Summary
In many ways,Marvel’s Spider-Man 2is as much a distillation and refinement of the franchise’s initial installment asMarvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Moraleswas. Of course, the sequel was always going to be a big blockbuster bursting at the seams due to having two individual Spider-Men as playable characters. But whatMarvel’s Spider-Man 2achieves is what all sequels should strive for, and that’s making gameplay improvements that are so much better that going back to the original game inevitably and unfairly feels relatively inferior.
Not being able to activateweb wings or fast travel to any arbitrary spot in the open worldis now something that marsMarvel’s Spider-Manin a direct comparison even if the debut entry’s traversal is wonderful of its own accord. Likewise, combat and stealth have improved, making certain gadgets obsolete while substituting in overpowered abilities for each respective Spider-Man. That said, perhaps the most impactful developmentMarvel’s Spider-Manhas made in its second and third outings is its approach toward boss fight designs, and with a hotly anticipated antagonist almost guaranteed to arrive inMarvel’s Spider-Man 3this upgrade came at the perfect time.
Marvel’s Spider-Manabsolutely crushed the ease and grace of modern web-swinging mechanicswithin the game’s opening minutes. Its combat can take a little while to slip back into, though, simply because many of its best features and abilities are shallowly locked behind individual skill trees.
That said,Marvel’s Spider-Manalready had excellent combat with juggle combos allowing players and their enemies to stay suspended midair. Unfortunately, while this improvisational and rhythmic combat was phenomenal for bases and hideouts where players were confronted with waves of Inner Demons, Fisk thugs, Sable goons, or Raft escapees, it never translated wholly toMarvel’s Spider-Man’s cinematic boss fight set pieces.
Thetutorial Kingpin boss fight inMarvel’s Spider-Manwas ironically one of its best, though the Tombstone boss fight later on would be nearly a carbon copy of it as another brute boss.
QTEs and Cutscenes Plague Earlier Marvel’s Spider-Man Bosses
Most other bosses more or less boil down to spectacular QTE sessions rather than actual combat and abandon the rich mechanics players are enjoying in every other instance. The Mr. Negative subway train fight is an obvious example of this even though it makes a bit of sense given how claustrophobic and restrictive the set piece is, while the Electro and Vulture fight is egregious for having players fire webbing at a generator, press triangle to counter Vulture, and rinse and repeat.
These boss fights really only employ a couple of mechanics that are related to simple button inputs, leaving them entirely sparse and unengaging compared to thefluid and creative combatMarvel’s Spider-Manusually revels in. Not everyone may find this detrimental even by recent standards, butMarvel’s Spider-Man 2’s boss encounters are surely an upgrade in almost every way.
Thankfully,Miles MoralesandMarvel’s Spider-Man 2rectified this concern and each has its own plethora of boss fights where players actually get to use the combat they’ve been practicing in engaging ways. Because of this,Marvel’s Spider-Man 2has been able to introduce actual on-screen health bars for its bosses, sacrificing a bit of that minimalist immersion for an experience that immerses itself in genuine combat—a lot of which revolves aroundparries inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Green Goblin’s Boss Fight is Make or Break for Marvel’s Spider-Man 3
It’s now safe to assumeMarvel’s Wolverine,Marvel’s Spider-Man 3, and any other future Insomniac gamewill have the same level of interactivity and challenge in their boss fights. This will be paramount regarding final boss fights inMarvel’s Spider-Man 3in particular for two reasons: Doctor Octopus is teased to return in a villainous role and his original boss fight, which had a first phase that was relatively engaging, can be iterated on and made much more dynamic; and the series has long been teasing the debut of a Green Goblin, whether that turns out to be Norman Osborn, his son Harry, or someone else.
Marvel’s Spider-Manmade good on its promise of the symbiote’s post-credit scene reveal by having the back half ofMarvel’s Spider-Man 2concerned with a full-blown symbiote invasion. Now, withGreen Goblin being hinted at explicitlyfor an even longer period, Insomniac can’t afford to make any mistakes when it comes to its portrayal of the iconic antagonist, let alone how his boss fight will land.
Green Goblin Needs to Be Exemplary of All Insomniac Has Learned Thus Far
The fight itself will depend onwhat form Green Goblin takes inMarvel’s Spider-Man 3—his classic Emerald Elf aesthetic clad in medieval or armored garb, a hulking brute that can hurl fireballs, or an original form of Insomniac’s own design. However, withMarvel’s Spider-Man’s villain designs all so far being faithful to the source material, Green Goblin will likely take on the former aforementioned form once he ingests the G-Serum.
Either way, Insomniac has demonstrated that its boss fights are no longer riddled with QTEs or repetitive motions and a Green Goblin boss fight inMarvel’s Spider-Man 3should thrive as a result. Unfortunately, the only story beat that would really lead Norman to become Green Goblin at the moment is his constant feeling of failure when it comes to protecting and curing Harry.
This would hardly be a reason for Norman himself to imbibe a risky serum, which could suggest that it’s Harry who becomes Green Goblin even if that would mean he’s going to be portraying another classic Spider-Man villain. It’ll be interesting to see what comes of this tease Insomniac has nurtured since 2018 and the success of this payoff will come down to how terrific the boss fight against Green Goblin is.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Spider-Men Peter Parker and Miles Morales face the ultimate test of strength inside and outside the mask as they fight to save the city, each other and the ones they love, from the monstrous Venom and the dangerous new symbiote threat.Explore an expansive Marvel’s New York with faster web-swinging and the all-new Web Wings, quickly switching between Peter and Miles to experience different stories, epic new abilities and high-tech gear.Wield Peter’s symbiote abilities and Miles’ explosive bio-electric powers in battle against new and iconic Marvel Super Villains – including an original take on a symbiote-infused Venom, the ruthless Kraven the Hunter, the volatile Lizard, and more from the Marvel Rogues’ Gallery.
