Game developer Insomniac confirmed that the studio has no plans to develop story DLC for 2023’s action-adventure Spider-Man 2, likely disappointing many fans who had been hoping for more content.
Spider-Man 2’s New Web Wings Make It Feel Like A Proper Sequel
On October 18, Insomniac and Sony announced that Spider-Man 2 was coming to PC in January, just 15 months after it launched exclusively on PlayStation 5 to rave reviews. It’s one of the fastest turnarounds we’ve seen for a PlayStation-published exclusive title to make the leap to PC and seems to indicate that Sony is fully committed to bringing its hit games to Steam. But for fans hoping that today’s PC port news would come alongside the reveal of story DLC for Spider-Man 2, well, bad news: That’s not happening.
In a post on the official PlayStation Blog announcing Spider-Man 2‘s PC port and what fans can expect, Insomanic’s senior community manager Aaron Jason Espinoza confirmed that the studio isn’t working on or planning any further story DLC for Spider-Man 2 on PC or PS5.
“While we have no additional story content planned for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, we’re delighted to bring all of our previously released post-launch content to the PC version, including New Game+, new suits and color variants, Photo Mode features, and more,” said Espinoza.
Fans had hoped for Spider-Man 2 DLC after the first Insomniac Spider-Man game received three paid DLC episodes that made up an expansion known as The City That Never Sleeps. However, Miles Morales, a standalone Spider-Man spin-off game launched in 2020, never got DLC. Still, fans were hopeful, even wondering if they’d get more Venom content. Today’s news confirms that Insomniac is moving on from Spider-Man 2. The studio is working on a previously confirmed Wolverine game as well as an unannounced X-Men game, which we learned about via malicious hack in late 2023. A Spider-Man 3 is also reportedly happening, too.
Miles Morales has a lot of stylish new suits in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Unfortunately, one of the new Miles suits is getting virtually tarred and feathered online for being one of his absolute worst superhero looks. Someone probably should’ve let Adidas know, because now the athletic clothing company is selling the much-chastised suit in its collaboration event with the game.
Spider-Man 2’s New Web Wings Make It Feel Like A Proper Sequel
Adidas announced its Marvel’s Spider-Man 2-inspired clothing collection back in October. At the time, the collection only featured a stylish shoe inspired by Peter Parker’s venomized Spider Suit. It’s got a pretty clean design, all things considered. Now, the shoemaker is selling compression tops, leggings, and running shoes inspired by Miles’ “Evolved Suit,” which just so happens to be the suit fans so dislike in the game.
The Evolved Suit, which you unlock toward the game’s finale, modifies the hero’s OG black and red spandex with Colgate-blue accent marks and an open-top mask exposing his starter locs. The consensus from a majority of Spider-Man 2 fans is that this new original suit isn’t his best look.
Here’s a closer look at Adidas’ Miles-inspired sportswear.
Image: Adidas / Sony / Marvel / Insomniac Games / Kotaku
Image: Adidas / Sony / Marvel / Insomniac Games / Kotaku
Image: Adidas / Sony / Marvel / Insomniac Games / Kotaku
Both the “moisture managing” top and the “3D-sculpted pouch” leggings cost $50 a pop. The “soft and comfortable” shoes will cost you a staggering $230. At the moment, the collection is only available to adiClub members and is set to launch on November 3. As you might’ve guessed, players aren’t taking a liking to Adidas’ Miles collab outfits either, and are now claiming that the in-game suit is just product placement for the clothing company.
“I was in the ‘it’s not that bad” camp before but yeah fuck blatant product placement,” one user wrote on the r/Spiderman subreddit. “I thought it was just the shoes, I didn’t realize that the whole suit was Adidas.”
“[I saw] those shoes the very first glance & went “Is this an ad or something? These shoes look hella real’ Lo & behold,” wrote another.
“It makes even more sense when you change the suit colors, the shoes stay the same,” another said.
Kotaku reached out to Insomniac Games for comment.
My guess is that Adidas held off on revealing the Miles-inspired fits in its initial announcement of its Insomniac Games collab because it wanted to give players time to appreciate it in-game before revealing the physical product to the spoiler-averse public. If I were in charge of the collab, I would’ve gone all-in on making a fit inspired by Miles’ comfy-looking 10th Anniversary Suit instead.
Spider-Man 2’s new team-based combat feature is quite possibly one of the best improvements to the series, as you knock some heads with several beloved characters. To top it off, Finishers have been completely revamped, unleashing brutal duo attacks while you are out and about in the city. So, to commemorate these amazing collaborations, here’s our ranking of the best fighting duo in Spider-Man 2.
