Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Review & Ultimate Gameplay Guide, Everything You Need to Know

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the superhero game that finally delivers on the promise of two Spider-Men sharing the same city, the same story, and the same fight. Developed by Insomniac Games and released exclusively on PlayStation 5 on October 20, 2023, this sequel to the critically acclaimed 2018 original expands Marvel’s New York, introduces the legendary symbiote, and pits Peter Parker and Miles Morales against two of Spider-Man’s greatest enemies — Kraven the Hunter and an all-new take on Venom. It remains one of the highest-rated PlayStation exclusives ever made and the definitive superhero gaming experience on current-gen hardware.

🏆 Quick facts: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 — Released October 20, 2023 | PS5 Exclusive | Developer: Insomniac Games | Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment | Metacritic: 90 | Two playable Spider-Men | Web Wings traversal | Symbiote suit

🎬 Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 — Full Gameplay Video

Watch Spider-Man 2 in action below — dual hero combat, New York traversal with Web Wings, Venom sequences, and what makes this the best superhero game on PS5.

🎮 Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 gameplay footage via YouTube. Developed by Insomniac Games, published by Sony Interactive Entertainment.

📋 What’s in This Article

• Story — Two Spiders, One City
• Peter vs. Miles — How They Play Differently
• Combat — Web Wings, Parrying & the Symbiote
• Web-Swinging & Web Wings Traversal
• Villains — Kraven, Venom & the Rogues Gallery
• Open World — Expanded New York
• PS5 Features — DualSense & SSD
• Is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Worth Playing? Our Verdict
• Essential Tips & Tricks
• FAQ

🕸️ Story — Two Spiders, One City

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 picks up several months after Miles Morales, with both Peter Parker and Miles Morales operating simultaneously as Spider-Man across a vastly expanded New York City. Their lives — already stretched thin between heroism and personal responsibility — are shattered by two catalysts: the arrival of Kraven the Hunter, who treats New York as his personal hunting ground, and the emergence of the Venom symbiote, which latches onto Peter and begins to change him from the inside.

The story is more personal and emotionally ambitious than its predecessor. Harry Osborn, Peter’s terminally ill best friend, becomes a central figure — and the way Insomniac weaves his fate into the symbiote storyline is handled with surprising care. Miles’s parallel arc — dealing with grief, identity, and his place in a city that has two Spider-Men — gives him genuine dramatic weight. Peter’s transformation under the Black Suit is one of the game’s most compelling narrative threads, showing a more ruthless, rage-driven Spider-Man willing to cross lines the original Peter never would.

The story has some pacing issues in the middle act, and a few reviewers noted that Miles doesn’t get quite equal billing in the late game. But the set pieces are extraordinary — jaw-dropping cinematic moments that rival Hollywood blockbusters — and Insomniac’s ability to make you feel emotionally invested in these characters is unmatched in superhero gaming.

🔵🔴 Peter vs. Miles — How They Play Differently

One of Spider-Man 2’s boldest design decisions is giving both heroes equal billing. For most of the game, you can switch between Peter and Miles instantly — the PS5’s SSD making the transition near-seamless, accompanied by a witty handoff quip between the pair.

Both heroes share the same base combos, gadgets, and web-slinging mechanics, making character switches feel intuitive rather than disorienting. The difference lies in their unique L1 abilities — Peter’s mechanical arms vs. Miles’s bioelectric surges — which meaningfully change how you approach each encounter.

⚔️ Combat — Web Wings, Parrying & the Symbiote

Spider-Man 2’s combat builds on everything Insomniac refined across three previous games and adds a new emphasis on precision parrying. The result is a combat system that rewards players who engage actively rather than those who button-mash their way through.

The new parry system introduces a critical distinction: incoming enemy attacks trigger a blue flash indicator before impact. Time your parry correctly and you cancel the attack, opening a counter window. Miss it and you eat the damage. On harder difficulties, parrying becomes central to survival — especially in boss fights where enemies hit hard and fast.

The Symbiote (Black Suit) is Peter’s most powerful — and most dangerous — combat state. Accessed mid-story, the Black Suit grants devastating new abilities including explosive symbiote tentacle attacks and enhanced crowd control. The power is intoxicating, but the narrative consequence of using it is baked into the story’s emotional core.

Combat Indicator System

• 🔵 Blue triangle above your head — standard incoming attack. Dodge or parry.
• 🔴 Red triangle — unblockable attack. Must dodge — cannot be parried.
• 🟡 Yellow triangle — multi-directional threat. Dodge away from the attacker.

🌆 Web-Swinging & Web Wings Traversal

Web-swinging in Spider-Man 2 is the best it has ever been in any game. The team at Insomniac capitalized on the PS5’s SSD to nearly double the size of Marvel’s New York — adding Queens, Brooklyn, and parts of the outer boroughs — giving you a vast canvas to swing across.

The signature new traversal tool is the Web Wings: retractable glider wings that deploy between buildings, allowing you to maintain altitude and cover enormous distances without touching the ground. Combine Web Wings with air boost vents and dive-then-recover momentum physics, and traversal becomes as expressive and satisfying as the combat. Many players find simply moving through the city to be one of the game’s greatest pleasures.

The near-instant fast travel system — tap the map and you’re there in seconds via an animated loading sequence — means the map’s scale never becomes frustrating.

