Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is close to a masterpiece for me. A few nitpicks hold it back from being a perfect superhero game, but its story and big moments are reason enough to play it.
For dedicated Spider-Man fans, though, there may be nothing better. Insomniac Games’ take on the classic hero and some of his most memorable story arcs has been very fun to witness over the past five years. And now, we get to look to the future thanks to several seeds that were planted in Spider-Man 2.
Spider-Man 2 sets the stage beautifully for several new plot points moving forward for the inevitable sequel and third main title. And if it’s anything like the first two titles, it’s going to be yet another classic Spidey tale, and potentially the best one yet. I’ve enjoyed these games so much that I’m looking forward to it more than the next Spider-Man movie, which is saying a lot.
If you haven’t finished the game yet, beware: There are massive spoilers for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 ahead. If you don’t want to read them, close the tab now, pick up the game, and experience the story and gameplay yourself.
Get out while you can.
Are your Spider-Senses tingling yet?
OK, here we go.
Green Goblin and Doc Ock. A proper Sinister Six?
Boom. Otto Octavius gets a visit from former friend and rival Norman Osborn in the first credits scene, setting the stage with a not-so-subtle hint that there’s a third and final game coming in the series.
The build-up to the Green Goblin has been coming since day one. Norman has been the source of basically every terrible thing that’s happened in the first few games, including the birth of both Dr. Octopus and Mister Negative, and the Symbiote and thus, Venom.
Norman’s penchant for wearing green in this game did not go unnoticed. It’s like Insomniac is winking at us the whole time. Everyone knows the transformation into a villain coming, but with Norman now blaming the Spider-Men for Harry’s comatose condition, and calling someone on the phone to “Get the G-SERUM ready ASAP,” it’s now a guarantee.
Otto is way too happy to hear the news of Harry’s current predicament. He seems content. Is it possible to see a team-up with Norman’s Green Goblin and whatever other big bads are still lurking around? You bet.
Harry is still alive, which is not great for anyone
Harry nearly died from Peter’s Anti-Venom, only to be revived ever-so-slightly by Miles’ makeshift electric defibrillator technique. But he’s now comatose, with little brain activity.
With Norman accelerating that nefarious G-SERUM, which will inevitably turn him into Spider-Man’s most notorious villain, you have to wonder what the attempted cure will also do to Harry.
Green Goblin and Red Goblin father and son team-up? Also quite likely.
A passing of the torch
The ending spelled it out quite clearly. Peter is ready to move on from Spider-Man and live his own life with MJ, at least for a while. It’s Miles’ city now, and he’s ready to take over as Spider-Man full-time to give Pete a rest.
Peter will eventually be forced out of vacation by whatever craziness the sequel has to offer, and the two will team up again for an epic game. But after that, what’s next?
I don’t think it spells a good ending for Peter. Each of the first three games in the series, including Spider-Man: Miles Morales) have ended with a powerful, emotional ending for one character (Aunt May, Phin, and now Harry), so it likely spells doom for someone else a Spider-Man loves.
I think Peter’s death would allow Miles to fully take the mantle on his own.
Carnage and Chameleon: DLC?
I kind of saw it coming if only for the fact that “The Flame” was a ginger, but the reveal that he was actually Cletus Kassidy and the Wraith questline was a Carnage origin story was still awesome, especially for someone who’s a fan of the original Maximum Carnage comic book storyline.
Also awesome was the final mission in the Web Wing-centric bird drone questline, which revealed that Chameleon was not only Kraven’s brother but still alive. And he was actively hunting both Kraven and Spider-Man, which leaves him open to be involved in the future of the franchise.
With Wraith, aka Yuri Watanabe, involved in both of these villains’ cases when she was a police officer, it seems like Insomniac is hinting at a Wraith-centric DLC pack focusing on both Carnage and Chameleon.
Or, the devs could be saving them for Spider-Man 3. Either way, I’m hyped.
Silky smooth
The final post-credits cutscene introduces another Spider-Verse character. Cindy Moon, whose father is dating Miles’ mother Rio, becomes the Spider superhero Silk after—you guessed it—being bit by a super-powered spider.
Her inclusion as a surprise in the final cutscene as one last stinger in the game means she’s coming next. If Peter does die, could she and Miles be the new Spider-Duo moving forward?
Into the Spider-Verse?
The Spider-Bot questline, filled with bots featuring all kinds of different iterations of the hero, seemed to be heavily hinting at some sort of Spider-Verse just like in the animated films of the same name.
And in the final cutscene, it was confirmed. The Spider-Verse exists, and Spider-Man 2099 is involved with it somehow. Miguel O’Hara opening up Miles and Silk to all of the other Spider-People in a potential fourth game or beyond could really make things get wild.
More Symbiote fun?
Is Carnage the end of the Symbiotes? Or could there be more?
The stunning moment when Venom transforms Mary Jane into Scream was one of the most memorable in the game, and an awesome boss fight, to boot. What other Symbiotes could there be, besides Carnage?