Before we get into our ranking, it should be noted that there will be heavy spoilers on this list, with many surprise cameos that you may not expect.
6. Yuri & Peter
Image Source: Insomniac Games via Twinfinite
Yuri quickly became one of my favorite characters in Marvel’s Spider-Man, with the likes of her quick-witted Spider-Cop jokes and strong companionship with Peter. However, this dynamic has since changed with the City That Never Sleeps DLC, resulting in her new moniker, “The Wraith.” Fortunately, Parker has remained on her good side (for the most part), and you can utilize her cold-blooded strength to take down numerous foes in the Flame storyline.
Although I am 100 percent a Yuri fan, I had to place her at the bottom of the list simply because she doesn’t necessarily enjoy the team tactics as much as the others. She can be silent at times, but it can make for a hilarious bit whenever Peter and Miles are awkwardly left hanging with a high five. Of course, she still remains a helpful ally with her mighty chain sickle, helping out Parker with the Flame threat while snapping back at him during his Venom state.
5. Miles & Spider-Man (Cat)
Image Source: Insomniac Games via Twinfinite
If there’s one character I was hoping to see, it has to be the adorable Spider-Man. No, not Peter or Miles; I’m talking about the Teo’s cat first introduced in the Miles Morales saga. It’s even better to see the return of the feline takedowns as Spider-Man comes out of the bag to slap those enemies silly.
The reason why the duo is fairly low on the list is the fact that there aren’t any new attacks in the sequel, yet they have been revamped with the latest-gen mechanics. There’s also some new variants for the cat’s Spider-Man mask to match with Miles, so at least we can marvel at its cute costume changes.
4. Miles & Mister Negative
Image Source: Insomniac Games via Twinfinite
Even if Miles and Mister Negative don’t share too many Finishers together in combat, the two characters are the most unlikely duo on this list, given their twisted history. You got to hand it to Morales for looking past their differences, especially since, you know… Martin murdered his father. We also have Li to thank for Miles’ new powers that have been exceptionally useful in a pinch.
Together, the two characters are almost unstoppable, and if it weren’t for them, Peter would have never had the strength to break free from the Venom curse. It makes me wonder if Mister Negative will eventually return to the series in a future installment, where we can potentially get more Finisher-based tactics.
3. Miles & Black Cat
Image Source: Insomniac Games via Twinfinite
The Miles and Black Cat fighting duo is an all-around good time as they playfully take down numerous enemies using a unique portal device. Each time a Finisher was ready, I had to immediately perform it to see what kind of wild attack they would do next, from Felicia’s technique of using Miles’ webs to swing into a kick to her blowing a kiss to him with a final move.
The only problem is that I want more of this duo since it is a short segment compared to the others. They just seem to work so well together, almost as if they had been teaming up before, and I hope that Insomniac Games explores this unexpected duo in a DLC.
2. Peter & Harry
Image Source: Insomniac Games via Twinfinite
What makes Peter and Harry’s team-based tactics so monumental is the solid bond the two share with each other even after all these years. You can see it throughout many fights, in which they often help each other no matter how intense the situation gets. Harry is reasonably green when it comes to fighting, but he somehow manages to keep up with Pete, bringing out some of the best Finishers in the game.
On the other hand, Peter and Harry’s relationship can be a double-edged sword, considering that Morales was ultimately neglected during this period. It led me to shout out, “Can you just call Miles already?!” a few times, but fortunately, Harry and Miles can sometimes work together when exploring the city. Nonetheless, the team dynamic does change when Parker harnesses the Venom powers, thus concluding the once-strong fighting duo.
1. Miles & Peter
Image Source: Insomniac Games via Twinfinite
It may come as no surprise to see Miles and Peter as the best fighting duo in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, yet it just had to be done with their endless amount of Finishers and heartfelt moments. By the first Finsher, I was already hooked, including the one where Peter and Miles thank each other with a finger-gun notion after an astonishing takedown. This only scratches the surface with their magnificent takedowns, and you’ll undoubtedly see more while on the campaign and the game’s standard exploration.
After the fight is over, players can unlock several adorable interactions between the two, like when they don’t know if they should do a hug or high five, ending with them holding each other graciously. The love these two share together is such a sight to behold, even when they fairly part ways with Pete’s Venom powers.
However, once that’s over, Miles and Peter’s relationship is stronger than ever, leaning on each other to protect the city and everyone they love. I certainly can’t get enough of these two, and I can’t wait to see what other duos are introduced in the next epic installment.
