I still remember the exact moment I fell in love with superhero games. It was 2018, swinging through Manhattan in the original Spider-Man, and I accidentally launched myself off a building wrong. Instead of panicking, I recovered mid-air, web-zipped to a nearby crane, and landed perfectly on a rooftop. It felt effortless, exhilarating, and exactly like being Spider-Man should feel.
Now, five years later, Insomniac has somehow made that feeling even better. Spider-Man 2 isn’t just an iterative sequel that adds a few new moves and calls it a day. This is a game that understands what made the first two games special, then builds an entire skyscraper on that foundation. With dual protagonists, a vastly expanded New York, and what might be the best villain storyline in any superhero game ever, Insomniac has crafted something genuinely special.
But here’s the real question everyone’s asking: is Spider-Man 2 actually the best PS5 exclusive we’ve gotten so far? Better than Demon’s Souls, Returnal, or Ratchet & Clank? I’ve spent over 30 hours web-slinging through every corner of this game, and I’m ready to give you the full picture. Spoiler-free, of course, because some moments deserve to be experienced firsthand.
Two Spider-Men Are Better Than One
Peter Parker and Miles Morales: A Perfect Balance
The dual protagonist system here puts most other games to shame. Unlike titles that force you to play characters you don’t enjoy, Spider-Man 2 makes both Peter and Miles feel essential, distinct, and equally fun to control.
Peter is the experienced veteran. His move set reflects years of web-slinging, with precise timing windows, advanced combo strings, and gadgets accumulated over his career. Playing as Peter feels like piloting a finely-tuned sports car. Every move has weight and purpose.
Miles brings explosive energy and bioelectric powers that make combat feel like a fireworks display. His venom abilities (not the symbiote, the electricity) create spectacular visual effects and devastating area attacks. Where Peter is precise, Miles is explosive. Where Peter is methodical, Miles is improvisational.
What makes it work:
- Seamless switching during free roam (with specific story moments locked to one character)
- Completely separate skill trees tailored to each playstyle
- Unique suit abilities that encourage experimentation
- Narrative justification for why both exist in the same city
- Different relationship dynamics with NYC’s citizens
The game trusts you to choose who to play as for most activities. Prefer Miles’ speed and electricity? Spend 80% of your time with him. Love Peter’s gadget versatility? Main him instead. The freedom to roleplay as your preferred Spider-Man enhances replayability significantly.
The Symbiote Changes Everything
I’m treading carefully here to avoid spoilers, but the symbiote storyline delivers everything you’d hope for. When Peter bonds with the black suit, it’s not just a cosmetic change. His entire combat style shifts. Moves become more aggressive, brutal, and powerful. The symbiote tendrils add reach and crowd control that fundamentally alter how you approach fights.
But here’s what impressed me most: Insomniac uses gameplay to reinforce the narrative. As Peter gets more comfortable with the symbiote, the game subtly encourages aggression through ability unlocks and combat incentives. You feel yourself leaning into the power, which makes the story beats land with genuine emotional weight.
The transformation sequences, the internal struggle, and the eventual confrontation with what the symbiote represents are handled with surprising maturity. This isn’t a Saturday morning cartoon version of the story. Insomniac commits to the darker implications while keeping things accessible.
New York Like You’ve Never Seen It
Brooklyn and Queens Join the Party
The map is massive now. Manhattan returns with new areas, but Brooklyn and Queens add entirely new boroughs to explore. We’re talking roughly 2x the playable area of the first game, and it’s all dense with content.
Each borough has distinct personality:
Manhattan: The familiar concrete jungle, but with more verticality and interiors Brooklyn: Residential neighborhoods, Coney Island, and waterfront industrial zones
Queens: Suburban streets, smaller buildings, and more grounded atmosphere
The environmental variety prevents the open-world fatigue that plagued some areas of the first game. You’re not just swinging past identical skyscrapers anymore. One minute you’re zipping between high-rises in Midtown, the next you’re navigating the cramped streets of residential Brooklyn or swooping over Coney Island’s boardwalk.
Traversal: The Best It’s Ever Been
If you thought swinging felt good in the previous games, prepare yourself. Insomniac refined the traversal to near-perfection. The web-wings (think gliding with style) add a completely new dimension to movement. Catch an updraft between buildings, spread your wings, and glide for blocks without touching the ground.
