During New York Comic-Con 2024, Sony and Insomniac Games announced that they are porting Marvel's Spider-Man 2 to PC on January 30, 2025. However another piece of informatio??n caught most of the fan's attention.

On the official PlayStation Blog, Aaron Jason Espinoza, Senior Community Manager at Insomniac Games, stated: "While we have no additional story content planned for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, we’re delighted to bring al?l of our previously released post-launch content to the PC version", further squelching all the fan's hopes of a potential DLC that would expand the game's storyline.

This is quite unfortunate, seeing as how the game left many open plot points that seemed to be teasing a DLC campaign, with the "The Flame" side quest being one of the most prominent ones. In contrast, the original Spider-Man game by Insomniac had three DLC packs with lengthy story campaigns that were already out a few weeks after the game's launch. On top of that, it still got constant free updates throughout the followi??ng months.

Fans had high hopes for a potential DLC campaign for Spider-Man 2

Fan reaction on social media websites like Twitter/X or Reddit has been extremely negative, since most of them have been waiting for a DLC announcement since Marvel's Spider-Man 2 released ??on October 20, 2023?, more than a year ago. Getting a confirmation that this is now not going to happen, after so much waiting, was definitely disappointing for most of them.

The r/SpidermanPS4 subreddit didn't take the news very well, with many of its members stating their disdain for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, since now they have confirmation that it's not going to get any more story updates. Many others even went ahead and accused Insomniac of not giving the game the treatment it needed and deserved. Nevertheless, some fans speculate that Insomniac was may?be working on a DLC campaign, and it decided to save it for a separate project (like a standalone Venom game) that it can release in-between bigger games, similar to Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

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While New York Comic Con is underway, Marvel's Spider-Man 2's PC port was finally announced on Friday, and it's releasing on January 30, 2025. The port is being developed by Insomniac Games in collaboration with Nixxes Software, the studio behind the upcoming Horizon: Zero Dawn Remastered.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is already on Steam

When Marvel's Spider-Man 2 launches on PC, it will be released for both Steam and the Epic Games Store. You can't pre-order the game yet, but there is the functionality to ?wishlist it. PlayStation has revealed there will be fr?ee content as a pre-purchase incentive. They include:

• Arachknight Suit early unlock for Peter with three color variants
• Shadow-Spider Suit early unlock for Miles with three color variants
• Web Grabber gadget early unlock
• +3 Skill Points

There will also be a Digital Deluxe Edition, just like the ?PS5 release. It has the following:

• 10 exclusive suits for Peter and Miles (five each)
• Additional Photo Mode items
• +5 Skill Points

PlayStation has yet to divulge too many details of the PC features in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. It seems to be early days, but we do know there will be "enhanced ray-tracing options" and that the game will "take full advantage of a variety of setups and configurations," according to Nixxes community manager Julian Huijbregts on the PlayStation Blog. Further details, including features and sy??stem specifications, will be revealed closer to launch.

Unfortunately, a PlayStation Network account will be required to access Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on PC, which will likely cause Mixed reviews from Steam users if it's anything like God of War: Ragnarok. At least the game will support Xbox controllers, in addition to PlayStation ones, on the b??????????????????????????right side.

Nevertheless, it is worth checking out Marvel's Spider-Man 2 as it's arguably the best in the series so far. It's entertaining to merely explore New York. "With the added web wings gliding mechanic, locomotion is even smoother than past entries," said our review. "Given that the sandbox of New York has been expanded a bit itâ€??™s just as well, but I forgot ju?st how fun it is to zoom around in these games and do absolutely nothing."

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Every good gaming console needs a solid catalog of exclusives to keep it going. Why else would you buy the console? So it’s no surprise that with the PlayStation 5 Pro on the way, players are looking to see what ???exclusives they can play on it. 

Despite being out for nearly four years now, the PS5 only has a handful of ?e?xclusive titles in its library. If you’re looking for all of them to see if any of your must-haves are on the list, we’re here to provide.

All Exclusive Titles on PS5

The PS5 has a grand total of 17 exclusives available on the p??latform, that you can't play on any other console or PC. Here are all of them, in alphabetical order:

Astro Bot

• Release Date: September 6, 2024
• Developer: Team Asobi

Astro’s Playroom

• Release Date: November 12, 2020
• Developer: Team Asobi

Demon’s Souls

• Release Date: November 12, 2020
• Developer: Japan Studio & Bluepoint Games

Destruction All-Stars

• Release Date: February 2, 2021
• Developer: Lucid Games

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

• Release Date: February 29. 2024
• Developer: Square Enix

The Last of Us Part II Remastered

• Release Date: January 19, 2024
• Developer: Naughty Dog

Neptunia ReVerse

• Release Date: June 8, 2021
• Developer: Compile Heart

Project Wingman: Frontline 59

• Release Date: November 3, 2023
• Developer: Humble Games

Quantum Error

• Release Date: November 3, 2023
• Developer: TeamKill Media

R-Type Final 3 Evolved 

• Release Date: April 27, 2023
• Developer: NIS America

Rise of the Ronin

• Release Date: March 22, 2024
• Developer: Team Ninja

Silent Hill: The Short Message

• Release Date: January 31, 2024
• Developer: Konami

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

• Release Date: October 20, 2023
• Developer: Insomniac Games

Stellar Blade

• Release Date: April 26, 2024
• Developer: Shift Up

PS5 Exclusives with VR2

These titles are currently available on the PS5 but require the VR2 virtual reality head?set to play. These include:

The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR

• Release Date: March 16, 2023
• Developer: Supermassive Games

Horizon Call of the Mountain

• Release Date: February 22, 2023
• Developer: Guerrilla Games & Firesprite

Synapse

• Release Date: July 3, 2023
• Developer: nDreams

All in all, this makes for a total of 17 exclusives for the PS5 that you can't play anywhere else. A grand majority of the games available on the PS5, however, are also playable on the previous generation console, the PS4 including some of the best PlayStation games. Some games are even on other pl??a??tforms as well, including PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

Luckily, there are a handful of upcoming releases tha?t will add to this list and give PlayStation loyalists something to look forward to. We hope that Sony will continue to add more to th??e library to make the PS5 really worth it.

The post All PlayStation 5 exclusive titles appeared first on Destructoid.

Just when I think I've gotten my fill in the Marvel's Spider-Man universe, Insomniac Games swings me back?? in with new content. Another suit expansion is on the way, with an upcoming update set for June 18, 2024.

The new update offers eight new suits to try on, and don't worry; they are entirely free to use. The artist Colm Dillane, also known as KidSuper, designed several skins, blending together his classic artwork into Marvel's Spider-Man 2. He also collaborated with other special guests for the project, inclu??ding professional football player Vini Jr., motorsports driver ??Lando Norris, and singer/actress/model Rina Sawayama.

Vini Jr. and KidSuper have co-designed the vibrant Ginga Suit (left), depicting a sporty look for Vini Jr.'s successful athletic career. Lando Norris,?? on the other hand, has taken his racing career as the muse for the Fluro Suit (right), perfectly matching any motorsports driver's gear through its helmet.

As for Rina Sawayama and KidSuper's coll??aboration, players can expect a "badass motorbike" look with the Motorchic Suit. Hit the streets of New York City covered in leath??er and take down those bad guys in style.

Among the suits that Insomniac Games has customized, one that I'm particularly thrilled about is Into the Spider-Verse's Peter B. Parker fit. This suit, with its unique design and nod to the beloved character, will be excellent for those movie scene recreation shots. Many players have already done this with other skins, specifically with the film-based suits from Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man.

Another personal favorite of mine, Miles Morales, ?will also be getting more suits, including the Animated Suit (left) and Uptown Pride Suit (right).

I have always loved the look of Marvel's Spider-Man's animated outfits, so it's fantastic to? see even more join the lineup. Insomniac Games also plans to implement more stability fixes with the u??pdate. It will address the issues with the parry and traversal swap from the Symbiote to Spider Arms.

Both the stability fixes and the suits will arrive on June 18. Make sure to update Marvel's Spider-Man 2 with the la??test patch to get the new skins for free.

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Looking for the best open-world games for the PS5 can be quite a task.?? Many open worlds we have traversed over the years in gaming can be ??the most immersive or barren and uninspiring.

So, we ?have come up with the best open-world games to explore for this platform.&??nbsp;

The 10 best open-world games for the PS5

The f?ollowing games may have appeared on the PlayStation 4 at some point, but have since received an update to be native to the PS5 hardware. Keep that in mind.

Borderlands 3

Say what you want about Borderlands 3’s story, but everything else around it just slaps. When you have great character c?ustom?ization, gunplay, and a variety of abilities to play around with in huge explorable areas, you’ll easily forget about the game’s biggest weakness. Also, the DLC adds dozens of more hours to look around via side quests and just your own exploration.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Some may argue that the many explorable areas don’t amount to an open world in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, but I’d argue oth?erwise. You can mostly explore everything in a particular instance o?nce you have progressed far enough into the game’s story. 

What makes it even neater is that you can play the game in its entirety with minimal exploration and then come back without missing out on anything major. You can do anything in between as long as the game pe??rmits, which gives the players a lot of freedom. 

Grand Theft Auto V

More than a decade later, Grand Theft Auto V’s Los Santos still holds up. Yeah, you can do the missions and all that and have a blast, but there’s also that huge online component that has remained strong since the game first came out. Not only is GTA V’s version of Los Angeles an iconic world, ?but it’s also an amazing sandbox to just mess around in.

