Spider-Man 2 (2023) Review

Over the last few years Insomniac have released two fantastic Spider-Man games. This has led to much anticipation for the sequel to the original game and its spinoff Miles Morales. I have played through this entire game and here is my review for Spider-Man 2. The premise of the game is set a few years after the original game, both Peter Parker and Miles Morales are Spider-Man and using their powers to help New York but not succeeding in their personal lives. However, the return of an old friend and a new powerful enemy forces them to work together to face their biggest enemies. 

Characters

Yuri Lowenthal reprises his role as Peter Parker and he is fantastic, to me he is an absolute perfect choice for this video game Spider-Man. He plays the experienced version of the character well and this game pushes him in different ways that the previous one does. He is brilliant here and I think he deserves to be in the same discussion as the iconic film versions of the character. I have even got used to his new face here and I am totally fine with it. 

Nadji Jeter also reprises his role as Miles Morales and he is also great in the role. We have really seen his journey over the three games and the chemistry between him and Peter is fantastic. He is given a really interesting story here and it shows a more serious side that maybe his game slightly missed. The game does ebb and flow but it does feel like two equal lead characters and that is fantastic to see. 

Laura Bailey is back as Mary Jane Watson and she is once again great in her role. She supports both the Spider-Men really well and they give her a story herself but it doesn't overshadow the main plot and she does the character real justice. 

Graham Phillips is here as Harry Osbourne and he is fantastic, it feels like these characters have known each other for years and credit to Phillips who has joined the cast and felt like he has always been there. He also has a really interesting character arc and it follows up really well with what we have been told about him in the previous games. 

Jim Pirri plays Kraven The Hunter and I love this portrayal of the character. He is physically intimidating but you see how his mind works throughout the game and what his motivations are for the actions that he takes. He is a great villain that is perfect for the story that is being told here. 

Also he was in the trailer so I will say Venom is fantastic when he is used here and that is all I will say. 

Story 

This story is fantastic, it does a fantastic job of showing Peter and Miles in their own difficult situations but also situations that affect both of them in their personal life and as Spider-Man. It weaves characters into the story and provides plenty of emotion throughout with a solid ending here. Personally, I actually think I preferred the story in the first game but that doesn't mean this one isn't fantastic in its own way. Some are arguing that it isn't long enough and I kind of get that, but I think it uses everything effectively and it still took me around 18-20 hours to complete which for me is plenty for a video game.

Side Activities

The game has plenty of side content and it is a bit of a mixed bag. There are some excellent side missions, one in particular really hit me and made me realise that the game developers really cared. They also do a really good job of setting up future threats for Peter & Miles which is something a bit fresh here. But the majority of the side missions end up seeing either Spider-Man doing the same activity multiple times and it just gets a bit repetitive. I know most open world games has this but it felt like it here and I wasn't a huge fan of it this time. 

Gameplay

Insomniac decided to go with a more revolution over evolution of the gameplay. It is pretty similar to what we received in the previous two games. This game is pretty clear that Miles & Peter play differently and it provides fresh gameplay in different activities. It provides fantastic action and web swinging along with the web wings allowed for easier traverse across New York. Also yes the MJ missions are back and at first I sighed but they are way better here and I didn't actually mind them and appreciated that Insomniac decided to improve this factor instead of just getting rid of it. 

Graphics

This game looks beautiful. The character models are great and I love how both Spider-Men look in their costumes and it is great to see them in action. The other villains also look fantastic with Kraven, Lizard and Venom all being beautifully represented here. It shows New York in a fantastic way and made me care about it, overall it is a great looking game. 

Overall

Overall, Spider-Man 2 is a fantastic game and one of the best superhero games that has ever been made. It tells an amazing story and manages to showcase both Peter Parker and Miles Morales in a really great way. It falls a little short with its side content and overall length but It is still absolutely worth a purchase and anyone with a PS5 must give it a playthrough. 

Rating - 9/10

Spider-Man 2 (2004) Review

Next in my Spider-Man Review series comes Spider-Man 2 and I re-watched it today and here is my review for it. The premise of the film is set 2 years after the first and sees Peter Parker struggling in balancing his life when a new threat comes to New York. 

Main Character

Tobey Maguire is great as both Peter Parker & Spider-Man. I actually think he is better in this film then he was in the original, his character goes through a real arc as both Parker and Spider-Man and that can sometimes be a real difficult thing to balance in a film like this. He is still to this day known for his portrayal of the character and that is due to his great work, I think especially in this film. 

Supporting Characters 

Alfred Molina plays Dr Otto Octavius and he is fabulous in this film, as Doctor Octopus he is one of the better comic book villains we have seen on screen. He also has a real character arc and Molina really cares about this performance which ranks him up and easily raises this overall film higher up. James Franco gets a bigger role in the film and I actually liked the way the film took Harry Osbourne, his lust to get revenge on Spider-Man is well handled and saw him through his own story in the film. Kirsten Dunst is back as MJ and again I thought she was fine, I felt like the dynamic between her and Maguire was better in this film and I thought she was better written though not perfect and I will give her the benefit of the doubt here. A real scene stealer is JK Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, they give him more to do in this film and he is amazing, I couldn't stop laughing watching him and as I said in my previous review he is one of the best castings ever made. 

Story   

The story is really effective in this film and that is because it takes more care with its characters and focuses less on the whole relationship dynamic on the film. It balances Spider-Man & Peter Parker really well and characters like Harry & Doc Ock are really given interesting arcs that get you invested in the film. It balances the narrative well and I really was invested in pretty much everything, even the not amazing romance. 

Script 

The script is also better in this film, it isn't as cheesy as the previous. The drama is interesting, with the characters written better. I also found myself laughing more watching this film and that is a credit on the balance that is achieved with this film. 

Style 

The action scenes are really great, I mean the train sequence alone is one of the greatest comic book action sequences ever made. Seeing Doctor Octopus and Spider-Man clash is really exciting and feels completely different from the action scenes in the previous film. But this film has one issue and that is with tone, it is a bit all over the place, with dark moments and really cheesy moments. It isn't the biggest issue in the world but it is here and holds it back from getting my top score. 

Overall

Overall, Spider-Man 2 is a fantastic film. It raises the stakes and delivers on a great superhero action film that should be seen. 

Rating - 9/10