About the author
Kristina Ebanez
Kristina is a Staff Writer and has been with Twinfinite for more than a year. She typically covers Minecraft, The Sims 4, Disney Dreamlight Valley, anime, Call of Duty, and newly released games. She loves the Metal Gear Solid series (Snake Eater especially), Rockstar’s Bully, the Horizon franchise, What Remains of Edith Finch, and many more. Her dog is also an avid video game watcher, primarily when there’s a horse or a cat. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and grew up gaming on the islands.
Like Insomniac’s original Marvel’s Spider-Man, the studio’s new sequel, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, looks really good. It’s one of those games that just about anyone will look at and go “Wow, what a great-looking game!” But if you dig a bit deeper and compare the original 2018 Spider-Man and its 2023 PS5-exclusive sequel, you’ll discover an interesting mix of improvements and compromises.
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In case you’ve been living under a rock,Spider-Man 2 (out on October 20) is the bigger, better follow-up to the critically acclaimed2018 game and 2020’s Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. In his review, Kotaku’s Ethan Gach said that the latest Spider-Man sequel is as good as the previous games, adding that in many ways it’s “even better.” And I’m inclined to agree after playing Spider-Man 2for the past two weeks. The sequel is likewise visually impressive, and at first glance seems to be a complete improvement over the prior two. But in reality…well okay, yeah, it’s mostly an improvement. Yet when you directly compare old and new you can spot some cutbacks and tweaks Insomniac presumably made to ensure the sequel’s performance is silky smooth.
Nick930 / Insomniac / Sony
Thanks to a fantastic direct comparison video from Youtuber Nick930, we can see just how Spider-Man 2 improves on the already-impressive graphics of the first game.
For example, the sequel sees a huge increase in traffic density. Comparing the new game with 2018’s, it’s almost laughable how few cars can be spotted in the original. NYC looks like a ghost town.
Screenshot: Nick930 / Insomniac / Sony / Kotaku
Main character models and textures also see a nice bump in quality, and improved ray-traced reflections can be found throughout New York. Something I noticed when playing Spider-Man 2 is how buildings now reflect other buildings, which helps the city look more real and less like a movie set or video game world. The rivers in NYC have also been improved, with better reflections and more lifelike physics when objects like boats are seen interacting with the water.
Smart cutbacks and compromises
But on the flip side, the number of people you’ll see milling about in the city that never sleeps has been reduced, with some areas of the game being more devoid of pedestrians than I expected. As suggested by Nick930, this change was likely made as a result of Insomniac adding more variety to crowds, and for the most part, I never noticed this when playing.
Screenshot: Nick930 / Insomniac / Sony / Kotaku
Another example of some cutbacks is that very small details—soda cans in trash bins, newspapers lying on rooftops—aren’t as nice looking up close as they were in the original game. Similarly, the level of detail of the city seems reduced. So when you climb up a skyscraper and look out you’ll notice, on close inspection, objects like distant radio towers, AC units, or trees are missing or much lower quality than in Spider-Man 2018.
These changes were likely a result of the game increasing its map size to include Brooklyn and Queens, nearly doubling the playable space. At some point, to keep performance from dipping, it’s likely that things most players barely notice were tweaked so resources could be spent elsewhere.
Update 10/19/2023 7:08 p.m. ET: Video creator Nick930 just tweeted that Spider-Man 2 may have a bug wherein the engine’s level of detail system might be misbehaving when the game is installed on a secondary drive, resulting in lower-than-intended detail in certain visuals. Sounds like more investigation will be needed to nail down exactly what’s happening there.
These tweaks are a good thing
Overall, the main takeaway shouldn’t be that Spider-Man 2 is a visually inferior game to the first entry. In fact, most of the cutbacks and compromises spotted in the video were tweaks or changes I didn’t notice in my 30 or so hours playing the game on a fancy 4K 120Hz TV. Instead, it seems Insomniac went through Spider-Man 2 with a fine-tooth comb and subtle hand, trying to balance impressive visuals and responsive, consistent performance. I personally didn’t notice a single dropped frame.
Screenshot: Nick930 / Insomniac / Sony / Kotaku
In an era when it seems like every other big gamereleasedthese daysis launching in a dismal state, with numerous performance issues or game-breaking bugs, it’s nice to see a studio taking the time and effort to ensure its game arrives in a rock-solid state. I mean, one look at how snappy fast travel is in this game, and I’m sold on whatever minor, hard-to-spot tweaks had to be made to get this thing running so well.
