Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is one of the most hotly anticipated titles for PlayStation. The original game, released in 2018, is one of the Sony’s highest selling titles, and it’s spin-off Spider-Man: Miles Morales was a big sales hit following its launch alongside the PlayStation 5 in 2020. Developer Insomniac Games has been praised for its innovation when adapting the Marvel hero for video games, not just in terms of gameplay, but also through a gripping story.
During Sony’s PlayStation Showcase in Fall 2021, Insomniac revealed that a sequel to Marvel’s Spider-Man was coming, alongside the announcement that the studio was also making a game based on Wolverine. There was plenty to speculate about the game following this announcement, from the possible mechanics of playing as both Peter Parker and Miles Morales to the reveal that long-time Spider-Man arch-enemy Venom would be appearing. However, Venom will not be the only Spider-Man villain appearing, as the trailer’s narration indicates that Kraven the Hunter will be serving as the game’s primary antagonist.
With Kraven serving as the game’s main villain, there is a lot of speculation as to how enemy types based on the hunter will work in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. On Reddit’s r/SpidermanPS4, user witheredfax brought an idea of how Kraven’s team could operate in a way that adds a different flavour to the game’s combat.
I hope that kravens goons are able to dodge swing kicks and other stuff to make them even more menacing from SpidermanPS4
Beyond the stylistic appearance of Kraven’s potential henchmen having more African memorabilia, the idea of enemies being able to evade specific attacks such as swing kicks could change things up and force players to think differently on how to approach fights. There has been plenty of discussion about bringing back mechanics from past Spider-Man games, such as wall combat from Web of Shadows, as this could be a simple evolution of how Spider-Man can take down his foes.
While it seems that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will be focusing more on how gameplay would work alongside the Symbiote, should it find its way to Peter Parker during the game, it’s worth discussing the integration of Kraven and what kind of henchman he would utilize. Based on what kind of differences each gang in the original game had, it stands to reason that Insomniac will find a way to make this faction of enemies stand out.
There are other aspects of the game that fans also would like addressed, such as the disappearance of the Chrysler Building from Spider-Man: Miles Morales or altering some aspects of webs-swinging. No matter what comes of the sequel, Insomniac is sure to deliver a solid game that builds on the foundation of its previous title, and for what may come of a potential Marvel video game universe.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is slated to release in 2023.