New Trailer For Sony And Insomniac Games’ ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’ Reveals Symbiote Suit, Miles Morales Upgraded To Co-Starring Role
Spencer Baculi
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Though the PlayStation 5 has been starving for exclusives in the almost three years since its release, the latest trailer for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 reveals Sony and Insomniac Games are going all out to finally give the console’s user base a desperately-needed win.
The Venom Symbiote overtakes Spider-Man (Yuri Lowenthal) in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023), Sony / Insomniac Games
First released as part of Sony’s May 24th PlayStation Showcase, the trailer for the wall-crawler’s highly-anticipated sequel opens on a muscular man bearing a side-shaven head, tribal tattoos, and an animal tooth necklace.
As he lurches forward, the man draws a knife on a mysterious figure standing on the horizon.
“You grow slow in your old age, Sergei,” taunts the man before driving his blade through what he believes to be Kraven the Hunter. However, his prey is soon revealed to be a fake, as the real apex predator lurches forward from the shadows.
“A fate you will not share,” he informs the amateur hunter, grabbing him by the throat. “I’ve been in your shadow for hours, but you’ve sensed nothing. Pathetic.”
Kraven The Hunter (TBA) is disappointed in his latest challenge in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023), Sony / Insomniac Games
Snapping the man’s neck, Kraven is then approached what are presumably his ‘henchmen’, disappointingly lamenting to them, “I asked for an equal, and this is what you find?”
“Sir,” says one of the recruits, bringing a tablet featuring information on New York’s various street level heroes and villains, including Black Cat, Wraith, and the city’s resident web-slinging duo to his boss’ attention. “Perhaps a new hunting ground?”
Smiling, Kraven orders his men, “Light the fires. The great hunt begins.”
Kraven the Hunter (TBA) sets his sights on New York City in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023), Sony / Insomniac Games
The trailer then jumps ahead six months to find Kraven’s forces bearing down on the Queens residence of Aunt May.
In one of the trailer’s best moments, as one of the group’s leaders warns his unit that “the beast could be anywhere” – an unspecified creature later revealed to be Dr. Curt Connors in his Lizard form – Peter Parker surprises his pursers by bursting forward from his Aunt’s cellar, completely clad in the Venom symbiote.
Growling “You have no idea”, Peter then launches into a quick demo of the Symbiote Suit’s unique gameplay, which in accurate-to-the-original-lore fashion trades in its host’s signature agility for raw and unbridled power.
Where Spidey traditionally flips, twists, and practically dances his way across the heads of his foes, his Symbiote form rages forward as a wave of black goo, lashes out with heavy tentacles, and even spreads itself out to grab – and subsequently slam into unconsciousness – four of Kraven’s goons.
Spider-Man (Yuri Lowenthal) takes out a number of Kraven’s thugs in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023), Sony / Insomniac Games
However, after the studio absolutely nailed both Kraven’s character and the Symbiote’s ‘behavior’, here’s where many a classic Spider-fan may come to find themselves disappointed with Insomniac Games’ direction for the sequel.
As Peter overhears a transmission from Kraven’s forces confirming The Lizard’s current position at the Harlem Fish Market, he makes a call to a reliable ally: Miles Morales.
After Miles is near ordered by his mentor to get to Connors before the Hunters do, the player is then put in control of his black-and-red shoes, a gameplay reveal which confirms that – presumably thanks to both Disney’s overarching attempt to market the character and the relative success of his Spider-Man: Miles Morales side title – the young Spider will play a large, if not outright co-starring role in the new game.
Miles Morales (Nadji Jeter) answers the call in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023), Sony / Insomniac Games
Successfully reaching the Fish Market at almost the exact time as the Hunters, thanks in large part to the game’s new ‘web-glide’ ability which allows both Peter and Miles to take advantage of their suits’ respective ‘armpit webbings’ to glide on wind streams, Miles proceed to call in an assist from his best friend Ganke in the form of a Kraven-drone the pair managed to disengage from the rest of the fleet.
In the meantime, Miles opts to follow his foes from the shadows, a decision which leads into a brief demo of the games’ returning stealth sections.
Sadly, it appears these sections still play out as if someone set out to copy the similar moments from Batman’s Arkham series but failed to understand what made them so captivating.
Miles Morales (Nadji Jeter) calls in back-up in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023), Sony / Insomniac Games
The most notable example of this lack of polish is seen at the very beginning of Miles’ infiltration. Coming across a security drone, Miles proceeds to silently take it out with a swift web-strike, which results in its broken chassis falling to the ground.
But when it hits…nothing. None of the Hunters right down the hall, who Miles crawls above and webs up a moment later, react to the noise. And even when those Hunters grunt and yell when being taken out, their cries don’t alert their ally who is six feet away and lazily observing The Lizard’s trail of destruction.