Hogwarts Legacy

It was always a dream for many gamers who grew up with the Harry Potter franchise to explore the Wizarding World. When Hogwarts Legacy came out, while not set exactly in the same timeline as our favorite Wizard and his lot, it was a damn good experienc??e. The castle itself was already such a treat to explore, with so much lore to uncover and so many activities to get into. 

Then, once you go outside and visit ?the other locales via broom or Hippogriff, that experience gets even better. Some quests and activities do get stale, but the whole package is a gem wheth?er you’re a completionist or a casual.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

The other Marvel's Spider-Man games were such a treat when it came to open-world traversal. However, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 took what was great about the original and Miles Moralesâ€?standalone games and trimmed the fat. 

It’s fun as hell?? to traverse New York while web-slinging and gliding around from a visual perspective. The game also knows how to give you just enough playtime before things start ?to get stale.

No Man’s Sky

The procedurally generated planets you explore in No Man’s Sky make it seem like you’re on an endless journey. You’re supposed to reach the? center of the universe, but the game is best played to your own rhythm. Go off and explore nonstop. Discover new fauna, flora, and all the many other biomes out there. 

Go make bases and create your own missions. This game is a chill type of sandbox that’s pretty t?o look at and has a purpose with?? each thing you do.

Fallout 4

In Fallout 4, you’re rewarded for going off the beaten path. It may be a post-nuclear world out there, but there are so many things to do. Pair that with the base-building mode and you can easily sink?? dozens of hours into the game. ??If you like that element of exploration at your heart’s content, this is it.

Cyberpunk 2077

Night City and Dogtown (if you have Phantom Liberty) are so visually pleasing in Cyberpunk 2077. On top of that, there’s a lot of depth in these locales, ranging ?from player choices in dialogue and a strong focus on RPG element??s. 

This game has come a long way since it was first released and now deserves all the praise it probably should have gotten now that it’s in a very stable, p??layable state. 

Ghost of Tsushima

The open world in Ghost of Tsushima is just downright gorgeous. If you love to mess around in Photo Modes in games, you can easily sink hours to get the perfect shot here. In addition to that, the game has a compelling story with just the right amount of side content to keep you goi??ng and admire the t??echnical detail all around. 

It evokes a sense of familiarity the more you play this game, like what many players felt during the golden era of Assassin’s Creed games.

Elden Ring

Despite being a multiplatform game, Elden Ring d?oes something that not a lot of open-world games do: it doesn’t hold your hand and lets you explore to your ??heart’s content. You’re really out there alone in The Lands Between with only a few indicators of where you should go. 

Fast-travel points are saved, NPC l??ocations are marked, and the map is opened up permanently once you? find the fragments. More than 200 hours later, many players, including myself, are still finding new things despite searching through every nook and cranny in every region.

The post 10 Best open world games for PS5 appeared first on Destructoid.

Yesterday, the BAFTA Game Awards 2024 honored the past twelve months of the industry. Hosted by comedian and former Taskmaster conte??stant Phil Wang, the show was a celebration of what gaming has achieved recently.

As is typical with a lot of award shows, there were some varying attempts at humor. Which is a shame because, knowing Phil's work, I suspect he was not responsible for a ??lot of the jokes written on the teleprompter.

Still, it didn't detract ?from the jubilation, as a lot of games released in the past year �as well as their respective developers �were given their due credits. Below are the list of all the winners and nominations from this year's event.

Animation

• Alan Wake 2
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• WINNER: Hi-Fi Rush

Artistic Achievement

• Baldur's Gate 3
• Cocoon
• Diablo 4
• Finaly Fantasy XVI
• Hi-Fi Rush
• WINNER: Alan Wake 2

Audio Achievement

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
• Hi-Fi Rush
• The Legend of Zelda: tears of the Kingdom
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• WINNER: Alan Wake 2

British Game

• Cassette Beasts
• Dead Island 2
• Disney Illusion Island
• Football Manager 2024
• Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin
• WINNER: Viewfinder

Debut Game

• Cocoon
• Dave the Diver
• Dredge
• Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
• Viewfinder
• WINNER: Venba

Evolving Game

• Final Fantasy XIV Online
• Fortnite
• Forza Horizon 5
• Genshin Impact
• No Man's Sky
• WINNER: Cyberpunk 2077

Family

• Cocoon
• Dave the Diver
• Disney Illusion Island
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Hogwarts Legacy
• WINNER: Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Game Beyond Entertainment

• Chants of Sennaar
• Goodbye Volcano High
• Terra Nil
• Thirsty Suitors
• Venba
• WINNER: Tchia

Game Design

• Cocoon
• Dredge
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Viewfinder
• WINNER: Dave the Diver

Multiplayer

• Baldur's Gate 3
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
• Diablo 4
• Forza Motorsport
• Party Animals
• WINNER: Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Music

• Alan Wake 2
• Assassin's Creed Mirage
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• WINNER: Baldur's Gate 3

Narrative

• Alan Wake 2
• Dredge
• Final Fantasy XVI
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Star Wars Jed: Survivor
• WINNER: Baldur's Gate 3

New Intellectual Property

• Chants of Sennaar
• Dave the Diver
• Dredge
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Jusant
• WINNER: Viewfinder

Performer In A Leading Role

• Amelia Tyler (Narrator in Baldur's Gate 3)
• Cameron Monaghan (Carl Kestis in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor)
• Neil Newbon (Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3)
• Samantha Béart (Karlach in Baldur's Gate 3)
• Yuri Lowenthal (Peter Parker in Marvel's Spider-Man 2)
• WINNER: Nadji Jeter (Miles Morales in Marvel's Spider-Man 2)

Performer In A Supporting Role

• Debra Wilson (Cere Juna in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor)
• Ralph Ineson (Cidolfus "Cid" Telamon in Final Fantasy XVI)
• Sam Lake (Alex Casey in Alan Wake 2)
• Tony Todd (Venom in Marvel's Spider-Man 2)
• Tracy Wiles (Jaheira in Baldur's Gate 3)
• WINNER: Andrew Wincott (Raphael in Baldur's Gate 3)

Technical Achievement

• Alan Wake 2
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Horizon Call of the Mountain
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Starfield
• WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

EE Players' Choice Award (public vote)

• Cyberpunk 2077
• Fortnite
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Lethal Company
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• WINNER: Baldur's Gate 3

Best Game

• Alan Wake 2
• Dave the Diver
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• WINNER: Baldur's Gate 3

BAFTA Game Special Award

• SpecialEffect, presented to founder and CEO Dr. Mick Donegan MBE for "outstanding contributions to games, film and television" in helping "people with even the most severe physical challenges to access video games."

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Sony revealed in a PlayStation Blog post today that the new Marvel's Spider-Man 2 update which adds an all-new New Game Plus mode will be rel??eased on March 7. The new update not only adds New Game Plus, but features new spidey suits, accessibilit?y features, and updates to Photo Mode.

Suit Yourself

The new update brings Marvel's Spider-Man 2 to version 1.002 and add?s New Game+ to the game. The new mode allows you to replay Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on a harder difficulty while carrying over all your suits and abilities. You can also utilize the mode to replay your favorite mi??ssions. There are also new unlocks in NG+ including Ultimate Levels, Golden Gadget Styles, and more.

Several new suit styles for Peter's symbiote story suits have been added, and are unlocked via the NG+ Ultimate Levels. Marvel's Hellfire Gala suits have also been a??dded for both Peter and Miles. While those suits are free, two new premium suits have also been added: the color Fly N' Fresh Suit pack that is pictured above. The pack includes both suits, 10 Photo Mode stickers, and 2 Photo Mode frames for $4.99.

Several big impr??ovements have been added on the accessibility front as well. Audio Descriptions and Screen Reader has been added to the game including Cinematic Captions and High Contrast Outlines.

The New Game Plus update for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 goes live on March 7 on PlayStation 5.

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The web-heads at Insomniac Games must be celebrating, as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 sales have reached over 10 million copies as of February 4, 2024. The news was provided to us by Sony, who just released its financial results for the latest fiscal quarter. 

“Today, we're honored to celebrate an amazing milestone: Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has surpassed 10 million units sold, bringing the game series sales to an astounding 50 million units!�said Insomniac Games on Twitter. “Thank you for the support and making this spectacular journey possible!�/p>

It’s “amazing�that with just three games in the series, 50 million units have been sold. PlayStatio??n’s purchase of the talented studio Insomniac Games for $229 million seems to be a slam dunk with these Marvel's Spider-Man 2 sales numbers.

Those who picked up the sequel might be happy to know there’s a big title update coming March 7. It will include New Game+, new suits to play in, and more. No other details are out ?yet.

The news of the game reaching 10 million units is no doubt a good win, after the trouble caused by the Insomniac Games hack late last year. Upcoming ??plans, development videos, and personal data were all shared from a ransom attack. Hopefully this success ca??n help ease any lingering hurt from that.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 released back on October 20, 2023. Destructoid gave it a 9/10 review. “It’s abundantly clear that this series isn’t over yet, and I hope that Insomniac never really stops working on superhero games,�said our review. “There’s so much of the Spider-Man mythos that’s untapped so far, and you could keep this gravy train running with some crazier ideas once this presumed trilogy is over.�/p>

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Insomniac Games intended to deliver Marvel's Spider-Man 2 New Game+ mode before the end of 2023. Unfortunately, the development team couldn't meet the original?? deadline, but now it's set to laun?ch a NG+ for Peter and Miles next month.

