Hey, everyone! Welcome to a casual gamer’s review of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. No spoilers here—seriously. Before playing Spider-Man 2, despite it being out for over a year, I knew nothing. No trailers, no ads, no IGN reviews (masters of spoilers). I didn’t even know the villain! The only details I had were that Peter and Miles are both playable and that the symbiote is a major element—it’s literally on the cover.
I didn’t know when Peter gets the symbiote or if it leads to a sequel. Going in blind made the experience way better, and this game is a must-play.
I’ll keep this review spoiler-free like my playthrough—no villain hints, minimal details. The best part? Every time I thought the story was wrapping up, it surprised me and kept going—without becoming repetitive like the first Spider-Man game. That one was fun but got a bit stale near the end.
I highly recommend playing Spider-Man first and its sequel, Miles Morales Spider-Man, which I’ve also reviewed.
The only spoilers here relate to those two earlier games, so if you haven’t played them—consider this your warning. That said, even those spoilers are minimal.
I’ll answer a big question at the end—should you buy this game now, even years later? Should you wait for a sale or pay full price?
Now, onto the review. There are four difficulty settings. I played the second hardest, but you can adjust it anytime.
The game follows Peter and Miles balancing their personal lives and superhero responsibilities. Honestly, Miles needs a unique hero name (he’s also called Spider-Man), it’s confusing! So, I’ll just say “Peter” and “Miles,” whether referring to their regular lives or alter egos.
Peter, in his mid-20s, is trying to become a teacher—at Miles’s school, of all places. He’s also figuring out his relationship with Mary Jane, thinking about moving in together. Peter’s personal struggles are constantly overshadowed by his guilt—saving the city and keeping up with endless Spider-Man duties.
Miles, meanwhile, is finishing high school, preparing for university, trying to meet university staff, writing applications, and juggling studies—plus his own love life. And, of course, he’s also struggling to keep up with his responsibilities as Spider-Man.
Things spiral out of control as multiple districts of New York fall into danger, forcing both Spider-Men to protect millions. You can’t help but sympathize with their battle to maintain normalcy while carrying the weight of the city’s safety.
Speaking of New York, the map is huge—this is the biggest Spider-Man game yet. Not just in story, but literally; swinging takes a good chunk of time because the city is massive. There’s a fast travel option, but it’s only unlocked after completing a certain number of side missions per district.
Web-slinging is just as fun as ever. Almost every structure can be used for traversal—whether swinging or power-jumping. There’s even a new way to move around, shown in trailers, but I won’t mention it to preserve surprises.
I finished the game in 19 hours, completing tons of side quests. Many unravel mysteries or offer meaningful story conclusions. I cleared entire quest chains, stopping mid-mission to handle minor crimes whenever they popped up. If you focus solely on the main story, you could likely finish in 12-14 hours.
The final arc is wildly over-the-top, but the game keeps the fun going without ruining the experience.
If you plan to skip the first two games and just watch YouTube recaps—don’t. You’re missing out. Even though the first game has some repetitive gameplay, it’s still worth playing.
Also, Spider-Man 2 is not for kids. Just because it’s Spider-Man doesn’t mean it’s child-friendly. The first two games had some dark moments and were aimed at teens and adults, but Spider-Man 2 takes things even further. It has more violence, on-screen deaths, and cinematic intensity, and the characters sink into much darker emotional territory. These brutal moments make the villains feel truly evil, because they actually kill people.
Peter and Miles feel more human than ever, they’re not emotionally invincible. They face mental fatigue and burnout just like anyone else. Again, this game is not for kids.
The attention to detail is incredible. When I had Peter walking past a sound-testing room, you can hear bass blasting in your headphones while the DualSense controller vibrates—an awesome touch.
Zooming into the map might seem unremarkable at first, but you’ll hear discrete street and traffic sounds. Crawling around buildings, you’ll see people living their lives—watching TV, stretching, doing daily activities.
Even random in-game moments feel special. If you’re stopping a crime, Miles might show up to help. After taking out enemies, you can briefly interact—botched fist bumps, the iconic Spider-Man imposter meme, and more. These little details add up, making the experience immersive.
Unlike typical Triple-A titles where the studio focuses on profit over players, Spider-Man 2 cares about the gamer’s experience.
I played in performance mode, prioritizing frame rate over graphics. Even then, the game looks fantastic—proof that ultra-high-end visuals are reaching diminishing returns. The PS5 Pro? Not needed. Animations are solid, though character hair could use work—except Miles’s, which looks great and suits him perfectly.
