So far, not a whole lot is known about Marvel's Spider-Man 2, the anticipated sequel to 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man. The game is expected to follow up on events from the original game and from the recently released Miles Morales spin-off, which let Miles star in his own game without having to share the spotlight with Peter. Both games are incredible, and the series is known for really making the player feel like Spider-Man.
Marvel's Spider-Man did a great job at setting the foundation, and Miles Morales took it a step further. The gameplay was mostly the same, but Miles' unique abilities added another layer to stealth, traversal, and combat mechanics. The experience was even more immersive on the PS5, where Insomniac Games made use of the DualSense controller's haptic feedback and implemented ray-tracing. It was a fantastic game, but it was much shorter than the original and fans are looking forward to all the possibilities that come with a full-fledged sequel. Even though nothing has been shown, it definitely has one advantage over the previous two games.
Console Gaming is Still Transitioning to Next-Gen
Right now, the console gaming industry is at a crossroads. Both the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 released late in 2020, meaning that 2021 is the first full year of next-gen games. The new generation has begun, but a lot of the most highly-anticipated titles are still being released on both last and current-gen consoles.
This was true of Miles Morales. The experience on the PS5 was noticeably enhanced, but it was still available on PS4. That's not a bad thing, considering that a PS5 is no small investment and many gamers might not be ready to make the switch. PS5 consoles have also been extremely hard to come by since launching in November, so making great new games available to those who can't get their hands on one isn't makes a lot of sense during the transition period.
However, Sony surprised a lot of gamers by revealing that some games, many of which still don't have release dates, would also be releasing on PS4. Horizon Forbidden West and God of War: Ragnarok are two such titles. What's been shown of Forbidden West looks amazing and Ragnarok is sure to be equally impressive, but some feel like continuing to release blockbuster games on last-gen consoles holds those games back.
The transition is gradual, and more games are beginning to release on PS5 only. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and Returnal are two rapidly approaching titles that will be PS5-exclusive. But Miles Morales did need to run on PS4 consoles, which may have prevented Insomniac from taking full advantage of all the PS5 has to offer.
Spider-Man 2 Should Be Exclusively Next-Gen
The next Spider-Man game is at least a few years away, which means that by the time it rolls around, it's unlikely that Sony will still be releasing games for PS4. By that point, the PS5 will be well into its lifecycle and the next-gen transition will be complete. Hopefully, by then every gamer who wants a PS5 will be able to find one.
While a lot of players wish that Spider-Man 2 was closer, being a few years away can only be a good thing. Miles Morales and Rift Apart have given Insomniac a lot of hands-on experience with the PS5, which will make a huge difference for the sequel's development. It will also mean that Spider-Man 2 should be exclusively for the PS5.
Insomniac has shown a lot of enthusiasm for utilizing the PS5's features. When Rift Apart was announced last year, it was cited as one of the only games utilizing the PS5's superior hardware in a creative way. Thanks to much faster loading speeds, Rift Apart allows players to seamlessly jump from dimension without any loading screens.
That bodes very well for Spider-Man 2. While Miles Morales may have been a little bit held back by its PS4 release, Spider-Man 2 won't be and Insomniac can take full advantage of the PS5's capabilities. Miles Morales was already an immersive experience that improved upon Marvel's Spider-Man, but for players who can't get enough of feeling like they are the masked web slinger, Spider-Man 2 is one to look forward to.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales is available now on PS4 and PS5.