With 2024 in full swing, Insomniac is eyeing a new timeframe to release New Game+ for Spider-Man 2. The team announced today that the highly requested feature, plus a few other additions, will be coming to the quite-popular Sony sequel in March.

Insomniac confirms New Game+, fresh suits, and other additional content will be part of the update on March 7. The Spider-Man 2 developer also teased that "highly requested features" are being?? added at the same time as New Game+, but we won't hear about those until closer to the update's release.

Any fans hoping for story DLC to drop soon should probably continue to hold tight. The initial Spider-Man on PlayStation 4 saw the first wave of its City that Never Sleeps content come out a little over a month following the debut of the base game. Spider-Man 2 was released on October 20, and there is no confirmation either way from Insomniac whet??her additional story content is coming.

The unfortunate Insomniac hack late last year may have indicated there's more in the works. However, internal plans and development cycles frequently change, so nothing is certain until it's officially official.?

There are certainly lingering storylines that fans would be excited to see utilized for potential Spider-Man 2 DLC (??where the Crimson Hour story goes next, for one). Time will tell if we get just that, or whether we'll have to wait for what's next for the franchise further down the line.

The post Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 gets New Game+ in March appeared first on Destructoid.

In the upcoming D.I.C.E awards, Spider-Man 2 takes an early lead by scoring nine nominations. The awards ceremony i?s scheduled for February 1?5 this year.

Categories that Insomniac's superhero game is in include Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Animation, and Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design, to name a few. Alan Wake 2 t??rails not too far behind with eight nominations.

Remedy's survival horror has managed to catch the eyes of critics thanks to its metastory, use of music, and phenomenal ensemble ?of characters. It has been nominated for Game of the Year as well, but? it also picks up nominations in the Outstanding Achievement in Story category and Outstanding Achievement in Character category which gives Saga Anderson a nod.

The other games that got Game of the Year nominations are: Baldur's Gate 3, Cocoon, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The full list of nominations is as follows:

Game of the Year Awards

1. Game of the Year: Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3, Cocoon, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Spider-Man 2.
2. Online Game of the Year: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Diable 4, Omega Strikers, Street Fighter 6, The Finals.
3. Mobile Game of the Year: Gubbins, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Honkai: Star Rail, Terra Nil, What The Car?
4. Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game: Cocoon, Dredge, El Paso, Elsewhere, Thirsty Suitors, Venba
5. Immersive Reality Game of the Year: Asgard's Wrath 2, Assassin's Creed Nexus VR, Horizon: Call of the Mountain, Vampire: The Masquerade �Justice, Vertigo 2
6. Immersive Reality Technical Achievement Award: Asgard's Wrath 2, Assassin's Creed Nexus VR, Horizon: Call of the Mountain, Vertigo 2, We Are One

Craft Awards

1. Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction: Baldur's Gate 3, Cocoon, Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
2. Outstanding Achievement in Game Design: Baldur's Gate 3, Cocoon, Dave the Diver, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
3. Outstanding Achievement in Animation: Final Fantasy 16, Hi-Fi Rush, Spider-Man 2, Mortal Kombat 1,Super Mario Bros. Wonder
4. Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction: Alan Wake 2, Hogwarts Legacy, Spider-Man 2, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Starfield
5. Outstanding Achievement in Character: Saga Anderson (Alan Wake 2, Melanie Liburd), Astarion (Baldur's Gate 3, Neil Newbon), Karlach (Baldur's Gate 3, Samantha Béart), Miles Morales (Spider-Man 2, Nadji Jeter),Jala (Thirsty Suitors, Farah Merani)
6. Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition: Alan Wake 2, Diablo 4, Spider-Man 2, Planet of Luna, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
7. Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design: Alan Wake 2, Cocoon, Hi-Fi Rush, Spider-Man 2, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
8. Outstanding Achievement in Story: Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3, Dave the Diver, Thirsty Suitors, Venba
9. Outstanding Technical Achievement: Alan Wake 2, Spider-Man 2, Hogwarts Legacy, The Finals, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Genre Awards

1. Action Game of the Year: Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, Dead Space, Hi-Fi Rush, Spider-Man 2, Remnant 2
2. Adventure Game of the Year: Alan Wake 2, Cocoon, Dave the Diver, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
3. Family Game of the Year: Disney Illusion Island, Fae Farm, Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Midnight Girl, Super Mario Bros. Wonder
4. Fighting Game of the Year: Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, Mortal Kombat 1, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, Pocket Bravery, Street Fighter 6
5. Racing Game of the Year: F-Zero 99, Forza Motorsport, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 �Turbocharged, Lego 2K Drive
6. Role-Playing Game of the Year: Baldur's Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Diablo 4, Final Fantasy 16, Starfield
7. Sports Game of the Year: EA Sports FC 24, MLB The Show 23, WWE 2K23
8. Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year: Against the Storm, Cobalt Core, Dune: Spice Wars, The Last Spell, Wartales

There's not much that raises eyebrows when it comes to nominations. Tears of the Kingdom received 5 nominations while Cocoon has nabbed 6.

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Stephanie Tyler Jones, who provided the face likeness for Mary Jane Watson in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, is speaking out about fans who h?ave "crossed bound??aries" over the character.

As she explains in an Instagram message, she appreciates the positive responses she's received over the years. Howe?ver, certain fans have crossed the line,? with some going so far as to call her workplace and attempt to speak to her.

Upon hearing all the voicemails, she "?immediately felt unsafe and uncomfortable." Though it should need no explaining, she highlights that while she may be the face behind a cultural icon, she is still "a human being trying to make a living ?just like you."

She also highlights that her skincare page isn't for Spider-Man or MJ fans. She asks fans to not cross boundaries, informs everyone that mes??sages will not be answered, and yo?u can expect to be blocked if she feels uncomfortable.

It's worth noting that she had no longer been an actively auditioning actor or model before the incident. The roles she accepts are only? creative outlets for herself and with f??riends.

Jones joins an unfortunately long list of actors who have found themselves harassed following their gaming fame. This includes Laura Bailey who received threats towards her and her family after her performance as Abby in The Last of Us Part 2.

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Though they're wildly different games on the surface, Alan Wake 2 and Spider-Man 2 are sequels representing massive achievements for their respective studios. In an IGN interview, Remedy's Sam Lake and Insomniac's John McAdam discuss s??ome of the intricacies of game development, and how they dealt with having two protagonists.

Alan Wake 2's story is split between Alan Wake the writer, and Saga Anderson the FBI agent who has been dragged into a twisted tale. In Spider-Man 2, Peter Parke?r's back but he shares? the spotlight with Miles Morales.

According to McAdam, having the two protagonists forced the studio to shift from the origina?l ideas driving the narrative. At first, Venom was going to be a central character that "was going to weave in and out of all the othe?r characters in the story and affect them."

However, with two protagonists to juggle as well, it felt like there was too much going on. Consequently, things had to change. This was mostly driven by writer Lauren Mee who decided that Miles should have his own arc with Martin Li. This change ensured that it d?oesn't feel like Miles "was not participating in the story because it's Peter who succumbs" to the?? symbiote.

Lake highlights how dual protagonists complicate the process of building suspense. Typically, you'd "lead the character into a cliffhanger and that's the point to switch." But players have freedom concerning when they switch, so that tool isn't available anymore. Like McAdam, Lake relied on a lot of other writers to get the two character arcs right, including Clay Murph?y.

Of course, the challenges that come with having two protagonists aren't limited to narrative. There are also gameplay elements to consider. Though it was tough to include the feature to switch between characters in an open-world game like Spider-Man 2, it was worth?? it because it's "so freeing f??or the player."

What goes into creating Alan Wake 2 and Spider-Man 2

The two creatives also discuss how they go about planning these large narratives. Lake admits he takes an old-school approach and relies on a whiteboard. As his theoretical backbone, he uses "three helper structures: the three act stru??c??ture, the hero's journey, five or seven stages of grief." McAdam has an approach that isn't too different, as he also uses a whiteboard and describes himself as a "structure nerd."

Both creatives also seem quite obsessive in just how detailed and planned their narratives? need to be. Lake describes his stories as having multiple layers that begin with a synopsis. But he's usually not satisfied at first, which motivates him to "write a proper treatment that can be anything from 30 pages to 50 pages on the detail level of what is actually going on and happening." This is something McAdam relates to, and he also likes "to do a detailed treatment."

We also get a glimpse into the editing process. Even at the heights Lake and McAdam work at, they still occasionally have a hard time with the editing process and lett?ing go of ideas that they and the team love but might not work for the project.

As Lake explains, you need ??to be in a mental place where you "bear the fact that things are not locked. And for some people, it's harder and a lot more stressful." McAdams relates, though he admits the following: "one of the things I've learned to embrace a?s I've gotten older is it's okay if we change things, because if we're changing it, we're changing it for a good reason."

Both Spider-Man 2 and Alan Lake 2 have been well-received and have collected plenty of accolades. At The Game Awards, Remedy's sequel nabbed three awards while Insomniac's project dominated the player-voted PlayStation awards.

The post Alan Wake 2 and Spider-Man 2 creators discuss the challenges o??f having two protagonists appeared first on Destructoid.