In other words, thanks to this lack of appropriately responsive and aware enemy AI, these sections still feel more ‘set piece’ than actual gameplay moment.
Miles Morales (Nadji Jeter) makes a last-ditch effort to stop Kraven (TBA) in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023), Sony / Insomniac Games
Eventually clearing out the rest of the Hunters with a bare-knuckle brawl and an over-reliance on his deux ex machina Venom Strikes – a combat flow which will seem familiar-yet-more-polished to fans who previously played the aforementioned Miles Morales – Miles meets-up with Ganke-via-drone and the two proceed to pick-up The Lizards’ trail.
But as they work the silent approach, the two are surprised when Peter explodes his way through the room’s ceiling.
Asked by a slightly freaked-out Miles, “Hey man, new threads?”, Peter dismisses his protégé’s question and instead asks if the pair have “any sign of Connor”.
As Ganke stammers out confirmation of The Lizard’s location – and slips-up by addressing the hero by his real name in public – the trio suddenly find the floor erupting from underneath them as their green-scaled target explodes from the sewers below.
Spider-Man (Yuri Lowenthal) has questions for Miles Morales (Nadji Jeter) in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023), Sony / Insomniac Games
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With The Lizard scrambling away from the heroes and proceeding to swim away in a desperate bid for freedom, another ‘cinematic set-piece’ occurs wherein instead of taking control of Peter as he lunges his way across the city in pursuit, players are once again handed the role of Miles as he’s left to deal with Kraven’s newly-alerted Hunters.
Using a combination of web-slinging, suit-gliding, and good old fashioned punching to stay one-step ahead of them, Miles’ run is soon interrupted when a tourist boat is caught in the crossfire, which leads the game to transfer the player’s control over to Peter, who keeps on the trail of Kraven and his massively-destructive Hunter Gunship.
But thanks to the suits’ amplification of aggression, when Peter manages to catch up to the drone, his ‘punch-first-ask-questions-later’ strategy results in the Gunship getting the drop on him with their massive weapons payload.
Spider-Man (Yuri Lowenthal) lashes out in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023), Sony / Insomniac Games
Leaping out to throw a stunned Peter to safety and take his place plunging into the water, as soon as he rights himself Miles finds himself in the sights of The Lizard, whose empty-stomach has him hungry for Spider-meat.
However, just as Connors unclenches his jaws, Miles is saved by Gankes’ drone, which uses its jet-boosters as a propulsion device to pull Miles out of the water – a burst of speed which the junior web-head then uses to ‘ski’ on the water’s surface as he avoids becoming dinner.
Spending the next few minutes dodging The Lizards’ bite, sinking nearly all of the pursuing Hunters, and the falling debris around him – a sequence which, while visually impressive, embodies the afore-criticized ‘interactive cinema’ trend currently sweeping modern Triple-A video games in the West – Miles soon receives a call from Peter, who angrily questions the collateral damage the young hero is leaving in his wake.
Realizing Ganke’s drone can bypass the ship’s automatic defenses and get them in close enough for a killing blow, Miles then asks Peter to assist him in a combo attack, a request to which the older hero begrudgingly accepts.
Ganke (TBA) takes Miles Morales (Nadji Jeter) for a ride in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023), Sony / Insomniac Games
Jumping onto Ganke’s drone, Miles supercharges it with his Venom Strike before Peter uses the Symbiote’s tentacles to hurl the improvised grenade directly into the Gunship, blowing out its engine and finally putting a stop to its chase.
Saving one last civilian from the crashing rain of the Gunship, Peter then takes a moment to angrily lament how The Lizard “got away from us”.
“It’s good Pete, I saved the tracker,” Miles then reveals, attempting to briefly lift Peter’s spirits. “Let’s go man, before he gets too far.”
“No,” Peter once again growls, declaring, “He’s mine.”
“You sure?” questions Miles. “He’s got big teeth.”
Spider-Man (Yuri Lowenthal) tells Miles Morales (Nadji Jeter) to sit out the fight in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023), Sony / Insomniac Games
In appropriately edgy fashion, as he swings out towards his next fight, the Symbiote-possesed Peter quips back, “So do I.”
Watching him leave, Ganke ultimately asks Miles, “He’s not normally like that, right?”
“No,” answers his friend, ending the trailer on a further tease of the Symbiote’s corruption. “He’s never like that.”
Miles Morales (Nadji Jeter) worries about Peter Parker (Yuri Lowenthal) in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023), Sony / Insomniac Games
Currently set to be a PlayStation 5 exclusive, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is currently on track to consume New York in Fall 2023.
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