Revolutionizing the Boss Battle Experience: Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Introduces Game-Changing Boss Health Bars

Highlights

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is making changes to its boss fights by introducing health bars, which could make for an exciting change to the franchise's formula.

The boss battles in Marvel's Spider-Man games have garnered criticism for lacking the same level of mechanical complexity as the regular combat found in the open world. However, in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, it is anticipated that the boss fights will be more diverse and focused on interactive gameplay, interspersed with awe-inspiring cinematic moments.

Each new installment in a franchise presents various choices regarding the direction it should take and the extent to which it should be improved or expanded upon. Marvel's Spider-Man, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and now Marvel's Spider-Man 2 have undergone significant changes. However, Insomniac Games has wisely maintained a balance, avoiding the need to completely start from scratch with each entry. In Marvel's Spider-Man 2, an exciting change is being introduced to the boss fights by incorporating health bars for the bosses, potentially revitalizing the franchise's established formula.

An intriguing aspect of any superhero narrative is the supervillains that the protagonist will face off against. This holds true for Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man franchise as well. The prospect of confronting a Sinister Six led by Doctor Octopus is particularly enticing, especially considering the emotionally charged final boss battle atop the Oscorp Industries tower. Sadly, these boss fights do not possess the same level of mechanical depth and interest as the regular combat found in the game's open world.

Marvel’s Spider-Man’s Boss Fights are More Cinematic Than Interactive

The boss fights in Marvel's Spider-Man offer some fun moments. However, it can be argued that they heavily rely on simple mechanics and are quite straightforward. This is evident when comparing them to regular enemy combat, which allows for more dynamic gameplay with enemy juggling and the use of various gadgets, resulting in a satisfying flow and improvisation. On the contrary, fights against Rhino, Scorpion, Electro, and Vulture require very little from the player, mostly involving button prompts and avoiding predictable attacks.

Fortunately, there is some diversity in other boss fights featured in Marvel's Spider-Man, and this aspect was improved in Miles Morales with remarkable battles against Rhino, the Prowler, and the Tinkerer. Now that both Peter and Miles have an impressive arsenal of abilities and gadgets in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, it only makes sense for Insomniac to enhance the boss fights and make them more engaging and interactive. This is where the inclusion of boss health bars becomes an intriguing addition.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Boss Fights Already Look More Varied

A significant boss fight against Marvel's Spider-Man 2's Lizard has been revealed, showcasing significant improvements in boss fights. While not every boss fight will be as long or dynamic as the Lizard's, it's great to see that boss fights will now focus more on interactive gameplay with moments of cinematic spectacle interspersed, rather than having the primary focus on cinematic spectacle with sparse interactive gameplay. The boss fight truly begins when the action moves to the sewers, complete with a visible health bar, which serves as a visual cue for the player to engage in open combat rather than predominantly cinematic sequences, such as being dragged up a skyscraper behind the Lizard.

The boss fight sequences in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will feature parryable boss attacks, which provides a great opportunity to introduce new combat mechanics into these fights. The health bars will indicate the amount of damage inflicted by Spider-Man's attacks. It will be exciting to see the additional elements incorporated to enhance the interaction and uniqueness of the boss fights. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will be available exclusively on PS5 starting October 20.