5/5 ★ – DirtyDan's review of Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

Wow! Wow! Wow! Insomniac Games has done it again! They continue to be one of the most consistent developers around. Not only did Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 live up to the hype it exceeded expectations beyond belief. Greatest superhero game ever! This was one of the best gaming experience for me easily a top 3 game. Just like it’s predecessors it tells a very human story and is one of the best Spider-Man stories ever! Insomniac truly cares about these characters. Just phenomenal storytelling all around. I was captivated throughout the whole story with multiple scenes making my jaw drop and multiple scenes that were very emotional. I loved Peter and Miles stories being told together. I love their relationship and Miles being the one to bring Peter back was amazing. Harry was an amazing character I really appreciate the flashbacks with him and Peter and also the Coney Island mission were it’s just 3 friends hanging out that was a breath of fresh air. Pete and MJ also had great scenes together. The villains were incredible starting with Kraven who was a menace. His death scene was awesome "Thank you" and perfect end for his glorious hunt. Other villains like Lee who had a great redemption arc along with Mysterio and other were great. Venom was absolutely unreal! Tony Todd was unbelievable. "We are Venom". Every scene involving Venom had my jaw dropped. Harry/Venom motivation of healing the world was interesting. Venom being the one to kill Kraven was awesome. The cinematics with Venom especially the the final fight were a true spectacle. Easily the best take on Venom. Peter’s symbiote storyline was very well done, you really get to see Yuri’s acting range when he has the black suit. Give Yuri all the awards for his performance! Seeing Peter get darker and darker was very emotional and intense. The final mission were you get to play as all 3 characters was amazing! Side content is improved upon. Some great side missions to do plus plenty of fun collectibles. And the amount of suits my god so many! Web swinging has never felt better the addition of the web wings is a massive boost. You can go so fast especially with wind tunnels. Set pieces are bombastic! Gameplay is perfection especially the boss fights. The game wastes no time with a massive Sandman fight right away. My god the boss fights were incredible! The first game bosses were fun but they really made these bosses mechanically so much better and more epic. Cinematics for bosses were a spectacle to watch. There’s a point in the game where it’s boss after boss and that was awesome. From Sandman to Lizard to Peter etc. the best bosses in a superhero game! Venom final boss was spectacular! Bosses are pretty tough too and having a health bar this time is satisfying. Enemy variety is better as well. Adding a parry mechanic is a very simple addition but it makes combat so much smoother. Being able to quick fire gadgets and abilities is a huge improvement. Playing as Peter and Miles make the gameplay so much better. Each of them having their own abilities. Miles new powers and Peter’s abilities were awesome. They’re equally as addicting to play. Symbiote combat though is just perfection. Especially Symbiote surge where you just wreck shit. Venom being playable really brought me back to the Ultimate Spider-man days. Controlling Venom destroying Venom and then having a boss fight with him was breathtaking. Even MJ missions were good this time around. Constant gameplay additions throughout the game had me on the edge of my seat. Can’t forget about the brilliant soundtrack. Overall Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a masterpiece and an incredible achievement. My game of the year easily. Cannot wait for the inevitable sequel. Thank you Insomniac!