Every year, players get the chance to vote for their favorite PlayStation games in different categories. Several titles have won in various categories, with Spider-Man 2 voted the PS5 Game of the Year.

The win is not a surprise considering its stellar sales and the positive reception it has received from players and critics. The PS4 hasn't been forgotten, and Hogwarts Legacy won Game of the Year for the console. According to PlayStation, competition was tight, and it squeezed past Resident Evil 4 Remake by a mere half a percent of votes.

All the winners

There were 18 categories to vote in, with winners chose??n solely by player votes. Though several studios have released phenomenal titles this year, Insomniac seems to have won the hearts of many PlayStation players. These are all the winners?:

1. Best New Character - Venom (Spider-Man 2)
2. Best Story - Spider-Man 2
3. Best Graphical Showcase - Spider-Man 2
4. Best Art Direction - Alan Wake 2
5. Best Audio Design - Spider-Man 2
6. Soundtrack of the Year - Spider-Man 2
7. Best Accessibility Features - Spider-Man 2
8. Best Use of DualSense Controller - Spider-Man 2
9. Best Multiplayer Experience - Baldur's Gate 3
10. Best Ongoing Game - Fortnite
11. Best Expansion - Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
12. Best Sports Game - EA Sports FC 24
13. Best Independent Game of the Year - Sea of Stars
14. PS VR2 Game of the Year - Resident Evil Village: VR Mode
15. Studio of the Year - Insomniac Games
16. Most Anticipated Game of 2024 and Beyond - Grand Theft Auto 6
17. PS4 Game of the Year - Hogwarts Legacy
18. PS5 Game of the Year - Spider-Man 2

While Insomniac can celebrate these victories, it is also currently facing a data leak from hackers. Fortunately, the gaming industry has been showing gre??at support for the studio.

The post Spider-Man 2 is voted PlayStation’s PS5 Game of the Year appeared first on Destructoid.

Deck the halls, write to Santa, and update your respective consoles before the traditional Christmas network outages. 'Tis the season, so we're wrapping up?? another year of gaming at Destructoid with 2023's best games, and that includes a heavy-hitting category of PlayStation ??nominees.

Destructoid's process is pretty simple, our very own Eric Van Allen explains as much in his Indie Nominees rundown. Games can only be nominated in one category, and our 'year' begins in December 2022 �December 20??23 g?ames don't make the cut.

Anyway, in the sp??irit of kicking another holiday hornet's nest, here's our nominees for best PS4 / PS5 game of? the year.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Insomniac's last Spider-Man game launched in 2018, t?hus kicking off this category's theme of "What year is it again?" �I had to double-check that after suggesting we just got one of these within the last coup?le of years.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is the quintessential Sony recommendation for folks looking to buy the current-gen PlayStation. It's polished to a degree that remains beyond impressive and captivating, even to those not into the whole superhero scene. Miles Morales steals the show as a series favorite, and all of the usual staples like webslinging, New York neighborhoods, and, of course, Venom, return in a show of Spider-Man's best. It's one that really sold me on Spidey's direction going forward, and I certainly wasn't the only one.

Final Fantasy XVI

Though it just launched in June this year, Final Fantasy XVI was one of those games I was certain came out last year, but no, I'm just turning into dust. The hazy time-lapse is equal parts owed to the build-up and fanfare around another entry to the Final Fantasy s??eries and how much of the year RPG lovers spent sequestered off with a screen.

In our review, Eric confirmed one of my biggest suspicions: Final Fantasy XVI is a Final Fantasy game. Perhaps it's not my favorite, but that's not much of a critique in a series full of titans that established and inspired developers for decades. Clive's journey is a flashy, Devil May Cry-inspired adventure fusing some of the best inspirations from the sights and sounds of FFXIV: Heavensward into a lengthy, single-player RPG.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

As a mech girly, I'm always rooting for any game with gargantuan robots and metal-on-metal sparkling firefights. Thankfully, this year didn't leave me wanting as Armored Core 6 debuted to critical praise, and that includes our own review where Destructoid's head honcho Chris Carter reassured longtime fans that "the spark of the series is still very much alive" in Fires of Rubicon.

After such a lengthy stint between series releases, Armored Core's 2023 resurrection was certainly among the year's bigger surprises, but FromSoft more than delivered yet again. I've probably hit a fail state in Armored Core VI more times ?than ?all of the other games on this list combined, but I keep going back to it for more. That's more impressive when you consider there's a rhythm game below.

Street Fighter 6

There's a reason talk of a Capcom "Golden Age" keeps happening, and Street Fighter VI feels a bit symbolic of that. The classic fighter saw plenty of praise and held its own in a year packed with other Capcom darlings like Resident Evil 4 and Monster Hunter.

As a button-masher, it's one of the few fighting games I'm willing to revisit when the shine of "new release" wears off and my friends have moved on. Its sprawling roster, upcoming collaborations, and support from Capcom turn Street Fighter VI int?o a constant spectacle that's just as much fun to bumble your way through as it is to watch on the b?ig screens of EVO.

Theathrythm Final Bar Line

Ah, the bane of my existence, Theathrythm. I say that in the most loving way possible, as my endless Theathrythm replays on 3DS destroyed m??y handheld's buttons, and I figure the same is soon true for my PlayStation controllers.

That's a very roundabout way of saying Final Bar Line absolutely rules. While the bar (ha, bar, get it?) for spin-offs isn't very high, there's nothing about this latest entry that feels like a cheap afterthought. It's just as much proper rhythm game as it is impassioned love letter to Final Fantasy. A??ll year long, I've lost nights to replaying a handful of tracks, desperately honing my skills to crank the difficulty up just a little more. And even if that's not your cup of tea, its gu?ided tributes to the past are still worth the time.

Alan Wake 2

As an editor, I'm obviously partial to the work my team does, but if we had a category for 'review of the year,' I'd throw Smangaliso Simelane's piece on Alan Wake 2 ?into the ring for the title without a second thought. In the 9/10 review, Smangaliso concluded:

"I can say that it’s one of my favorite titles in an extremely competitive year. Not only has? it redefined what I believe video game narratives are capable of, but it also left me invigorated to see how Remedy will innovate once again."

Sold �anyway, with how everyone talks about Alan Wake, I deeply regret not diving into the first one. Remedy's gorgeously dismal setting calls for me in many of the same ways Control initially did, using bold, striking p??ops of light and color for the initial hoo?k. Then, it's suddenly 3 a.m. on a Monday, but I swear I only meant to play an hour or two.

Octopath Traveler 2

It's 2023, but this looks like what I imagined games would as a little thing in the late '90s and early '00s. Octopath Traveler 2 squared up in a year full of other gorgeous pixel art games like Sea of Stars, but held its own as an RPG power??ed by ?industry veterans.

Even as someone just a few hours in with an end-of-the-year cram session, the second game seems to fix some of my pain points from the original Octopath Traveler, all while maintaining the art direction and music I adored. Of course, once again, my RPG-enthused coworker Eric Van Allen reviewed the classic throwback, noting: "It somehow has everything I’d want out of an RPG inspired by t?he old days, but moving? forward into new ones too. "

What's next for Destructoid's GOTY?

For those of you curious as to where we'll land, check back on December 18 for our best of PlayStation winner. And with all of that said, here's our quick, bull??eted nominees list to refresh you for discussions:

Destructoid's Best PS4/PS5 Games of 2023:

• Spider-Man 2
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Armored Core 6
• Street Fighter 6
• Theathrythm Final Bar Line
• Alan Wake 2
• Octopath Traveler 2

The post Nominees for Destructoid’s Best PS4/ PS??5 gam??e of 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Insomniac is not quite yet done with adding new content to Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Although the promised accessibility update and New Game Plus mode haven't launched yet, more feat?ures are coming.

The developer announced that more features are coming to Marvel's Spider-Man 2 via Twitter. It didn't give a specific month, but does stat??e the next update will drop in early 2024.

The most exciting feature an?nounced is replaying missions, since it'll allow players to replay their favorite moments without starting over. Others, like changing tendril colors, are neat touches that add customization, and changing the time of day is great for setting up the perfect shot in photo mode.

New Game Plus is obviously a big one too, as is the accessibility update which is set to add Audio Descriptions. While the former gives players a reason to jump back in, Audio Descriptions could be a huge help for players who haven't been able to start Marvel's Spider-Man 2 just yet.

These additions are also just what's outlined, as Insomniac states in its post that even more are coming. It's honestly in line with how the studio has treated its previous games, adding new features and options some time after l??aunch.

It is nice seeing these updates be as comprehensive as they are and at no additional cost. Hopefully, this trend of new features coming out for free continues for Insomniac. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was up for seven awards at this year's Game Awards, but didn't manage to take home any trophies fro?m the night.

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While the Spider-Man movies mi??ght just now be dipping their toes into the multiverse, it's a concept that's been long esta?blished in the comics and shows for over 30 years now. As such, you can imagine all the pure weirdness the webhead has been involved in.

Marvel, compared to the other titan of the comics industry, DC, likes to dabble in the bizarre. ?With Santa Claus himself be??ing an omega-level mutant, it can't be that shocking that old gods like Dagon also share space among the various universes. However, it's surprising how few degrees of separation there are between Peter Paker and eldritch entities.

