Image: Insomniac Games
Peter Parker is very angry in the first gameplay showcase for Spider-Man 2.
Today’s PlayStation Showcase finally revealed gameplay for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Insomniac Games’ follow-up starring both Miles Morales and Peter Parker as dual protagonists. The trailer shows off a bombastic chase sequence with both Miles and Peter, as the two Spider-Men try to stop a rampaging Lizard with Kraven the Hunter on their heels.
Watch the Kraven the Hunter reveal below:
The first trailer introduces us to an iconic Spider-Man villain: Kraven the Hunter, a Russian thrillseeker on a never ending hunt for the greatest and most challenging game there is. One of his goons suggests the city of New York as his new hunting grounds, with the trailer hinting at multiple future targets for the baddie: Black Cat, the Prowler, Tombstone, Kingpin, Shocker, Taskmaster, Lizard and both Spider-Men. Wraith AKA Peter’s friend-turned-enemy Yuri Watanabe was also on the list.
It sounds like Kraven went right for the most animalistic of them all however, as the next 10 minutes of gameplay showcase one long sequence in which Kraven attempts to murder a very big lizard. Dr. Curt Connors AKA Lizard is on the loose and both Peter and Miles are attempting to cut his rampage short, but - surprise! - Peter is now infected by a familiar-looking Venom symbiote, shiny new black costume and all.
The symbiote is clearly addling poor Peter’s brain however, as the superhero isn’t exactly acting heroic in this gameplay trailer. Peter yells at his colleagues, ferociously threatens his enemies, beats up thugs with even less restraint than usual, and tosses a helpless civilian aside like a rag doll upon saving them. Miles seems puzzled by his mentor’s behaviour, suggesting that the younger Spider-Man isn’t in the loop about this new symbiote takeover.
In a PlayStation Blog update, Insomniac confirmed that the open world introduced in Peter’s first outing has been expanded for this sequel, including the East River in Queens, which is just, “one of the all-new playable and explorable boroughs we’re introducing.” The developer also confirms that Peter can activate his symbiote using the L1 button to access new combat abilities, such as parrying enemies.
Traversal is also getting changed up in Spider-Man 2, with both heroes now being able to move swiftly through New York using wind tunnels and Web Wings, which allow them to practically fly around at high speeds. Peter’s Symbiote abilities and Miles’ bioelectric powers can be upgraded via individual skill trees, but there will also be a shared skill tree with parallel upgrades for both. We’ll switch between playing as Miles and Peter throughout the story, but GTA 5-like character switching in the open world has not been confirmed.
Insomniac Games seems to be on track for a Fall 2023 release window, but an exact date was not disclosed during this showcase. Check out all of the games revealed during today's PlayStation Showcase today here.
