Unveiling the Ultimate Ingredient: Why Spider-Man 2 Desperately Craves Screwball's Return

Highlights

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 needs to outdo its predecessor, which was praised for its story, performances, visuals, and combat mechanics, despite some flaws.

The initial game faced backlash due to its monotonous side missions, specifically involving the irksome character known as Screwball. However, the sequel stands to gain from her inclusion.

Given the sequel's shift towards a darker atmosphere, Screwball could bring essential comic relief and equilibrium, while also presenting players with optional trials to tackle in the expansive game world.

Insomniac's initial foray into the Marvel license produced one of the finest superhero games ever created, setting an extremely high bar for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 to surpass. The first game boasted a brilliantly crafted yet somewhat expected narrative, outstanding performances, stunning visuals and sound design, an abundance of engaging content, and superb combat and web-swinging mechanics. However, it's important to note that the game was not without its flaws.

Although Marvel's Spider-Man received widespread acclaim from both critics and fans upon its release in 2018, it was not immune to constructive criticism. One major point of contention among critics and players alike were the underwhelming and repetitive side missions, with particular focus on the lackluster villain Screwball. Yet ironically, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 may find itself relying on Screwball's inclusion.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Might Need Screwball More Than Ever

Among all the characters in Marvel's Spider-Man, Screwball was the most hated. Initially introduced in the side mission "Internet Famous," Screwball serves as a minor antagonist in the game, frequently appearing to challenge the player with combat and stealth tasks to gain more online followers. Embodying an annoying influencer archetype, many players found Screwball excessively irritating and obnoxious, especially due to her constant taunting during challenges. As a result, Screwball became one of the most annoying aspects of Marvel's Spider-Man.

As the anticipation for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 continues to grow, fans have compiled extensive wish lists, including demands for new combat mechanics, improvements to web-swinging, additional abilities, and much more. However, one of the predominant requests is for Screwball to be excluded from the sequel. Despite her unfavorable first impression, it may actually be necessary for Screwball to have a more substantial role in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 compared to the first game.

From the released trailers, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 appears to have a darker tone compared to its predecessors, which is a common trend in popular sequels. The initial announcement trailer had an eerie atmosphere, and the PlayStation Showcase gameplay trailer revealed Peter's struggle with the Symbiote, further emphasizing the dark tone. In the most recent trailer, the darkness is intensified as Venom wreaks havoc on the city, Peter stalks MJ while under the influence of the Symbiote suit, and Miles faces overwhelming challenges to rescue him. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 delves into difficult themes, and there's one side character that could bring some much-needed humor to the story.

Given the darker nature of Marvel's Spider-Man 2, incorporating some light-hearted side content could help balance the overall tone of the game. Screwball, with some modifications to her dialogue, could potentially serve as the perfect comic relief. Additionally, including a variety of optional challenges for players to complete in the open-world setting would enhance the gaming experience, although these challenges should be more diverse and better balanced than those in the first Marvel's Spider-Man and its subsequent DLC.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 launches on October 20, exclusively for PlayStation 5.