Six degrees of Spider-Man

For this thought exercise, we will focus on the universe established in Insomniac's series of games. In Marvel's Spider-Man 2, several strong clues establish the n??ecessary connections. The biggest is that the larger multiverse has establish?ed a beachhead in Peter and Miles' backyard.

Collecting the various Spider-Bots spread throughout New York is more than an interesting side quest. After nabbing the last one, players receive a quest where an all-too-familiar portal opens up. Inside, Spider-Man meets a mysterious character named Delilah, who directly mentions Across the Spider-Verse's Miguel O'Hara.

This is so important because it means this universe is c?learly no longer isolated. Sure, this was established in the aforementioned f?ilm, but this is akin to asking a question and getting a definite answer. Not only does this universe's Peter Parker get introduced to the Spider-Verse, but he becomes an active member of the larger Spider-Man corps.

This creates the opening for things to get truly bizarre for this universe's Peter and Miles. However, Insomniac seem??s to be stacking the deck as not only are connections being made across universes? but the seeds for Old Ones are being planted in the universe.

Venom and its ties to Knull

Barring the existence of the multiverse, we also get some ties through this version of Venom. The meteorite?? the symbiote rode to Earth is branded with Knull's jagged spiral symbol. This same sym??bol appears on the various symbiotes that Venom creates in the back half of the game.

The symbol is itself a reference to the Cthulhu Mythos, with it being similar to the Spiral of Carcosa. Created by Ambrose Bierce in his 1886 short story "An Inhabitant of Carcosa," this fictional city is a common reference in eldritch horror. It would later be used in homage by Robert W. Chambers in 1895's The King in Yellow and H.P. Lovecraft's 1931 work, The Whisperer in the Darkness.

This symbol, Venom sprouting wings just like Knull's, and the overall story are all nods to Knull and the King in Black event. In King in Black, Knull, the eldritch God of Darkness and progenitor of the symbiotes, arrives on Earth. The title "King in Black" also references The King in Yellow.

Knull is a monstrously powerful eldritch god chosen by the Celestials when they were shaping the universe. Rejecting them and their o?ffer, Knull formed the first symbiote into a sword and decapitated one of the Celestials. Using its head, Knull refined the sword into the Necrosword.

From there, Knull began bonding his living? abyss to other beings to corrupt and control them. Sound familiar? Yep, "??living abyss" is simply another term for the symbiotes.

Knull is the epitome of an eldritch being in Marvel's mythos. Even with other actual Old Ones like Chthon and Dagon existing in the same mythos, Knull still manages to nab the top spot. I'd like to think it's due to the "cool factor" imparted to Venom by its creat????????????????????????????or, Todd McFarlane.

The introduction of Cindy Moon/Silk

Cindy Moon, also known as Silk, is introduced at the end of Marvel's Spider-Man 2. In it, she is the daughter of Albert Mo??on, a man whom Miles' mother has begun seeing. Silk has direct ??ties to the larger and weirder side of Spider-Man lore.

Cindy was not only at the same exhibit with Peter at the time of his infamous spider bite but was also bitten by the same spider. This led to her developing spide?r-based powers the same way Peter did. Unlike Peter, she was immediately thrown into the deep end of the bizarre.

The Spider-Verse films are getting to this revelation, but it essentially boils down to this: in the first universe, Earth-001, the Web of Life and Destiny was created. It stretched out and connected every other universe. Anansi, the Akan s??pider god, was responsible for creating the web. Neith, the Egyptia??n goddess who created the world daily with her loom, acted as the first Spider-Totem, and her spiders would select avatars for the other Spider-Totems.

While there are six Spider-Totems, there can be many more avatars, aside from the Other, who may only empower one avatar (Peter Parker). Cindy Moon serves as ??an avatar of the Bride. Within the Web of Life and Destiny, the Bride makes additional Spider-Totems through "chance, curses, magic, and unwanted luck."

The long and short of it is that this web and its Spider-Totem??s are the sources of spider powers and problems. Once ensnared by it, nearly every spider-person is thrust in??to a battle for reality itself waged by gods and their avatars.

The MCU is flirting with old gods, too

It's not just Sony projects like Spider-Verse and Madame Web that are? dabbling with larger-than-life figures. Marvel and its MCU have already laid the groundwork for Lovecraftian-inspired tales.

Thor: Love and Thunder has direct ties to Knull as the antagonist, Gorr the God Butcher, wields the Necrosword. While it's not explicitly stated that the sword came from Knull, the abilities it grants Gorr track. It's similar to how Gorr stole the sword from an incapacitated Knull in ??the comics. For the time being, it's as close as Marve??l can get to touching Spider-Man content in the movies without Sony getting involved.

Scarlet Witch does the bulk of the heavy lifting when it comes to otherworldly thin?gs in the MCU. In the comics, the Elder God, Chthon, bestowed a then infant Wanda Maximoff with the ability to use chaos magic. The idea ?was to use her as a vessel for himself to return to the Earth plane. As a result, this essentially makes her a magnet for all things chaotically powerful.

Wandavision introduces Agatha Harkness and the Darkhold to the MCU. The latter is a book of spells written by Chthon and acts as a conduit for his influence in the Earth plane. It would serve as the catalyst for Wanda's corruption in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The Darkhold and Mount Wondagore are integral to Wanda and Chthun'??s relationship.

The former is a witch of incalculable age who had come into possession of the Darkhold and used it to discover Wanda was the Scarlet Witch. In the comics, Agatha acts as a mentor for several characters, including Franklin Richards and Wanda. In the show, Agatha int??ends to take away Wanda's "undeserved" powers. After defeating Agatha, Wanda takes the Darkhold, setting up the events of the Doctor Strange film.

Carnage, the symbiote offspring of Venom and prominent villain of Spider-Man, is also tied to C?hthon. A member of the Darkholders cult, Barry Gleason, believed that Carnage was the key t?o a ritual that would resurrect Chthon.

"When the Red Slay?er spills blood on sacred stone, he who sleeps shall wake and what walked once wil??l walk again."

Carnage Volume 2 #4

Ultimately, the sacrifice didn't pan out, and Carnage w?as instead infused with the power of the Darkhold. Carnage was drawn to a temple of Chthon on an island in the Timor Sea, where the symbiote was ?able to resurrect the Elder God. Since then, Chthon has acted as Marvel's stand-in for Cthulhu.

However, the Elder Gods are not to be confused with Marvel's "Great Old Ones." These beings, like Azotharoth, Yog-Soth??oth, and Shuma-Gorath, are more akin to the tentacled horrors usually asso??ciated with the Cthulhu Mythos. The distinctions are a little muddled, and it gets even murkier as Lovecraft himself is a Marvel character in Earth-616.

Outside of the Marvel universe, the Elder Gods were created by writer and Lovecraft's publisher, August Derleth. It was Derleth who came up with the term "Cthulhu Mythos" to describe Lovecraft's universe of madness. The Elder Gods stand against the Great Old Ones in a celestial battle o?f g?ood versus evil.

TL;DR: Spider-Man might get weird

Marvel, Sony, and Insomniac have already laid the groundwork for things to get really weird in the various Spider-Man properties. With only a degree of separation between Peter Parker and the Elder God, Chthon, in the comics, I wouldn't be shocked if some of that dark tentacled void started creeping into the next Spider-Man game from Insomniac. With audiences and critics tiring of the same superhero formula, injecting some eldritch ho??rror could be the shot in the arm we need.

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Insomniac's Spider-Man 2 has had a phenomenal launch, securing its spot as one of the fastest-selling first-party PS5 games of all time. The studio has also announced that the game? has already sold over 5 million copies.

Spider-Man 2's sales have been nothing short of awe-inspiring, selling 2.5 million copies within its first 24 hours. In less than a month, it has managed to double that number. Insomniac isn't done with the IP yet, and a patch has been recently released to fix minor performance issues. There has also been mention of a potential Venom spin-off, depending on what fans want.

Sony's first-party titles are performing well

The announcement was posted on Twitter, though a more detailed second-quarter financial report gives more details regarding the performance of Sony's gaming division. Spider-Man 2 isn't the only ??game under Sony's umbrella doing impressive numbers.

The report reveals God of War Ragnarok has sold 11 million copies, while Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has sold 1.1 million units. We also learn that the PS5 has? sold 4.9 million units in the last quarter, bringing the console's lifetime sales ?to a little over 46 million units.

Spider-Man 2 has been a boon for Sony and there'll be plenty more content next year for fans, as the Kraven the Hunter movie and an untitled Venom movie are ?scheduled for 2024.

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There's nothing worse than swinging in New York City and having all that momentum slam to a halt after getting stuck in a wall. Thankfully, the latest update for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 fixes some troublesome clipping issues and a bug that could c?orrupt your save file.

The latter issue is clearly the larger concern. Thankfully, according to the notes released by developer Insomniac Games, the bug appears only in a very specific situation. And there's onl??y one such bug li??sted with the update. A majority of the fixes cover collision problems, getting stuck on objects, or clipping through or into things. For some, Spider-Man would warp through the ground like Nightcrawler and fall forever into the screaming void. The patch should hopefully fix it. Hopefully.

Spider-Man 2 update fixes the infamous 'Spider-Box' once again

The Spider-Man 2 update includes five fixes for clipping issues. It addresses situations where you can get stuck while running on a wall or clip through the world while in combat. There's also a fix for one issue that I had to deal with. While playing the Coney Island story mission, I had Peter Parker sit on a bench that must have been coated with glue. He wouldn't stand up, and I had to resta??rt a checkpoint. If this happened to you, the update should fix it.