Combining swinging, web-zipping, running along walls, and gliding creates this beautiful flow state where you’re never touching the same surface twice. I spent entire play sessions just moving through the city, not doing missions, just existing as Spider-Man in the most satisfying movement system any game has ever created.
Fast travel exists, but I barely used it. When traversal is this fun, why would you skip it? The loading screens are near-instantaneous anyway (PS5 SSD magic), but swinging is too enjoyable to pass up.
Combat Evolution: Familiar Yet Fresh
Building on a Solid Foundation
The core combat loop remains similar to previous games: dodge incoming attacks (watch for spider-sense indicators), counter-attack, build combos, use abilities strategically. If you played the first game or Miles Morales, you’ll feel at home immediately.
But the additions and refinements elevate combat significantly:
| New Feature | Impact on Gameplay |
|---|---|
| Symbiote Abilities | Aggressive, high-damage attacks with risk-reward mechanics |
| Parry System | Timing-based counters that feel more skill-based |
| Environmental Interactions | More objects to weaponize in creative ways |
| Enemy Variety | New faction types require tactical adaptation |
| Ability Combos | Chain different powers for devastating effects |
Enemy design received major attention. You’ll face classic villains reimagined for this universe, plus entirely new threats that force you to adapt strategies. The hunters introduce stealth-detection mechanics that flip the usual Spider-Man power fantasy on its head. Suddenly you’re the one being hunted, and it’s terrifying.
Boss fights are spectacular set pieces that blend combat, quick-time events, and environmental puzzles. Without spoiling anything, several boss encounters rank among the best I’ve experienced in any action game. Insomniac clearly studied what worked in games like God of War and Devil May Cry, then added their own web-slinging flair.
Stealth Still Works (Mostly)
Stealth sections return, and they’re… fine. Better than the first game, not as good as the combat. You can web enemies to walls, perform silent takedowns, and use gadgets to separate groups. The AI is smarter about investigating disturbances, which adds tension.
My main issue: the game clearly wants you to embrace combat over stealth. Stealth feels like an option rather than an equally viable path. Most encounters funnel you into open combat eventually, which is fine because the combat is excellent. But stealth enthusiasts hoping for a full stealth game will find limited depth here.
Story and Characters: Emotional Gut Punches
A Tale of Two Spider-Men (Spoiler-Free)
The narrative juggles multiple storylines: Peter’s struggle with the symbiote, Miles stepping up as the primary Spider-Man, Harry Osborn’s return, and various villain subplots. Somehow, Insomniac balances all these threads without dropping any.
The writing demonstrates genuine understanding of these characters. Peter’s exhaustion from years of superheroism, Miles’ struggle with responsibility and identity, and the supporting cast’s reactions to escalating threats all feel authentic. Voice acting across the board is phenomenal, with Yuri Lowenthal (Peter) and Nadji Jeter (Miles) delivering career-best performances.
What elevates the story is its willingness to let characters fail, make mistakes, and face realistic consequences. This isn’t a power fantasy where everything works out perfectly. People get hurt. Relationships strain. Choices have weight. The emotional moments hit hard because you’ve spent hours connecting with these characters through gameplay and quieter story beats.
Supporting Cast Shines
MJ’s sections return, and before you groan, they’re vastly improved. She’s more capable, the missions have higher stakes, and they integrate better into the overall narrative flow. Some missions even give her unique abilities that make playing as her feel empowering rather than frustrating.
Harry Osborn’s arc is the emotional core of the story. His friendship with Peter, complicated history, and eventual role in the larger narrative create genuine tension. The game handles his character with care, avoiding obvious plot beats in favor of more nuanced storytelling.
Ganke, Rio Morales, Aunt May’s absence, and even J. Jonah Jameson’s podcast segments add layers to the world. Everyone feels like they exist beyond being quest dispensers.
Side Content Worth Your Time
Quality Over Quantity
Spider-Man 2 learned from the Ubisoft-style bloat criticism of modern open-world games. Instead of 500 generic collectibles, you get focused side content with actual stories.
The Side Missions Include:
- The Flame: Investigate a new vigilante with extreme methods (explores justice vs. vengeance)
- Brooklyn Visions: Help Miles’ classmates with personal problems (surprisingly heartfelt)
- Mysterio’s Challenges: Reality-bending puzzles that mess with your perception
- Photo Ops: Updated photography missions with better rewards
- FNSM App: Citizen requests that range from serious to hilarious
Each side mission category has 5-8 instances, not 30. They’re designed as mini-stories with beginnings, middles, and satisfying conclusions. I completed almost all side content because it felt worthwhile, not because I’m a completionist.
