On the Radar: Marvel's Spider-Man 2 – A deep dive into the much-anticipated superhero sequel

Marvel's Spider-Man 2
(Image credit: Sony)

Welcome to On The Radar: the home for in-depth conversations around the world's biggest games on 12DOVE. As we build up to the arrival of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 this Friday, October 20, we're here to bring you a celebration of your friendly neighborhood hero across video games, comics, and film. 

For some time, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has sat among both our most anticipated new PS5 games list and our most sought-after upcoming Marvel games. As you may have gleaned from our glowing Marvel's Spider-Man 2 review, we enjoyed Insomniac Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment's long-awaited sequel quite a bit – so much so, we reckon it's not just one of the best Spider-Man games of all time, but "simply the best superhero game yet".  

Fast Facts: Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

(Image credit: Sony)

Release date: October 20, 2023
Platform(s): PS5
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Brimming with blockbuster boss battles, underpinned by a nuanced narrative, and spread across an impressive scaled-down interpretation of New York City (this time encompassing Manhattan, Harlem, Queens, and Brooklyn) Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is the quintessential superhero caper. It feels fresh and new, innovative and expansive, and familiar and deferential all at once; constantly shocking and inspiring awe, all the while tilting its cap to decades of inspiration from one second to the next.

From today through to the end of this week, we'll be highlighting some of our very best Marvel's Spider-Man 2-related content – from our five-star review to exclusive interviews with the game's stars, character profiles, and their ties to the game's comic roots, Spidey's best outings on the silver screen, and more. Be sure to keep this page bookmarked and return all throughout the next several days for more explorations of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 leading up to launch this Friday, October 20.


An interview with a spider

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

(Image credit: Sony)

Spider-Man actor on taking Peter Parker to darker places: "It left me exhausted at the end of every working day"

We spoke to Peter Parker's Spider-Man himself, Yuri Lowenthal, about refilling the protagonist's shoes, and the challenges of taking the character down a far darker path than before.

Don't be so Negative

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 OTR

(Image credit: Sony)

Marvel's Spider-Man 2's Mister Negative actor says working with Denzel Washington and Jennifer Garner helped bring his character to life

We spoke to Stephen Oyoung - the man, voice and likeness behind the first game's central antagonist, Mister Negative - on reprising a familiar role in Marvel's Spider-Man 2


Marvel's Spider-Man 2 review 

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

(Image credit: Sony)

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 review: "Quite simply the best superhero game yet"

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 improves on its predecessor across the board, while saluting the superhero genre over the last 30 years as a whole. With a captivating narrative and unrivaled spectacle, it's the quintessential superhero game, in story and mechanical terms.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 somehow manages to make swinging even more fun

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 somehow manages to make swinging even more fun

We weren't sure it was possible, but Insomniac has somehow made traversal in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 more fun. Revisit our final preview from last month. 


That's so Kraven

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

(Image credit: Sony)

Kraven the Hunter: The comic book history of the villain that beat Spider-Man

Kraven The Hunter is Marvel's Spider-Man 2's central antagonist, a character who has a long and complicated relationship with Peter Parker. Here's an in-depth look at Sergei Kravinoff and the path that's led him to this encounter with the Spider-Men. 

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 trailer introduces Kraven, shows off Symbiote suit

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 trailer introduces Kraven, shows off Symbiote suit

During May's PlayStation Showcase, Insomniac first introduced us to Kraven the Hunter while showing off the destructive potential of the Symbiote Spider-Man suit in battle. Watch that introduction all over again here. 

I thought Spider-Man 2 couldn't match the first game – it took less than 10 seconds to change my mind

I thought Spider-Man 2 couldn't match the first game – it took less than 10 seconds to change my mind 

Following the above trailer, 12DOVE's Joe Donnelly was made to rethink his stance on Insomniac Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment's sequel pretty quickly. 

Best Spider-Man Villains

Best Spider-Man Villains

Besides Kraven, other high-profile enemies feature in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, including Sandman, Venom and Mysterio. Here's their storied histories laid bare in our Best Spider-Man Villains rundown.


History lesson

Into the Spider-Verse

(Image credit: Sony)

Best Spider-Man movies ranked, from No Way Home to Across the Spider-Verse

Peter Parker and Miles Morales join forces in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, but their respective backstories are spread across video games, comics, and, of course, movies. To the latter end, here's our favorites over the last 25+ years. 

Marvel’s Spider-Man review: "About as good as superhero gaming gets"

Marvel’s Spider-Man review: "About as good as superhero gaming gets"

And while we're considering past adventures, here's where Peter Parker and Miles Morales paths first crossed under the care of Insomniac Games back in 2018.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales review: "A great but short demonstration of what PS5 can do"

Spider-Man: Miles Morales review: "A great but short demonstration of what PS5 can do"

Likewise, here's where Insomniac took a deeper dive into Miles' character, while simultaneously teasing the power of PS5 – a theme that underpins everything Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has achieved so far. 


Joe Donnelly
Contributor

Joe Donnelly is a sports editor from Glasgow and former features editor at 12DOVE. A mental health advocate, Joe has written about video games and mental health for The Guardian, New Statesman, VICE, PC Gamer and many more, and believes the interactive nature of video games makes them uniquely placed to educate and inform. His book Checkpoint considers the complex intersections of video games and mental health, and was shortlisted for Scotland's National Book of the Year for non-fiction in 2021. As familiar with the streets of Los Santos as he is the west of Scotland, Joe can often be found living his best and worst lives in GTA Online and its PC role-playing scene.