The patch also corrects the model-loading issue, of which the character turns into a white box. And if you've checked the game's subreddit?, the bug is not as uncommon as you'd think. It may have even happened once ??to yours truly.

There are other issues addressed by the update. Missions should no longer randomly fail if you have the HUD removed. The game should also count the number of correct flips if you're going for the Hang Ten trophy. Check out the full list to learn more.

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Part of what makes our friendly neighborhood Spidey so special is his care and compassion for community. In Spider-Man 2, side quests reinforce some of the series' guiding ideals: heroism isn't always about taking down larger-than-life villains, like The Sandman. Sometimes, your challeng??es require a more thoughtful touch.

It's the city, personified

Peter and Miles often face an onslaught of action in New York, but Spider-Man 2 side ??quests offer moments of respite. They're opportunities to truly live in the Big Apple, listening to citizens' stories, and enjoying an extra puzzle or two.

A few truly stand out to me, like when Miles tries to help a classmate ask his boyfriend out to prom. It's simple and straightforward, but the perspective is sweet as Vijay prepares to ask his beau out in a grand fashion. The TV Vijay plans on using won't connect to the power, so Miles tries to reroute electricity to the shoddy screen. Spider-man 2's simplistic, rewarding puzzles connect one node to the next, guiding the love story as you go. The whole sequence?? offers an adorable, thoughtful touch. As someone who's bisexual, it's one of those intimate details I just apprec??iate.

Saving the day

Another mission sends Miles to find the mascot for his school. It's been locked away by a rival school, hidden behind more difficult puzzles this time. The cheeky writing and the puzzles use reflecting lights between mirrors, the tone more than makes up for any moments of frustra??tion in finding a solution. You also get neat interactions between Miles' crush, Hailey, and our hero as they try to figure out each clue presented. It d??emonstrates their comradery, as Spider-Man's side quests add brilliant layers of context and background to Miles Morales.

Then there's a favorite �a touching moment as you search for a lost grandfather. Without spoiling too much, he shares a moment with Spider?-Man on a bench, offering a solemn, thoughtful scene without over-dramatizing. It's the quietest, most sincere cutscene I'll probably witness in a game this year.

Finding all of the collectibles also pays off in the overall narrative. For example, if you find all the Prowler Stash locations, you'll find out more about the future of Miles' uncle. It's the tiny details like?? this that truly made the experience for me. Even the smallest moments of tenderness snowball into something bigger than an individual.

Spider-Man is just Some Guy

While none of these quests are revolutionary, they all show the human side of both Spider-Men. They're not gallivanting off to Wakanda like The Avengers or saving the galaxy, like Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. They're just the down-to-earth, friendly neighborhood hero we all know and love. The movies may not have the luxury of time to show life's milestones and private challenges, but the community is its own character here. Spider-Man 2's side quests play to the medium's str??engths, offering another look at the heroes that truly earn them the title.

The post PSA: Don’t skip the Spider-Man 2 side quests appeared first on Destructoid.

One of the additions I like least in Spider-Man 2 is the web wings. The Spider-Man games, in general, have often strived to provide the best facsimile of the protagonist’s preferred mode of transportation, web swinging, so adding something like glid??ing to the mix is a bit of an affront to me. It’s a personal preference, but thankfully, I can mostly ignore the skill and just get around the old-fashioned way. I often forget it even exists.

However, while I was looking through Spider-Man 2’s various options to see if there is a way to turn off the visual wind-tunnel effects (there doesn’t seem to be), I did find?? something that might only appeal to strict swinge??rs like myself. And that’s a Swing Steering Assist slider.

Roller coaster design

This probably won’t come as a shock to you, but Spider-Man 2 takes a few creative liberties with physics to provide an approximation of the way the webslinger moves in the air. I mean, the comics already?? have to do a lot of handwaving to try and explain how he even does it, but we’ve already bought into a radioactive spider biting a guy and making him strong, so having him swing through the s??treets of New York is comparatively easier to believe.

However, for the game, Insomniac went a bit further with things to ensure ??that you look cool while traveling. These assists consist of a lot of min?or details that you might not even notice while playing. Like, for example, if your swing is too long, the web line will shorten so you don’t hit the ground. When you go around a corner, the line doesn’t wrap to cause an abrupt change of speed and angle. It’s a lot of behind-the-curtain magic, so you can just concentrate on where you’re going rather than have to worry about distracting details.

It’s not a bad thing. Beyond the fact that Insomniac is trying to reach an extremely broad audience and having a steep learning curve just to g??et around the city would be extremely alienating to a lot of people, ga?me design is sometimes like building a roller coaster. The goal is to make it feel like you’re doing something awesome and skillful when you’re really not. It’s why QTE sequences became so popular for a while.

Spider-Man 2 subscribes to the roller coaster design philosophy so hard. Even the combat is designed to look very intricate and technical while being extremely simple. It works, and in Spider-Man 2 it works very well.

Can you swing from a thread?

However, if you’re someone like me and you really enjoy web-swinging, you might not want the handwaving that is there to make you look cool. You might want some additional technical chew to the experience; something m?ore tangible that forces you to concentrate a bit more on what you’re doing. And, if that’s you, there’s a slider buried in the options that might be what you’re looking for.

The Swing Steering Assist ??slider has ten levels to it that you can use to tune your experience. Because the assist is already designed to be very subtle about the way it helps you, it can be difficult to tell where it steps i??n. If you crank it all the way down, however, you will definitely feel the difference. The most significant change is that you’ll actually be able to swing into the ground, and you’ll more regularly smack into obstacles until you adapt.

It’s important to note, however, that this doesn’t make web-swinging physically accurate. You still have a lot of control in the air and can easily alter your trajectory. The secondary abilities like we??blines, slingshots, and point jumps are all still accessible and work the same. I also don’t think you can wrap around horizontal obstacles. For example, if you swing under an arch, you won’t suddenly be launched into the sky. There are limits, but we can keep dreaming.

I also want to stress that I’m not trying to posit this as the “correct�or even a “better�way to play the game. Within the context of Spider-Man 2, it’s probably the opposite. This is just a personal preference, and I figured that there ??are probably others out there like me who love Insomniac’s take on locomotion but just want it to be a bit more involved.

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Despite Insomniac Games' position as an industry leader, I've struggled to understand why its games are so beloved when they often feel so infantile. Ratchet and Clank games have never pried a smile from me, and I found it a chore to complete Miles Morales.

Through Spider-Man 2, Insomniac Games has once again set a new ?bar when it comes to presenting some of the most polished AAA? games of the last few years. With this game, I think I may have figured out why the studio attracts so many ardent fans around the world.

Polished until it shines like a diamond

There's very little you can say to make an honest argument against the game's performance and presentation. It offers a good array of graphical options, allowing players to decide whether they prefer framerate or fidel??ity. Either way, you don't lose out on too much visual quality, as ?both modes feature ray-tracing. There's also uncapped VRR available to make the most of the game performance-wise.

New York is prettier than ever, especially compared to its PS4 predecessor. As you web-swing through the city, you're treated ??to impressive reflections ??on the cloud-tickling towers and streets populated with bustling commuters and congested traffic. It may just be one of the best-looking games on the console at the moment.

Insomniac has even had time to add a few Easter eggs for hardcore Spider-Man fans. A couple of suits reference the Spider-Verse movies, and you can even add comic book special effects to make you feel like you're living out your favorite Spider-Man comic.

The quality doesn't let u?p when it comes to the audio. Although the soundtrack is nothing special, the game utilizes 3D audio so precisely that you're able to easily pinpoint which direction enemy attacks are coming from. When walking the streets, the sounds of the city are satisfyingly immersive, and when you close your eyes, it's easy to imagine you're in the Big Apple.

The game is also one of the best showcases of the DualSense controller's features since Astro's Playroom. The adaptive triggers make web-swinging more? immersive, and the haptic feedbac??k is so expertly used that you can feel the texture of the street under your wheels during a mission that has Peter cycling.

To top it off, the game just oozes cool. It nails its aesthetic, managing to blend Spider-Man's comic book history with a sleek, modern interface. The characters always have something witty to say and even the villains are deliciously devious, making encounters with them unforgettable. All of these features help make Spider-Man 2 a jewel on the PS5's crown.

Something feels a little hollow

Though there's plenty of praise that can be piled onto Spider-Man 2, I find myself unable to escape the feeling that though the experience may be a flashy one, it is ulti??mately superficial and without much depth once you scr?atch the surface.

Spider-Man's movements are satisfyingly smooth and his special moves are a visual treat, but the combat is also as shallow as a teaspoon. Even on the hardest difficulty, it's incredibly easy to overpower h?ordes of enemies without pressing much but the square button and occasionally R1.

The problem worsens as you progress and by the time your level is in the 30s, you're capable of taking out entire waves of enemies relyin??g solely on your Gadgets and Abilities. It results in some extremely flashy combat scenes, but it also requires almost no skill.

A similar experience occurs with traversal. Web-swinging is f?un, but after a while, it becomes impossible to ignore just how repetitive the landscape is. It's gorgeous, but the streets lack enough personality for you to learn any routes, and without the splatterings of the sometimes annoying collectibles to find, there would be next to no reason to ever engage with the open world instead of just fast-traveling between missions.

