Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Elevates a Key Feature from Arkham Knight

Highlights

Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham Asylum and Insomniac's Spider-Man set high expectations for superhero video games.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is an impressive sequel, surpassing its predecessors with exciting enhancements. The game introduces a captivating mechanic akin to Arkham Knight's Bat-Family, enabling players to team up with Peter, Miles, Wraith, and other characters in the enthralling storyline. What sets Spider-Man 2 apart is the added element of delightful banter and the thrilling unpredictability of encountering AI-controlled characters actively thwarting crimes in the open world.

Fans no longer settle for mediocre movie tie-in games when it comes to superheroes. Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham Asylum changed the game in 2009, setting a new standard for superhero video games. Its success continued with Arkham City, proving that these games could truly be exceptional. It took some time, but Insomniac's first Spider-Man game joined this elite group in 2018, and now Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has solidified their reputation.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a perfect sequel, building upon the strengths of its predecessors and addressing any concerns fans had. Not only does it excel in these areas, but it also introduces new elements. One particular mechanic feels like a natural progression from one of the best features in Batman: Arkham Knight.

How Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Improves on Arkham Knight's Bat-Family Mechanic

Batman: Arkham Knight is often criticized nowadays for its problematic PC launch, a predictable storyline, and an excessive focus on vehicular combat. However, despite these shortcomings, the game does showcase some truly innovative concepts. One of its standout features is the Bat-Family mechanic, which allows players to team up with Batman's various sidekicks during select main story and side missions.

Typically, the sidekicks join the player for combat encounters, enabling them to switch between the two playable characters on-screen at any given moment. This dynamic grants access to a completely new set of moves and gadgets. Additionally, players can initiate cooperative takedowns, resulting in a visually impressive animation that highlights the synchronized efforts of both heroes. These encounters also offer entertaining exchanges between the characters, hinting at their shared history and adding a sense of depth to the game.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 introduces its own rendition of the Batman: Arkham Knight mechanic. In the initial mission, both Peter Parker and Miles Morales collaborate to defeat Sandman, with players switching between the two heroes throughout the encounter. The banter between the Spider-Men adds a thrilling element to the extended set-piece, resembling the dynamic in Arkham Knight but intensified. This compelling feature appears multiple times in the storyline, always generating excitement as the Spider-Men swing together or execute synchronized takedowns. However, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 takes this Arkham Knight-inspired mechanic a step further by allowing players to encounter the other Spider-Man during open-world gameplay. While engaging in a spontaneous crime event, players may chance upon the other Spider-Man already immersed in battle. Not only does this provide an enjoyable sight of another Spider-Man fighting alongside the player, but it also significantly contributes to the characters' sense of authenticity as they carry on with their lives independently of the player's actions.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is available now exclusively for PS5.