Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

It’s easy to write off Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 as just another sequel. It wears the “2” proudly on its latex Spidey suit, letting you know that you’re in for a continuation of our webheads duos’ wild journey. But while Insomniac Games’ latest open-world action game is definitely a capital-S sequel, it’s one that doesn’t fall into the ideological trap that assumes “more is better.” While yeah, “more is better” is true here, especially since what was so good about Marvel’s Spider-Man returns in this sequel, Spider-Man 2 tells an even more heartwarming and gut-wrenching story, centered around the sacrifices we make to become “heroes.” It’s beautiful and thought-provoking all in one breath.

You’re still zipping through New York at breakneck speeds, stopping thugs from kidnapping people and robbing stores, collecting this thing and that thing. You’re still fighting hordes of bad guys while unlocking skills and suits. You’re still taking pictures of the city and listening to JJJ scream his head off. You know, normal Spidey stuff. However, Spider-Man 2 not only gives you two webheads to switch between, both of whom have their own unique abilities, it also introduces some frightening villains that add new and surprising wrinkles to the story and gameplay. It’s thrilling, edge-of-your-seat kind of stuff that’s satisfying to play through and captivating to watch. The game is like a playable rollercoaster, making it an exciting superhero ‘em up worth checking out. — Levi Winslow