Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was an inevitability after the major success of Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. So it wasn’t a total shock when the news dropped at the PlayStation showcase back in September, 2021.
However, the contents of the trailer were a bit shocking, namely the release date and the villains that will be featured in this title. We’re super hyped to see Peter and Miles’ Spider-Man back in action.
Before we dive in, this title still has time to launch, so keep in mind our frequently updated lists of best PC games and best PC Game Pass games as well as our best Xbox Series X games and best PS5 games. If you haven't purchased the latest-gen of consoles, we highly recommend checking out our Xbox Series X|PS5 reviews. And if you're more into the imaginative play, see our best virtual tabletop software and DND tips pages.
Now, here’s everything we know so far about Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, from the release date and story to the gameplay and villains that might appear.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 release date
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 doesn’t have a firm release date, but it does have a release window: 2023. That is really not too far away, but if Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 follows the same release window as the original Spider-Man, then it’ll launch sometime in September. Now that’s kinda far.
It does look like that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will be skipping PS4 and going directly to PS5, according to the Marvel website.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 story
We didn’t get a whole lot of info from the Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 teaser trailer, but we know about two major villains starring in the game: Venom and Kraven the Hunter. Venom is one of the most famous Spider-Man villains that gets real deep in Peter’s life to mess everything up, so I imagine there will be a lot of trauma involved. Venom will be played by none other than Tony Todd, who’s famous for playing the original Candyman.
Then there’s Kraven the Hunter, who is not as well known if you haven’t read the comics or played other Spider-Man games. Basically, Kraven just wants to ice Spider-Man to prove himself as the world’s greatest hunter. His motivation is whatever, and the times that I’ve encountered him have been more of a fun and gimmicky version. However, he does sound pretty intense in the Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 teaser trailer. I hope that we can see a more brutal depiction of Kraven the Hunter in this game.
There is one villain that we didn’t see, and that’s Harry Osborn. If you’ve played through the first Spider-Man, you would have seen that very last cutscene where Harry is suspended in a water tank by his father, presumably because he’s turning into the Green Goblin.
We also know that Yuri Lowenthal and Nadji Jeter will reprise their roles as Peter Parker and Miles Morales, respectively. Both of these Spider-Men will have their work cut out for them in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, considering the long list of major villains.
According to Marvel’s Creative Vice President Bill Rosemann, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will be a dark story. On the This Week in Marvel Podcast, he states, "if the first Spider-Man game was Star Wars [A New Hope], Spider-Man 2 is kind of our Empire [Strikes Back]. It gets a little darker.”
Another cool fact is that Brittney M. Morris, the author of Wings of Fury (the Spider-Man: Miles Morales prequel novel), joined Insomniac Games as a writer. Morris unveiled on Twitter that the first project she’d be working on is, of course, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. We’re excited to see how her presence affects the story, especially since Wings of Fury was well-received.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 gameplay
The Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 teaser trailer didn’t feature any gameplay, but it did show off both Peter Parker and Miles Morales’ Spider-Man. According to the PlayStation blog post, it sounds like we’re going to play both characters.
It would be wild if Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was a co-op game that let you play the other Spider-Man with a friend. But it’s probably more likely that it’s still a single-player experience and we’ll be swapping between the two at certain points in the game.
I hope that Insomniac Games improves Peter Parker’s abilities, especially because he may be a tad bit vanilla compared with Miles’ wild powers that give him the ability to electrify foes and turn invisible.
It looks like the game is taking place in New York City, again, which is a bit disappointing. We’ve seen enough of the locale in the original game and the Miles Morales spin-off. I hope they had something fresh to the city or surprise us with a trip elsewhere.
Outlook
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is going to be one hell of a ride considering how many villains and heroes we’ll be fighting and playing as, respectively. It’s without a doubt the most ambitious Spider-Man game out there, and we’re excited to see if it lives up to the hype. Stay tuned for more updates and news as the game gets closer to its 2023 launch.
