Insomniac Games' 2018 Spider-Man game blew away expectations and thrilled both comic book fans and gamers alike. It's story, set pieces, and visuals helped grip players through one of the best exclusives on PS4. Barely two years later, a side-story was released with Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, further advancing the storyline as well as making some additions to the already great web-swinging mechanics. Now, with Marvel's Spider-Man 2 rumored to be in active development for the PS5, even further improvements are likely being made to the core formula.
As things are, the web swinging is polished. The sense of speed and physics truly add a sense of weight to every tug and pull of Spidey's webs attaching to nearby buildings as he zips through the sky. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales made further tweaks to the trick system, adding more personality to these moves, making just casually swinging along even more enjoyable. Even so, there are still a few other additions that Insomniac can consider adding to the web-swinging mechanics in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Featuring the Venom Suit
At the end of the first game, there is a brief tease in an after-credits scene setting up a future appearance from the fan-favorite villain Venom. Prior to bonding with Eddie Brock and transforming into the iconic archenemy, the Symbiote latched itself onto Peter Parker. It's a now-infamous storyline in the Spider-Man mythos, one which Insomniac will surely touch upon. Spider-Man can already pull off some dizzying airborne acrobatics on his own, but upon merging with the Symbiote, his abilities were increased tenfold.
As demonstrated in the many animated series as well as Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3, the Symbiote suit enables Spider-Man to swing faster, jump farther, and endows him with more enhanced strength. Most notably, is is technically a sentient creature, trying to permanently bond to Peter and control his actions. This can be represented in gameplay by not only making players able to traverse the world more quickly, but also more aggressively. Landing on the ground from a high point could crunch the concrete below Spidey's feet, perhaps lifting vehicles that can be used as weapons.
Maybe the player experiences hallucinations because of the Symbiote, similar to the sanity effects in Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. This could lead to once-familiar locations looking completely different, simulating the sense of losing touch with reality as Peter's struggles with the new suit. For an added touch, the citizens of New York can react different to Spider-Man, now cowering in fear rather than approaching for a selfie or high five.
More Interactive Environments in Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Both of the two previous Spider-Man games from Insomniac have delivered on the experience of doing whatever a spider can in a free-roaming New York City. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop and swinging past skyscrapers was always a thrill, but with the power of the PS5, maybe even more is possible going forward. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales takes place in winter, and while the snow-covered New York was visual stunning, it didn't affect gameplay.
Maybe snow, rain, and even accelerated wind speeds can affect web swinging in a future title. Spidey sways in the wind during a storm, something which the player could feel with the DualSense controller. Wet surfaces may cause the side of buildings to be slippery, encouraging more careful button pushes and timing while pulling off all of Spider-Man's parkour moves. Having more locations that can be entered and exited in real time would be a great addition as well, perhaps introducing photography side missions in which Peter Parker has to report to J. Jonah Jameson inside the Daily Bugle.
An added bonus will be the inclusion of Queens, Peter's stomping grounds, which was notably absent from the first two installments. While the buildings are smaller and would not allow for as wild web swinging, it is bursting with personality - just like Harlem was for Miles Morales in his spin-off title. It would also be interesting if plot points brought Spider-Man to entirely new locations outside of New York for a change of visual scenery, as well as moment-to-moment gameplay such as Dr. Doom's Latveria or Wakanda, the home base of Black Panther.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is rumored to be in development.