Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Review: 4 Ups & 2 Downs

Downs...

2. The Open World Feels Frustratingly Ordinary

Unfortunately, not every facet of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is so superlative-worthy. While it's very much an exemplary sequel, there are certain aspects of its potential that feel frustratingly unrealised - the biggest of which is the open world itself.

Insomniac has given players two, expansive new areas to explore in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, bringing Peter Parker's childhood stomping ground of Queens to a Marvel game for the first time since 2005's Ultimate Spider-Man, as well as Brooklyn, which houses Miles' school, Brooklyn Visions Academy. Manhattan is of course back as well, and while all three of these areas are beautiful to swing by and web-wing through, there's scarcely little to hold your attention.

One of the best things about Marvel's Spider-Man was how it utilised Manhattan as a vehicle for exposition and character development; landmarks guided your eye to Marvel monuments and real-life locations, while backpacks provided neat little character moments that fleshed out Peter's past. Marvel's Spider-Man 2, however, has comparatively little in that department.

In the place of backpacks we have photo opportunities, with Peter and Miles making spare cash for the Daily Bugle by sending in snaps of quirky or otherwise heartwarming NYC moments. These are pleasant in and of themselves, but they're a disappointing follow-up to the lore blow-out we got in the previous two games. There's just not much that feels as Marvel-y about New York this time - something that jars especially given so many of the side missions could've been better served by a cameo or two, along the lines of what we've seen in the likes of Ultimate Spider-Man or 2008's Spider-Man: Web of Shadows.

There are tangible connections to the Marvel Universe in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - and obviously I'm not asking for Spidey's story to be taken away from him and for it to obnoxiously defer to tedious MCU-style storytelling methods - but given how little there is to do in the world and how high the stakes get in the story, New York can feel bizarrely ordinary.