Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Review

Traversal remains untouchable. Momentum-preserving swings, web wings that turn Queens into a wind tunnel, and near-instant fast travel that exists mainly to prove the streaming works: getting from anywhere to anywhere is a pleasure the mission design never has to justify. Combat expands sensibly, with parries that give heavies a real answer and symbiote abilities that let crowds be cleared with a genuine sense of escalation.

Insomniac's facial animation and the PS5's lighting make the cinematic scenes competitive with anything Sony ships. Where it falls short is ambition of writing. The symbiote arc hits the beats you expect in the order you expect them, Kraven is introduced as a thematic heavyweight and used as a mid-game obstacle, and side content has drifted toward markers you clear rather than stories you remember. Boss fights are quick-time spectacle more than tests. Enormously enjoyable, thoroughly safe, and a little shorter than its budget implies.