This is not to say that Spider-Man 2 is without its heartwarming moments. The game nails it when it comes to its story which is a reimagining of one of the most beloved Spider-Man storylines. We see Miles and Peter?? grow as characters, and the depiction of Venom may j?ust be the best yet.

More than the games prior, Spider-Man 2 lets you get up close and personal with New Yorkers who aren't Peter, Miles, or MJ. You'll find these moments during the?? side activities, such as one which has you finding someone's lost grandpa. When he's finally located, you get to hear him reminisce over his deceased wife.

Another wholesome moment occurs during a mission that has Miles investigating some graffiti which leads to him spending time with Hailey. The mission is better experi??enced than explained, but it offers a glimpse of how powerful gaming can be when it is used to help us connect with others.

It's okay to have fun

My taste in video games is abnormally narrative-centric. I'm constantly searchin?g for games with the best stories and c??????????????????????????haracters, and nothing delights me more than a game that successfully uses the medium to tell its tale innovatively.

This approach has exposed me to some of the best titles the medium has to offer, but it is a route that does not guarantee joy. Some of the games with the best tales deemphasize gamep?lay, are indies that lack high production value or are emotionally powerful specifically because of how terrible they make you feel. You're bombarded with gore, grief, and stressful suspense that sometimes comes with no resolution.

With Spider-Man 2, I'm asked to do the opposite. Pretentiousness is set aside in favor of somewhat mindless fun and intense sensory stimulation. The flashy moves and lack of challenge let you feel like a powerful superhero with the entire city as your playground. Some of my most fun moments with the game didn't come during main story missions, but instead through gliding through New York, as monotonous as it is, and feeling the awesome freedom of flight??.

The air streams are?? nonsensical but t??hey're exhilarating to ride, the Gadgets are overpowered but it's fun feeling like goons are nothing but gnats to flick away, and the open world serves little purpose but it may be one of the most graphically impressive showcases on the PS5.

If there's anything Spider-Man 2 perfects, it's delivering no??????????????????????????n-stop awesomeness. Unlike prior Insomniac?? games, I was smiling for most of my playthrough, and for that alone, it is, to my astonishment, one of my favorite releases this year.

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Following Spider-Man 2's successful launch last week, PlayStation has revealed just how impactful the game was. ??In the first 24 hours alone, the game sold over 2.5 million copies. This makes it the f?astest-selling title from PlayStation's first-party studios.

Numbers from the UK are also impressive. GameIndustry.biz reveals that Spider-Man 2 clenched the top spot when it comes to physical sales in the UK, surpassing Super Mario Bros Wonder. It also had 5% greater sales than Hogwarts Legacy on PS5. Overall, it is the 4th biggest physical launch in the UK this year, surpassed by Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, EA Sports FC24, and Hogwarts Legacy on all platforms.

Spider-Man 2's success is a product of some wise choices made by Sony over the years. It purchased the Spider-Man IP from Marvel in 1999 for $7 million which has turned out to be an incredibly advantageous move. Years later, Sony then tapped Insomniac to develop a new Spider-Man game, leading to the PS4 game. Not long after the studio was purchased by Sony for $229 million.

Insomniac has proven itself yet again, but the studio isn't ready to sleep yet. Superhero fans can also look forward to Wolverine which is currently in development.

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Spider-Man 2 has only recently hit shelves but already Insomniac is thinking about the future. The first Spider-Man game received a spin-off, Miles Morales, so it's natural to wonder whether the sequel will also feature a sequel, perhaps this time starring Venom. According to senior narrative director Jon Paquette, In??somniac is waiting to see how the fans react before they decide on the direction of a possible spinoff.

As Paquette explains, the main question Insomniac asks itself is "what do the fans really want?" Then, they try to give them that. After Spider-Man 2's successful launch, the studio does ?need some recovery time but discussing ideas will res??ume once everyone has "had time to sleep and take vacations."

Venom and his 19 inches

In Paquette's interview with Insider, he reveals that the aim was for the game to be "one of the best Venom stories you've ever experienced." To do this, they would need an amazing voice actor, and it was found that Candyman's Tony Todd was the man for the job. When crafting the tale, Insomniac drew from the Spider-Man comics, but the? studio still puts a unique twist on things.

It's not hard to imagine a Venom spin-off being celebrated, as it appears the character has already struck a chord with players. Part of his popularity comes from a viral PlayStation Tweet falling vic?tim to bad phrasing when describing the Venom statue that comes wi??th the Collector's Edition.

In Spider-Man 2, Venom's symbiote is discovered to help heal sickness and make its host feel stronger than e??ver. The longer it sticks around, howeve?r, the more it shows its sinister side, but by then it may be too late.

Venom is a handful, but Peter doesn't have to face him alone. He receives help from Miles ?Morales, who you can also play as??.

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Insomniac's Spider-Man 2 launched on PS5 this week, starting a new chapter in one of PlayStation's flagship series. The importance of the game for the console cannot be understated, as it is one of the biggest current-gen PlayStation exclusives to date. A recent Bloomberg report suggests that Peter and Mi?les' latest adventure could be the key to the kind of PS5 sales growth Sony is looking for.

As the report highlights, though the PS5 has been a popular console, it has faced a few circumstances that have limited how many units could be sold. One of the biggest hurdles was the COVID-19 pandemic which constrained the company's ability to meet demand. Consequently, the PS5 has sold 40 million units since launch in 2020. This is a good number, but the PS4 managed to do it in about two and?? a half years.

High hopes for Spider-Man 2

Sony is hoping to sell 25 million PS5s this fiscal year. Supply c?hain issues have been resolved, and the company has also revealed smaller models set to release this holiday, which should help boost sales as well.

There is reason to believe that Spider-Man 2 could help Sony achieve its ambitious goals. The first game from Insomniac, as well as Miles Morales, together sold 33 million copies. Its proven track record for drawing in fans makes Spider-Man one of the PS5's key franchises.

Research director Lewis Ward predicts that the game "will eventually sell tens of millions of copies." This isn't hard to believe, as Spider-Man 2 has been receiving excellent critical acclaim. It's a fun game with plenty of a??ction, humor, and Easter eggs for long-time fans of New York's favorite web-slinging crime fighter.

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Marvel's Spider-Man didn't include the option to replay the story in New Game Plus mode when it first launched in 2018. But Insomniac wasn't lazing about in a hammock made of webbing, either. The developer launched the feature roughly six weeks after launch. Is it coming to the sequel? Oh yes, and now we (roughly) know when?: before the end of this year.

New Game Plus (NG+) won't be alone on missing release, as Spider-Man 2 is also getting updated with a mission replay feature too. This update flew a bit under our radar, but like any wily city pigeon, we eventually caught it. Within the replies to Insomniac's announcement of a game up on Twitter/X, the company's community director was hashing out what's coming to Spider-Man 2 post-launch. The director in question, James Stevenson, mentioned New Game Plus mode will release for Spider-Man 2 "before [the] end of [the] year."

Will New Game Plus and mission replay release for Spider-Man 2 at the same time?

The bonus to the news is that the NG+ mode isn't coming to the game alone. Spider-Man 2 will get a mission replay feature, according to Stevenson. It's not confirmed that it'll arrive alongside New Game Plus, however. In a reply, Stevenson wrote that the team is "working on an update for those features," including NG+, "but they won't be in Day 1." He later clarifies when NG+ is expected to drop, but isn't specifi??c about mission replay.

Either way, it should be exciting for Spider-Man 2 fans who dream of knocking out early-game bosses while fully kitted out. The NG+ update for the original game included two more trophies: 'One More Time' got? awarded for playing the game again in NG+??, and 'Power and Responsibility' was earned after beating the game in Ultimate difficulty. And yes, you could acquire the latter trophy in NG+.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 launches on PlayStation 5 on October 20.

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It’s almost time to swing back to the streets of New York City in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. But, before we do, developer Insomniac Games is encouraging player??s to download the day one patch.

In an image post made via Twitter, the developer confirms the entire game is present on the disc for physical players, and is fully playable without the need of a patch. But, “for the best experience, we highly encourage physical/disc-based players to download update Version 1.001.002 on launch day �prior to experiencing the opening mission of the game for the first time.�/p>

The studio went on to explain the day one patch �which serves to add “polish to the ?gold master version�of the game’s physical edition �will be auto-loaded for an?y digital players who pre-load the game. In addition to polish, the day one patch “improves the opening sections of the game�and adds accessibility options, according to Insomniac.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is set to continue where its predecessors left off, allowing players to explore an expanded NYC as they fight both new and existing villains such as Venom, Kraven the Hunter, and Lizard. It looks pretty good, judging by our own review from Chris Carter where it received a 9. It is set for release on Octob?er 20 exclusively for the PlayStation 5.

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Insomniac Games has been on my radar for a long, long time. From their mascot platformer days, you could consider me a fan, and when they started to shift into more serious narratives with Resistance, I was along for the ride. But it wasn't until Marvel's Spider-Man in 2018 that I perked up and realized what they could do. With the standalone Miles Morales game and now the full Spider-Man sequel, they're really proving that they're?? one of the biggest forces in game development right now.

