Exclusive PS5 Spider-Man 2 to Achieve Original's Scrapped Boss Fight Idea

It won't be long before we get a glimpse of Marvel's Spider-Man 2, which is set to launch soon. While fans are eagerly anticipating the reveal, there's no doubt that the game will be full of surprises, just like its predecessor. Insomniac has done an incredible job with the franchise so far, and it will be exciting to see how they iterate upon it with their next release. Interestingly, the team might be able to fulfill a scrapped boss fight idea from the first game, now that they've made a commitment to avoid employee crunch.

Both Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales featured breathtaking set pieces during their respective boss fights. If Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is set in an open-world Manhattan, it's possible that the team will spend more time designing elements elsewhere in the city. While rumors suggest that Peter Parker and Miles Morales might head to their own multiverse, it would be amazing to see a boss fight that takes players from one end of New York City to the other.

Marvel's Spider-Man missed out on the opportunity for a city-wide boss fight, but with the advancements in technology and the talent of the Insomniac team, it's possible that we might see something spectacular in the upcoming sequel.

This initial concept appeared simple enough, with the ultimate boss battle pitting Marvel's Spider-Man against Doctor Octopus, potentially taking place across the sprawling metropolis. However, the idea was ultimately abandoned for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it would have placed undue strain on Insomniac, as the studio would have had to commit significant resources to make it happen. Additionally, Insomniac determined that a more personal confrontation was more appropriate.

This decision highlights Insomniac's ability to tap into deep emotional wells to craft compelling character arcs, and underscores the notion that extravagant spectacle sequences are not always the best way to achieve that goal. Nonetheless, it would undoubtedly have been thrilling to witness Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus trading blows as they careened through the city, and even more so if the Sinister Six battles culminated in a series of one-on-one showdowns throughout the urban landscape.

It is uncertain whether Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will follow through with the scrapped boss fight concept, but it may not be necessary to do so. As the game is exclusive to the PS5, it is possible that such a boss fight could be accomplished with the current-gen capabilities.

If Marvel's Spider-Man 2 features a Spider-Verse or multiverse of its own, it will likely require all available technological upgrades. Insomniac's current output is already impressive, and new hardware functionality may allow for the realization of previous design ideas in exceptional ways. Whether or not Marvel's Spider-Man 2 incorporates QTEs into cinematic moments like the previous games did remains to be seen, but a city-sweeping fight would demonstrate Insomniac's full adaptation to the PS5 and its ability to achieve anything in development without compromising narrative integrity.

However, even if Marvel's Spider-Man 2 only includes intimate and emotional boss fights, it will likely have a significant impact. There may not be much else a Marvel's Spider-Man game set in Manhattan can offer players that they have not already experienced. It will be interesting to see if Marvel's Spider-Man 2 introduces Queens as a new map area now that Peter has settled there, and whether a boss fight will take place in its city streets or not.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is scheduled to release in fall 2023 for PS5.