the world I do wish that the second half of this fight had been a tag team effort with Miles mostly because this is where the lack of substance in the Harry miles relationship was really showcased putting Peter back in the picture would add more of the emotional Stakes however when the big emotional moments between Peter and Harry arrived they hit let's Heal the World be together Peter was intent on not losing someone else not after May but Peter doesn't get to choose I love you though we do have this great moment where Miles resuscitates Harry he still ends up in a vegetative state it's clear that they're using Norman's grief and last ditch efforts to save Harry to Kickstart the Green Goblin story which I'm really looking forward to but for all all intents and purposes In This Moment Peter loses Harry just after getting his best friend back he loses him and this is why I think this game does a really great job selling the idea that Peter needs a break as Spidey it's all about balance and with the physical and emotional burden Weighing on Peter after 10 years of being Spider-Man without a break Peter has lost that balance when miles and Lee are navigating Peter's subconscious we see the literal corpses of spidey's villains ens snared in the Symbiote telling us that the events leave a lasting traumatic impact on Peter they never really leave him even after he's won a battle or save the day and of course there's the fact that Peter is obviously still reeling from the loss of May his last family by Blood he lost his mentor and role model in the previous story he's lost his best friend in this one and while struggling to maintain that balance he gave himself to an evil outside force that nearly ruined his relationships nearly killed MJ the love of his life by taking a spidey Hiatus Peter can re form the Emily May Foundation he can use his other great power to take up great responsibility help people on a more systemic and foundational level and with Miles capable and willing to take up that mantle of Spider-Man giving the city the hope that Peter knows it needs Peter can enter this new chapter knowing the world is in good hands not just because the city still has Spider-Man but because of the work he can do without that obligation that will also help change the world Peter found his balance and no I don't think that means he's done being Spider-Man because as we know there's still one final chapter to come and with the tease of Cindy Moon's silk the prospect of Green Goblin entering the picture and even of Doc O returning there are so many more Spidey stories to tell and I cannot wait to see them Johnny I st watching Johnny cells he talks cartoons he's a really cool fellow he keeps you posted on adult cartoons if that's what your into and grabb a spoon and a very big bowl of your favorite cereal feels like Saturday morning cartoon material Johnny to CHS watch him on YouTube now enjoy the groove and Bust the Move

Channel: Johnny 2 Cellos

Views: 134,123

Keywords: Spider-Man, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Insomniac Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man PS4, Spider-Man Playstation, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Spider-Man Game, Spider-Man 2 Game, Spider-Man 2 Review, Spider-Man 2 Analysis, Spider-Man 2 Symbiote, Spider-man 2 Venom, Spider-Man 2 Felicia, Spider-Man 2 Miles Suit, Miles new suit, Symbiote scene, Venom Scene, Insomniac, Miles vs Peter, Martin Li, Spider-Man Lizard Fight, Spider-Man 2 Scream, Spider-Man 2 Otto, Spider-Man 2 Silk, Anti-Venom

Id: U77vYa8Y4sw

Length: 39min 9sec (2349 seconds)

Published: Fri Nov 03 2023