🕷️ Villains — Kraven, Venom & the Rogues Gallery

Spider-Man 2’s villain roster is its most ambitious yet:

💡 Boss tip: The Venom boss encounters are among the hardest in the game. Prioritize unlocking all parry-related skills before approaching the final act. The parry window is tight but critical for survival on Normal difficulty and above.

🗽 Open World — Expanded New York

Marvel’s New York in Spider-Man 2 is the largest open-world Insomniac has created for the franchise — spanning Manhattan and now extending into Queens and Brooklyn. The sheer variety of things to do is staggering:

• 🕷️ Hunter Blinds & Camps — Kraven’s hunting network has set up camps across the city. Clearing them earns resources and story context.
• 🌿 Peter’s Botany Side Quests — a surprisingly emotional chain of missions involving plants and memory that rewards platinum seekers.
• 🎨 Miles’s Community Missions — unique to Miles, these connect him to the communities he protects in Brooklyn and Harlem.
• 📸 Photo Ops & Landmarks — find and photograph iconic New York locations and hidden story plaques.
• 🧬 EMF Experiments — scientific side puzzles tied to Peter’s career at Emily-May Foundation.
• 💜 Mysterio’s Illusion Dome — a returning side activity with unique puzzle combat arenas.
• 🎭 Symbiote Nests — spread across the city as Venom’s influence grows. Clearing them slows the spread and unlocks upgrades.

🎮 PS5 Features — DualSense & SSD

Spider-Man 2 was built exclusively for PS5, and the DualSense implementation is among the best on the platform. Haptic feedback communicates web-slinging momentum, the resistance of the adaptive triggers changes between shooting webs and drawing Peter’s spider-arms, and the texture of running on different surfaces — wood, concrete, metal — comes through the controller in subtle but immersive ways.

The PS5 SSD is responsible for two of the game’s most impressive technical feats: near-instant character swapping between Peter and Miles, and loading times so short that the stylized fast-travel animation is effectively just a UI choice rather than a technical necessity.

Performance mode runs at a locked 60fps throughout — even during the game’s most visually spectacular boss sequences — making for an extremely smooth experience.

⭐ Is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Worth Playing? Our Verdict

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the pinnacle of superhero gaming as of 2023. The dual-hero structure is handled with more care than most feared, the Web Wings transform traversal into something genuinely euphoric, and the Venom arc — built around Harry Osborn’s tragedy — delivers emotional stakes that superhero games rarely attempt.

It’s not a revolution. Players who felt the original’s combat was already excellent may find the sequel “more of the same, but better.” The gadget system has been simplified compared to the first game, and Miles and Peter’s combat styles feel closer than some would like. But these are small notes against an experience that excels at virtually every core metric: spectacle, feel, pacing, and heart.

💡 Essential Tips for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

• 🔵 Master the parry system from the first hour — the blue flash indicator is your friend. Getting parry timings down early makes every boss fight manageable.
• 🔄 Use both heroes regularly — don’t ignore one character’s skill tree. Miles’s Venom abilities and Peter’s Spider-Arms serve different combat situations.
• 🦅 Learn Web Wing momentum early — the air boost vent locations are marked on the map. Learning to chain Web Wings with dive-and-recover creates the fastest traversal in the game.
• 🎯 Prioritize Parry and Dodge upgrades first — the early skill trees contain defensive options that pay dividends throughout the entire game.
• 🗺️ Clear Symbiote Nests as they appear — they scale in difficulty as the story progresses and the upgrades they unlock are essential for later content.
• 💥 Use Peter’s Spider-Arms against crowds — his AOE mechanical arm slams clear groups faster than any Miles ability. Save Miles’s Venom powers for single high-priority targets.
• 📸 Use Photo Mode liberally — the game generates spectacular mid-combat shots. The Photo Mode camera gives you exceptional control mid-swing.

❓ Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 FAQ

Is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 a sequel to Miles Morales?
Yes. It follows directly from the events of Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020) with both Peter Parker and Miles Morales active as Spider-Man. You do not need to have played either previous game to enjoy Spider-Man 2, though the emotional payoff is richer with context.

Is Spider-Man 2 only on PS5?
Yes, it launched as a PS5 exclusive on October 20, 2023. A PC version was confirmed for 2024 and launched via Steam and PlayStation PC Launcher in early 2024.

How long is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2?
The main story runs approximately 15–20 hours. Full completion with all side missions, collectibles, and activities takes 30–40 hours.

Can you play as Venom in Spider-Man 2?
There are specific story sequences in which you control Venom, but he is not a fully playable character throughout the open world. Peter’s Black Suit is available for a substantial portion of the game.

What difficulty should I play on first?
Amazing (Normal) is the recommended first playthrough difficulty. It provides a genuine challenge, particularly in late-game boss fights, without requiring mastery of the parry system before you’ve had time to learn it.

Are there New Game+ and additional costumes?
Yes. New Game+ launched post-release, allowing you to carry over upgrades. The game features over 65 suits for Peter and Miles combined, including animated Spider-Verse suits that render in a cel-shaded art style.

Final Thoughts

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a statement: superhero games don’t have to be shallow, repetitive, or safe. Insomniac took everything that worked across three games, refined it, expanded it, and wrapped it around a story with genuine emotional stakes. Whether you’re here for the web-swinging, the spectacle, or the surprisingly moving story about what it costs to be Spider-Man, this is one of PlayStation’s finest exclusives.

Have you played Marvel’s Spider-Man 2? Which Spider-Man do you prefer playing — Peter or Miles? Drop a comment below!

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Released October 20, 2023, exclusively for PlayStation 5. PC version released 2024.