I was worried that Peter’s robotic spider claws and Miles’s invisibility and electricity might feel too powerful. But the game balances it well. Enemies are experienced fighters trained to handle superpowered opponents. Their advanced technology forces Peter and Miles to work hard for victories.
Combat is as tight as ever and requires quick reflexes. The newly introduced parry skill is a game-changer. In previous Spider-Man games, dodging was the main option but now parrying and upgrading it make a huge difference. If reflexes aren’t your strength, lowering the difficulty keeps fights manageable.
The fighting feels polished. In the Miles Morales game, off-screen enemies were hard to hit—Miles often punched air. Spider-Man 2 fixes this by auto-targeting enemies while adjusting the camera. You can focus on combat instead of wrestling with camera angles. The result? A smoother, more immersive battle system.
Unlike the Miles Morales game, which leaned heavily on stealth, Spider-Man 2 focuses more on direct combat. Stealth is still an option—shooting your own web lines to sneak past enemies or stealth attack them is a fantastic addition. But some sections force direct combat, and honestly, that’s not a bad thing—the combat has never been this polished.
Getting into the thick of battle is incredibly satisfying, and the extra power-ups make fights even more dynamic.
There’s a lot to upgrade—gadgets, passive skills, and skill trees—but it’s not overwhelming. Once you spend some time with the game, it’s easy to navigate and prioritize.
Simple gadgets can be upgraded into powerful weapons, which is crucial as enemies become tougher. Gadgets include mass web shooters, concussion grenades, and more.
Passive skills like health boosts and increased damage can be upgraded, helping both Spider-Men perform better.
Tokens can be used to buy costumes, though they don’t offer any tactical advantage. They’re purely aesthetic, but many are pretty cool for customisation.
Each Spider-Man has individual skill trees, plus a shared tree that benefits both. Prioritizing individual trees first helps maximize abilities, with shared upgrades coming later.
Side quests provide essential tokens for upgrades, so doing extra missions pays off. When I maxed out nearly everything (gadgets, skills, and passive upgrades) it made battles intense—dodging, jumping, and striking at top speed.
You play both Spider-Men almost equally, though the main story favors Peter. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but a bit more focus on Miles’s life would’ve been nice.
Certain side quests are locked to either Peter or Miles. If you approach a main mission designed for Peter while playing Miles, the game automatically switches.
When free-roaming, you can do whatever you want—no restrictions. The Spider-Man app lets you take on side quests from civilians and switch between Peter and Miles anytime.
The characters are fantastic. Both Spider-Men are easy to like—super nice, funny, and relatable with their non-super struggles.
Villains are darker than ever, posing a real threat to those around them—but no spoilers here. Beyond the main villains, even regular mob enemies vary, keeping combat fresh.
The side characters shine too. Ganke remains the likable tech genius, helping both Miles and eventually Peter. Miles’s mom is still strong, though concerned about her son’s superhero life.
The biggest character improvement? Mary Jane. In the first game, she was frustrating—putting herself in danger and treating Peter poorly, despite all he did for her. She was badly written, but now she’s far more likable. She’s a smart, dedicated reporter with integrity, supporting Peter and helping with his personal life. Her story missions feel much better this time—not annoying or forced like in the first Spider-Man game.
The sound design is top tier. Voice acting—main characters, side characters, and even random NPCs—is excellent. Jumping 50 feet and landing in front of people? They react realistically. The music sets the mood perfectly, whether during key story moments or just web-slinging for fun.
Peter’s power-up punches and slams are insanely satisfying—the impact sounds really drive home his strength. But I won’t spoil which upgrade makes this happen. With so many power-ups in the game, you’ll have to play to figure it out.
Bugs are minimal. The only odd issue I noticed was an enemy getting half-stuck in a wall—but after defeating hundreds of enemies, that was the only time it happened. The game is very stable.
I was initially worried about repetitive gameplay, but the strong story and numerous power-ups kept it fresh. The story was longer than expected, but it left me wanting more.
I beat this game a year and a half after it released, the game was only about $20 off in Canada—not a huge discount. But if I had to pay full price again for a fresh playthrough, I absolutely would. And if you’re playing Spider-Man 2 five or ten years later and still need to pay full price—just do it.
Graphics are already so advanced that visual improvements are reaching diminishing returns, but this game still looks fantastic. And more importantly—it’s fun.
A fun game always outweighs raw graphics. Spider-Man 2 is a rare, timeless superhero classic, comparable only to the Batman Arkham series (those games are still fun and gorgeous, even years later).