The collectibles that exist (spider-bots, symbiote nests, cultural museums) tie into the world-building rather than feeling arbitrary. Finding all the spider-bots unlocks suit designs. Cultural museums teach you about NYC neighborhoods. Everything serves a purpose beyond padding playtime.
Technical Marvel: PS5 Features Shine
Performance and Visual Modes
Insomniac is a technical wizardry studio, and Spider-Man 2 showcases the PS5’s capabilities beautifully:
Fidelity Mode: 4K/30fps with ray-traced reflections, enhanced lighting, and maximum detail Performance Mode: Dynamic 4K (1440p-1800p)/60fps with reduced RT Performance RT Mode: 1440p/60fps with ray-traced reflections (the sweet spot)
I played primarily in Performance RT mode. The 60fps makes traversal and combat significantly smoother, while ray tracing adds incredible visual fidelity to reflections in windows and wet surfaces. Swinging through rainy Manhattan at night with reflections everywhere is genuinely breathtaking.
Load times are imperceptible. Fast travel takes 2-3 seconds. Restarting from checkpoints is instant. Death has zero penalty because you’re back in action immediately. The SSD integration removes all friction from the experience.
DualSense Integration Done Right
The haptic feedback and adaptive triggers enhance immersion without being gimmicky:
- Feel the tension in web lines through trigger resistance
- Haptic feedback differentiates web-swinging from gliding
- Combat impacts have distinct vibration patterns
- Environmental effects (rain, explosions) register through the controller
It’s subtle enough that you don’t constantly notice it, but impactful enough that playing with vibration disabled feels less satisfying. This is how adaptive features should work.
Accessibility and Customization
Everyone Can Be Spider-Man
Insomniac’s commitment to accessibility deserves recognition. The options menu includes extensive settings for:
- Visual aids (high contrast modes, colorblind options)
- Audio cues for gameplay elements
- Difficulty sliders for combat, puzzles, and quick-time events independently
- Auto-complete for certain sections
- Control remapping and one-handed controller options
You can tailor the experience to match your skill level and physical abilities without compromising the core game. Want challenging combat but easy puzzles? Done. Need visual assistance for spider-sense indicators? Available. It’s comprehensive without being overwhelming.
The difficulty options let you fine-tune challenge rather than choosing between binary easy/hard modes. Adjust enemy aggression, damage multipliers, parry windows, and more. You can make Spider-Man 2 as relaxing or punishing as you prefer.
What Holds It Back
Minor Complaints in an Otherwise Excellent Package
Spider-Man 2 is outstanding, but it’s not flawless:
Story Pacing Issues: The middle section drags slightly as the game juggles multiple plotlines. Some missions feel like padding before major story beats.
Repetitive Enemy Encounters: Despite variety, you’ll fight similar groups repeatedly. By hour 20, you’ve seen most enemy combinations.
Limited Replayability: Once you’ve completed everything, there’s little reason to replay beyond New Game Plus. No random events or dynamic systems keep the world feeling alive post-game.
Some Missions Are Linear: Despite the open-world setting, many story missions funnel you down corridors with limited freedom. The contrast between open exploration and restrictive missions can be jarring.
Photo Mode Limitations: While robust, the photo mode lacks some advanced features found in other games (better lighting controls, more filters, character posing).
These criticisms are nitpicks in the grand scheme. They’re worth mentioning but don’t significantly diminish the overall experience.
The Best PS5 Exclusive? Let’s Discuss
How It Stacks Up Against Competition
Calling any game “the best” is subjective, but let’s examine Spider-Man 2 against other top PS5 exclusives:
Demon’s Souls Remake: Technical showcase, but appeals to niche audience. Spider-Man 2 is more accessible.
Returnal: Innovative roguelike with stellar gameplay. Lacks Spider-Man 2’s narrative depth and mainstream appeal.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart: Gorgeous, fun, but shorter and less ambitious in scope.
Horizon Forbidden West: Comparable in scope, but traversal and combat don’t match Spider-Man’s fluidity.
God of War Ragnarök: Strongest competition. Better story arguably, but Spider-Man 2 wins in pure gameplay fun.
