Summary
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2was an evolution over its predecessors in many ways, from its expanded open-world map - which went beyond Manhattan to include Brooklyn and Queens - to its improved traversal with the option for more physics-based web-swinging, or gliding high above the skyscrapers with the new web wings. However, there were some areas whereInsomniac cut contentthat was present inMarvel’s Spider-ManandMarvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, most notably in with regards to the heroes' suits and gadgets, and one of these cut elements could have robbed us of a cool crossover feature withMarvel’s Wolverine.
Whereas Peter and Miles both had an array of gadgets in the previous game, with Peter having more than Miles due to his access to tech and the fact Miles had additional abilities like Venom blasts and camouflage, the heroes only have four shared between them - five if the default web shooters are included - inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, althoughthese can be upgraded over time.
With its pre-order and Digital Deluxe Edition content combined,Peter Parker and Miles Morales had 39 unique suits each at launch, with some returning suits, new designs, and adaptations of suits relevant to the story, such as Peter’s Black suit due to its ties to the Venom arc. The New Game Plus patch added two more in the form of a Hellfire Gala suit for each hero, and a further “Fly N' Fresh” pack was released at the same time. Later,four more suits from the previous gameswere added -two for Peter and two for Miles - alongside a further four suits designed by Colm Dillane (aka KidSuper) in collaboration with PlayStation and three other artists; Singer, actress, and model Rina Sawayama, Formula 1’s Lando Norris, and Brazilian footballer Vinicius Jr., which were split so there were two for Peter and two for Miles.
The “Fly N' Fresh” pack is available for $4.99, but Insomniac has stated that it will be free in the game at a later date.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Flashbacks Perfectly Set The Stage For A Different Kind Of Game
Insomniac’s Spider-Man games take place years into Peter Parker’s time as a superhero, but the flashbacks show there’s plenty of room for a prequel.
The Suits Rewards Have Changed In Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Now Serving A Purely Cosmetic Purpose
The main reason for many to unlock additional suits for Peter and Miles is to play as a favorite iteration of either herofrom their long-running history in other media, be it comics, movies, or TV. Therefore, it’s understandable that Insomniac leaned more into this angle inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, as the suits were purely cosmetic, with a new Suit Styles system offering a further 3 color variations for the majority of suitsto further change things up.
My firstSpider-Mangame was Neversoft’sSpider-Manon the PlayStation back in the year 2000, which was a far more linear game than whatSpider-Manfans are used to in most recent iterations. However, there were plenty of reasons to replay the 30 levels of the game, with new suits being unlocked each time the game was completed on a new difficulty or for achieving feats in the Zip-Line or Item Hunt training areas.
Each of thesesuits offered new abilities and perks, such as the symbiotic Black Suit’s unlimited webbing or Captain Universe’s Invulnerability. Its sequel,Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro, took this further with its “Create A Spider” feature that could take the perks unlocked from some suits and add them to the design I liked the most, resulting in me making the Black suit have both of the aforementioned suit abilities, with my logic being that this would be comics accurate by representing how the symbiote should protect Peter from damage while making its own organic webbing.
Marvel’s Spider-Manincluded a similar kind of feature whereunlocking a suit would often come with a new powerthat would benefit a particular playstyle and could be assigned to whatever cosmetic look players preferred once unlocked. These included the likes of the Classic suit’s quite frankly overpowered “Web Blossom,” which could potentially neutralize an entire group of enemies in one go by rapidly firing webs in all directions, or the more subtle “Sound of Silence” that came with the Noir suit and stopped enemies from calling for backup for those who prefer a more stealthy approach. Unfortunately,by makingMarvel’s Spider-Man 2’s suits purely cosmetic, no suit powers were present.
Every Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Suit For Miles & Where It’s From
Including pre-order content and the Digital Deluxe Edition, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 features 39 different suits for Miles Morales to wear.
The Lack Of Suit Powers Is A Huge Missed Opportunity For A Cool Wolverine Feature
Cutting suit powers likely came as a result of Peter and Miles both having their own set of abilities that tied into their stories inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2. These abilities saw Peter starting the game with 4 mechanical arms inspired by his time working with his former mentor Otto Octavius - something that was a suit power inMarvel’s Spider-Manonce the Iron Spider suit had been unlocked - and eventually gaining symbiote abilities as players progressed through the campaign. Meanwhile, Miles found his bioelectric Venom abilities - not to be confused with the symbiotic villain of the game who shares the Venom name - evolving over the course of the game, giving players plenty to choose between.
However, one suit would have benefitted from the suit powers mechanic, and that’s Miles' “The Best There Is” look. This design came from the 2022What If…?comics' storyline in whichMiles Morales becomes Wolverine,showing the character becoming a much darker hero after getting his own set of adamantium claws and being hunted by Sentinels.
Miles' “The Best There Is” suit can be unlocked upon reaching Level 52 inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, and there is a yellow suit style variant to more closely resemble the classic Wolverine look.
IfMarvel’s Spider-Man 2still had the suit powers mechanic from the previous two games,it would have been fun to see Wolverine’s claws as a special abilityafter unlocking this suit. It was confirmed at the same time thatMarvel’s Spider-Man 2was announced that developer Insomniac was working on a
Marvel’s Wolverinetitle that will exist in the same take on the Marvel universe established in theMarvel’s Spider-Mangames, albeit with a far more mature and violent tone, so while it likely would have had to be toned down to meetMarvel’s Spider-Man 2’s T-for-Teen rating, suit powers would have been a fun way to provide a glimpse intoMarvel’s Wolverine’s gameplay through Miles' costume, blending it with the web-slinging action ofMarvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Sadly, reintegrating suit powers is unlikely to ever happen, as it would require too much of a major overhaul to the wayMarvel’s Spider-Man 2’s new powers work. It still would have been fun to see Wolverine’s abilities integrated in such a way to make playing in Miles' “The Best There Is” suit more closely resemble the comic it was inspired by, but maybe this is something that could appear in the seemingly inevitableMarvel’s Spider-Man 3onceMarvel’s Wolverinehas already been released.