Maybe some of these changes mean cups and soda cans in Spider-Man 2’strash bags don’t look as good as before. But if the tradeoff is I get a 60fps open-world Spider-Man game featuring two playable characters and hours of side content and RT reflections everywhere, I’ll live!
A new Spider-Man 2 launchtrailer debuted just ahead of its October 20 release, and it’s got a brief clip that has anime fans going wild. The trailer, which shows off villains like Sandman, Mr. Negative, and Venom, also has what looks to be an attempt at an iconic move from the beloved 1998 anime film, Akira. Unfortunately, fans aren’t thrilled at Spider-Man 2’s tribute to the anime film—they’re laughing.
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Akira is a touchstone in the animation community and beyond for its accomplished storytelling and stunning hand-drawn animation. The most memorable moment from the two-hour film is what fans call the “Akira Slide:” a two-second clip where protagonist Kaneda skids his 200-hp motorcycle on the highway. The anime move is so iconic that it’s been replicated in numerous anime, cartoons, video games, and live-action films like Jordan Peele’s Nope. Regardless, any media that has the Akira slide tends to get cool points on the internet— that is unless you’re Spider-Man 2.
In a brief scene from the Spider-Man 2 launch trailer, Mary Jane Watson does her own version of the Akira slide (around the 54-second mark) but things don’t go according to plan. Namely, she falls off her motorcycle before it reaches a complete stop. To her credit, we don’t know the context for why MJ biffed the Akira slide. Maybe she was being chased by one of the many goons Spider-Man is always dealing with and slid out of desperation rather than in an attempt to look cool. Regardless, lack of context hasn’t stopped less-than-charitable anime fans on Twitter and Reddit from dubbing MJ as the first fictional character to botch the Akira slide.
“Nah MJ fucking up the Akira slide gotta be the top 5 craziest fumble of all time,” Twitch streamer GamesCage wrote on Twitter.
“I actually found this funny bcs you don’t see people actually failed doing the ‘Akira Slide’,” ADC_Vr said.
“Mj busting her ass doing the Akira bike slide is some of the funniest shit I didn’t know I needed to see lmfaooo,” Anim0nk wrote.
“Yoshida-sama has been slighted by this homage through the scarlet woman,” fudgedhobnobs wrote on the r/Spiderman Reddit.
While some fans are trouncing MJ’s vehicular oopsie as developer Insomniac Games “not [understanding] the assignment” others offered the Marvel heroine an out by reminding fans that they don’t have the context for the clip and that the Akira slide is difficult to replicate in a real-world setting.
“No one can land it, the Akira slide is literally impossible on pavement unless it’s icy or your tires are greased up,” Red_Naxela_ wrote.
It’s unclear what set up the Akira motorcycle scene but perhaps we’ll learn more about it through an MJ-centric story mission.
Spider-Man 2 will release on October 20 exclusively on the PlayStation 5.
Sony is preparing to sell a Spider-Man 2 PlayStation 5 bundle that will include a digital download for the game, presumably at a discount, as it ramps up plans to try and sell a record-breaking 25 million consoles this year. The company is already giving away free copies of older games to any players who activate a new PS5 in the next few weeks.
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The newSpider-Man 2 PS5 bundle was teased in an October 2 tweet. Sony confirmed to Kotaku it will be $560, the same as last year’s God of War Ragnarök PS5 bundle, saving new owners $10. The Spider-Man 2 version ships on October 20 alongside the launch of the game. Pre-orders aren’t yet live.
The sequel to the 2018 action adventure by Insomniac Games, Spider-Man 2 sees Peter Parker and Miles Morales team up together, complimenting one another’s abilities and trading off on the fly as they take on the hunter Kraven and the alien symbiote Venom. It’s one of the only first-party blockbusters that is a PS5 exclusive so far this console generation.
Sony revealed its intention to sell 25 million new PS5s this fiscal year back in April, telling investors in August it was prepared to take the “necessary measures” to make that happen. So far, that’s included discounting the old God of War Ragnarök bundle by an additional $50, and even giving away free downloads for critically acclaimed games like Horizon Forbidden West and The Last of Us Part 1. This “upgrade” promotion runs until 3:00 a.m. ET on October 21, meaning anyone who buys the Spider-Man 2 bundle could potentially get an additional game at no extra cost.
The new bundle is seperate from the special edition console that includes red and black face plates for the PS5. That went for $600 and is already sold out. Fortunately, Sony won’t be running out of Spider-Man 2 codes when it comes to the regular bundle.
Update 10/2/2023 5:05 p.m. ET: Sony confirmed the price in an email.