My take? Spider-Man 2 is the most complete, polished, and universally appealing PS5 exclusive yet. It combines technical excellence, incredible gameplay, strong narrative, and broad accessibility. Whether it’s the “best” depends on personal preference, but it’s absolutely in the conversation.
The Verdict: Should You Buy Spider-Man 2?
After extensive time with every aspect of the game, here’s my honest recommendation:
You absolutely should buy Spider-Man 2 if:
- You enjoyed the previous Spider-Man games (it’s better in every way)
- You love superhero stories and want the definitive Spider-Man experience
- Fluid, satisfying gameplay is your priority
- You own a PS5 and want to showcase its capabilities
- You appreciate strong narratives in action games
You might want to wait if:
- You haven’t played the first game or Miles Morales (play those first for context)
- You’re burned out on open-world games (this is polished but familiar)
- You prefer deeper RPG mechanics over action focus
- You’re on a tight budget (wait for a sale, but definitely play it eventually)
- You don’t own a PS5 (it’s exclusive with no announced ports)
For everyone else, this is a must-play experience. Spider-Man 2 represents superhero gaming at its absolute peak.
Conclusion
Spider-Man 2 is a masterclass in sequel design. Insomniac took everything that worked in the previous games, refined it to near-perfection, and added enough new content to justify the full-price tag. The dual protagonist system works flawlessly, the expanded New York is a joy to explore, and the symbiote storyline delivers emotional gut punches you won’t see coming.
Is it revolutionary? No. This is evolution, not revolution. If you fundamentally disliked the first game’s structure, Spider-Man 2 won’t convert you. But if you enjoyed swinging through Manhattan in 2018, this sequel improves every single aspect.
The technical achievement alone makes it worth experiencing. The way it leverages PS5 hardware, the buttery-smooth traversal, the near-instant loading, and the stunning visual presentation create something that feels genuinely next-gen. Add in the strong narrative, refined combat, and meaningful side content, and you’ve got one of the best exclusives on any platform.
Whether it’s definitively the “best” PS5 exclusive is debatable and depends on personal taste. But it’s absolutely in the top tier, and for many people, it will be their favorite gaming experience on the console so far.
Have you played Spider-Man 2 yet? Which Spider-Man do you prefer playing as, and how does it compare to your expectations? Let me know in the comments. I’m genuinely curious if the symbiote storyline hit you as hard as it hit me, or if you found the gameplay improvements as significant as I did.
FAQ: Spider-Man 2 Common Questions
How long does it take to beat Spider-Man 2?
The main story takes approximately 15-20 hours depending on your pace. Completing all side content extends playtime to 25-30 hours. Earning the platinum trophy requires around 35-40 hours, as you’ll need to find all collectibles and complete every activity. Speedrunners can finish the critical path in under 12 hours.
Do I need to play the first Spider-Man games before Spider-Man 2?
While Spider-Man 2 includes recap videos, playing the 2018 Spider-Man and Miles Morales significantly enhances the experience. Character relationships, ongoing storylines, and emotional beats carry more weight with context. If pressed for time, watch comprehensive story summaries online, but playing the previous games is highly recommended.
Is Spider-Man 2 appropriate for kids?
The game is rated T for Teen (ages 13+) for violence, language, and darker themes. Combat involves punching and kicking but no gore or blood. The symbiote storyline explores addiction and loss of control, which might be intense for younger players. Overall, it’s comparable to MCU Spider-Man movies in content.
Can you free roam after beating the game?
Yes, Spider-Man 2 allows post-game exploration. You can complete remaining side content, find collectibles, and swing around New York freely. New Game Plus mode lets you replay with all abilities and suits unlocked. However, certain story-specific features become unavailable after completion.
Is there multiplayer or co-op in Spider-Man 2?
No, Spider-Man 2 is a purely single-player experience. Despite having two playable characters, there’s no co-op mode or multiplayer functionality. You switch between Peter and Miles solo. The game focuses entirely on delivering a narrative-driven, single-player superhero adventure.
Sources & Additional Resources
- Insomniac Games Official Website – Spider-Man 2 Information – Official updates, patch notes, and developer insights
- Digital Foundry – Technical analysis covering performance modes, visual features, and PS5 optimization
- Marvel Database – Background information on characters, storylines, and comic book references within the game