Summary
The recently releasedMarvel’s Spider-Man 2manages to recapture the satisfying, flow-state combat and movement mechanics of its predecessors, but one key area feels a little under-baked and not nearly as challenging as it should. This is unfortunate since thedual Spider-Man system, coupled with the game’s other core mechanics, offers a great deal of potential in this area. Luckily, there is plenty that Insomniac can do to improve upon this issue in a future game.
Broadly speaking, the gameplay of Insomniac’s threeSpider-Mangames can be broken up into three main pillars: traversal, combat, and stealth. Traversal has been universally praised as satisfying, engaging, and immersive, and the combat, while not the best in the industry, is enjoyable andreminiscent of theBatman Arkhamgames. Stealth, on the other hand, is rather one-note and unchallenging, especially considering how much the games encourage or outright require players to act stealthily, in certain scenarios.
The stealth system was made even easier inSpider-Man 2thanks to the arrival of web lines and the reintroduction of Miles’s invisibility powers.
RELATED:Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Eventual Sequel Needs to Shake Crime Up a Bit
The Problems with Stealth in the Marvel’s Spider-Man Games
Marvel’s Spider-Man’s Stealth is a Little on the Easy Side
Generally speaking, it’s very hard to fail at stealth in theMarvel’s Spider-Mangames. Enemies refuse to look up, so players don’t have to consider their movement as long as they are elevated. They also don’t seem to have sharp hearing, meaning that Spider-Man can walk right up to them and (rather loudly, sometimes) take them out, and no one will notice as long as it’s not in their line of sight.
Spider-Man 2probably has the least challengingstealth of the three games, since Miles has an invisibility power on a short cooldown, and features like the HUD showing when it’s safe to take out an enemy make a return. The introduction of web lines also removes any sort of challenge when it comes to positioning since players can move freely about the stealth arena. All these issues apply to the higher difficulty levels, which don’t seem to have too much of an impact on stealth.
Stealth Doesn’t Make Marvel’s Spider-Man Feel Any More Tactical
Generally speaking, optional stealth in games should present an exchange: stealth requires extra forethought, planning, and creativity, and this makes it feel rewarding. Because stealth in Insomniac’sSpider-Mangames is so easy, the exchange winds up being: take extra time to be stealthy and get rewarded by avoiding a battle with reinforcements.Spider-Man 2’s upgrade systemalso discourages stealth, in a way, since stealth gadgets like the Trip Mine have been removed, which makes the system one-note and lacking options.
A stealthy Spider-Man makes sense, so it’s a shame that the mechanics aren’t interesting from a gameplay perspective. In a futureMarvel’s Spider-Mangame, Insomniac may want to consider beefing up the stealth system. Ideally, this would involve tightening up the enemy AI and making them more perceptive, but even the addition of different stealth-oriented tools that weren’t seen inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2would help; if stealth can’t be difficult, it should at least give players interesting options.
Accessibility features inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2are impressive and commendable—it’s clear that the game is meant to be enjoyed by a wide variety of gamers. That said, maybe more challenging stealth mechanics could be tied to difficulty modifiers, allowing players to further tweak the game to their preference. After all, players selecting the higher difficulty settings are doing so because they are looking for an extra challenge. Harder, deeper, more complex stealth in a futureMarvel’s Spider-Mangame could give them just that.
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.