Y?ep! Even though there are a few lingering series issues present here, they didn?'t screw up the follow-up.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (PS5)
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony
Released: October 20, 2023
MSRP: $59.99

Even the recap has heart in Spider-Man 2. It's been a while since?? I've been in this world, but I was immediately caught up with the Spider-Man duo of Peter Parker and Miles Morales and felt like I never missed a beat. This is the storyline I was really waiting for: the OG Peter operating as a mentor for Miles. Seeing Peter thri??ve and struggle as a teacher adds a little spice to the story, and separates it from the abundant "Peter in High School or is already a fully-fledged adult" storylines from popular media.

Look, I'm still not thrilled that th??e original Peter Parker w?as essentially erased from the series. But at this point, Yuri Lowenthal has made the role his own, and absolutely smashed it in the sequel. As you can imagine with the symbiote being front and center this is a fairly demanding role that requires a lot of emotion, and Lowenthal nailed it (even if I was secretly hoping for an "I'll chase you to the ends of the earth" cheeseball moment). In fact, his performance draws upon some of the best parts of Christopher Daniel Barnes' work in the FOX Kids show, especially when the mask is on. Speaking of great voicework, Nadji Jeter is arguably the best Miles Morales actor right now, and he has fantastic c?hemistry with Lowenthal from the jump?.

As you may have heard, one of Spider-Man 2's big gimmicks is allowing you to swap between Peter and Miles throughout the game. So does Insomniac pull it off? Well, mostly. A??s you can imagine, adapting the whole "Peter gets the Venom symbiote" storyline (which is heavily featured in the game's marketing) is still going to shift a lot of focus on Peter, while Miles starts to take a backseat at the midpoint of the story.

It's a fine balance, right? Because in the end, Spider-Man 2 doesn't feel bloated. It's kind of amazing how Insomniac pu??lled it off, because the temptation to just shove stuff into a "bigger better?" sequel until you can't is strong. Story points are allowed to run their course without going on too long, and things are mostly wrapped up by the end. While I would have liked a little more of a Miles focus overall, he does play a huge part in the narrative and the denouement.

With the added web wings gliding mechanic, locomotion is even smoother than past entries. Given that the sandbox of New York has been expanded a bit it's just as well, but I forgot just how fun it is to zoom around in these games and do absolutely nothing. Very rarely am I enamored enough with an open world to drift around aimlessly for extended periods of time, but I found myself caught in that loop all over again. I mean, 2004's Spider-Man 2 was really on to something with the whole "hey, swinging around on webs is fun if done right" mentality, so I'm glad ?Insomniac picked that legacy back up off the gr??ound.

Without spoiling anything, Kraven (one of the big bads of this entry) and Venom slot nicely into the sequel, and don't overpower each other. The best part of Kraven is his goons: his army of hunters adds an air of urgency to regular old street fights, and gels nicely with the idea of them actually having the ability to hunt super-beings. Kraven isn't as interesting as he could have been, but he is formidable, and the angle of wanting to hunt every supe??r-powered person (hero or villain), is interesting enough to carry a chunk of the story.

Combat is a little more fine-tuned in th??e sequel too. The parry mechanic kept me on my toes, even on the game's normal difficulty. In short, some attacks have a yellow flash, telegraphing that they need to be leaped over or parried (using the block button right before they hit). This all ties back into the idea that the hunters can actually wreck you, and it makes?? perfect sense as you eventually work your way through each combat tutorial/concept.

There is a familiar annoyance factor here though (which has always bled through the series) that can feel off in Spider-Man 2. That not only applies to some over-tutorialization during some intense fights (taking a bit of the edge off), but minigames. Yes, minigames return, and although the vast majority of them are optional sidequests, you'll need to slowly acclimate to? them throug?h the forced tutorials before you can be left to your own devices.

Of course, just like the old games, once you're through that hump, it all smoothes over. Given that sidequests and extra objectives are plainly communicated on the map, it's easy to zip around and come across stuff you either want to skip or finish in short order. The suit system is also vastly improved, with regular unlocks that are doled out to both Peter and Miles, and the ability to customize your build without being tied to a specific suit. Speaking of builds, there's a Peter skill tree,? a Miles skill tree, and a tree for both. All three of them aren't overwhelmingly large, which is a good thing in my mind. Again, there was likely a temptation to go bigger with everything here, and I admire the restraint.

If you've played either of the prior Insomniac Spider-Man games before, you're probably familiar with the deluge of boss fights, often featuring iconic villains from Peter's rogues gallery. Well, they're back! There were a few moments in Spider-Man 2 where I thought to myself "how were they allowed to make this?," and I mea??n that as a compliment! Some boss fights are over-the-top arcadey, with silly transitions and hid??den mechanics (like objects you can pull down to score a chunk of damage), just like an old-school beat 'em up.

That type of "old meets new" blueprint is why I think this particular series of games has been so successful. It can be jarring at times, but these games are?? unpredictable and silly, just like the Spider-Man franchise at large. Insomniac never takes itself too seriously, even with the heavier themes of loss and anxiety that echo throughout this sequel, as a result of the events of prior games. One minute you ?could be fighting one of the goofiest villains in comic history, and the next, you're watching someone reckon with the loss of a close family member. It's a rollercoaster of a game.

It's abundantly clear that this series isn't over yet, and I hope that Insomniac never really stops working on superhero games. There's so much of the Spider-Man mythos that's untapped so far, and you could keep this gravy train running with some crazier ideas once this presumed tri?logy is over. As long as Insomniac is on board, I'll be along for the ride.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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With the imminent release of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Sony ?has released the launch trailer, and it highlights the rise of a darker Peter. 

The trailer showcases a number of huge sequences that are coming in the game, but be warned that it could also be considered pretty significant story spoilers for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. 

Peter & Miles team up against classic foes in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 launch trailer

In the trailer, Miles goes to Peter to ask for help. The trailer implies that Miles is in over his head fighting the Sandman. Fans of the original game may remember Sandman was teased via a b??ackpack collectible that contained a vial of sand that Peter wasn’t sure if it actually contained Sandman or just some inert san??d.

But the highlight of the trailer is the showcase of Venom and the symbiote-infected Peter, including a Peter in darker clothes and a rude demeanor towards MJ that hearkens back to Spider-Man 3. 

The trailer also reveals Norman calling for Oscorp enforcers to “get the symbiote off of him!,�though the camera does not reveal who the him is. While it has been confirmed it won’t be Eddie Brock, and the first game teased it would be Harry Osborn, the actual identity of the game’s Venom has been ke??pt a closely guarded secret. 

The trailer does showcase more of the black suit, including a knock-down fight between Spider-Man and Lizard. There's also a tense battle between Miles and Mr. Negative, which would mark the first time Miles has been one-on-one with the man responsible for his father’s death. 

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 releases October 20 for the PlayStation 5. You’ve still got plenty of time to pre-order that digital deluxe edition and get all those sweet costumes. 

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Insomniac Games has announced several new accessibility options for Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Most of the support expands on systems found in previous Spider-Man games and other Insomniac titles like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart.

The announcement came via the PlayStation Blog with Insomniac developers over accessibility design and UX, explaining e?xpanded functionality and those uses.

Alongside the difficulty settings in prior games, Spider-Man 2 also features what Insomniac calls Challenge Level Modifiers. These allow for aspects such as enemies' health, da??mage, and awareness to receive some finer ?tweaking.

Features like Chase Assist alter chases to give players an advantage, such as slowing down the target's top speed. Repeated button presses from QTEs can also be changed to button taps or holds. There's even room to adjust Spider-Man 2's gamepl?ay speeds??, with options to play at 70, 50, or 30 percent of the original, real-time rates.

Audio settings are adjustable, too, with high or low??-frequency sounds having a toggle. There's even a filter for notch frequency to remove certain frequency ranges.

Other features will make it into the game after launch. One of these is audio descriptions featuring a voice-over narrating cutscenes and QTEs. The other is a screen reader featuring audio descriptions for elements like tutorials or menus. Those two are especially helpful for blind players but are not coming on launch. Instead, they are a part of an update coming in? December 2023.

Increased accessibility in games is always a great thing to hear. It helps expand a game's potential audience who otherwise might have trouble with certain elements. Hopefully, Insomniac's accessibility support works as intended to make playing Marvel's Spider-Man 2 as comfortable as possibl?e when it rele?ases October 20 for PS5.

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Better get ready to wear those Spidey suits again because Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has gone gold. Insomniac Games announced the news on their Twitter pag?e Wednesday, and th?e studio also published a video with the cast psyched about the game going gold. At this point, it's unlikely that the game will g??et delayed.

"It has happened, the time is no?w," said Miles Morales' actor Nadji Jeter in the video. "Not bronze, not silver, but gold." He then proceeded to?? shout the announcement to the world.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 goin?g gold means that the game is now getting pressed into discs. There will likely be a day one patch,? but the 1.0 version of the game is now getting made and shipped to warehouses and stores around the world.

"I just want to say that I love you and I'm so stoked for this game and I hope you guys enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it," said Laura Bailey, who plays Mary Jane Watson in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will be ??released exclusively for the PS5 on October 20, just ??one month away. There is no word on a PC version yet.

Insomniac Games seems to be the most productive studio under PlayStation for this generation. It has released Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Marvel's Spider-Man: Remastered, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and very soon, Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Additionally, Marvel's Wolverine is in the works at Insomniac Games.

To help fans get ready for the game, there's a prequel comic that leads into the events of Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

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