After the overwhelmingly positive reviews from both fans and critics alike, it’s inevitable that we’ll be getting a sequel to Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man PS4 title. But what should we be expecting to see in this follow-up and how could it potentially improve on such an emotional storyline and powerful gameplay mechanics?
Spider-Man PS4 was a outstanding success not only because it utilised groundbreaking mechanics that helped the player truly feel they were a masked web-swinger, but because it was steeped in love for the core character and his world.
Spider-Man 2 will once again have the opportunity to pick and choose from over 50 years of Spidey’s stories and a pantheon of villains to battle against. Firstly, Spider-Man PS4 does a great job at setting up who could potentially be in the sequel (SPOILER ALERT):
In the post-credits scene, it’s revealed that Norman Osborn has been creating numerous bio-chemicals in order to help save his son Harry, who is currently suffering from the same fatal condition as his mother. While we don’t know the ins and outs of this specific program, the black goo that seems to be protecting Harry while in stasis looks VERY familiar to the Symbiote. Could we see a similar situation to the Ultimate Spider-Man comics in which Venom was human-made? OR could we see Harry Osborn awaken and become the Venom we all know and love, allowing there to be another emotional battle between Spider-Man and an arch-enemy? That being said, we also see a nod to Eddie Brock as
It should also be noted that Norman’s lab has a distinctive green colour, and along with the corporate Osborn purple – seemingly hints that we’ll finally get a look at The Green Goblin. Speaking of arch-enemies, it would be very surprising if we don’t see the return of some classic villains in the sequel such as Electro, Vulture, Shocker and Black Cat – each left a very distinct mark on the original game and it would be fun to see them return.
One of the biggest issues with a sequel to a game like Spider-Man is that you have to up the ante from a pretty much perfect rendition of New York City, so how do you do that? Maybe Insomniac can expand a bit more and make use of the easter eggs strewn all throughout the first game and allow for some famous cameos from Spidey’s allies such as Daredevil and the Fantastic Four. That allows for some fun side-missions which gives you a break from the 100th Screwball mission!
Much like Rocksteady Studios’ Arkham trilogy of games, it makes sense if we see a variety of new gadget upgrades in the next game to help Peter navigate the city and take care of all criminal elements. It would also be fun to have more suit-focused abilities too, which gives you more incentive to wear a variety of different outfits.
But finally, what Spider-Man 2 really needs to do is give us what was promised to us in that final post-credits scene – Miles Morales!
While we played as the Ultimate Web-Swinger in parts of the game Pre-Spider Bite, it would be great to continue those elements as well as being able to play as Spider-Man and much like Into the Spider-Verse giving us a completely different, yet familiar Spider-Man experience. It would be a shame to lose the momentum for this case after such a big leap forward and I’m sure there are dozens of fans who would love that opportunity too.