During New York Comic-Con 2024, Sony and Insomniac Games announced that they are porting Marvel's Spider-Man 2 to PC on Janua??ry 30, 2025. However another piece of information 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 all 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 following 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 w??aitin?g, 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 maybe wo??rking on a DLC campa??ign, 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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When Iron Man came out back in '08, you could see greatn??ess??, but few could have predicted that it would spawn the longest and most successful series of movies ever made.

Whether or not you like the spot the Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently in,?? it's hard to?? deny that Marvel's film output was so consistently awesome for so long that it might never be beaten by any other big studio.

Let's look at the best movies in the MCU.

15. Iron Man 3

Despite being one of its highest-grossing films, Iron Man 3 is one of the most divisive movies in the history of the MCU. The movie falters for a lack of scenes where Iron Man is in action but makes up for it with a lot of Tony Stark-focused drama, action and some of the best comedy in the series. This is less Iron Man 3 and ?more Tony Stark: The Movie, and that's great, considering who's ??playing the character.

Don't sleep on this one if you want to see a big blockbuster that's not afraid of taking all sorts of wacky narrative risks.

14. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

GOTG Vol.3 strikes a good balance between the first film's more Star Wars-type action and the seco?nd one's more personal elements. Though it's substantia??l, it never reaches the highest highs of the two previous films in the trilogy. It feels more like a greatest hits compilation, which can make sense thematically but m?ight leave you wantin??g more. The change in focus from Starlord as the main character to Rocket is jarring, and even more so when Rocket is out of the movie for a long time.

James Gunn used to talk about how one of the keys to the series' success was tunes that you wouldn't expect to see in the film. This man says no to predictable hits and begins Vol. 3 with Creep by? Radiohead, the most overplayed song in the history of movies and movie trailers. It'??s still a bop, but come on.

13. The Avengers

If Iron Man walked, then The Avengers flew. While the direction of some action sequences felt a bit uninspired, and we spent way too long with Hawkeye and Black Widow, this was easily the best superhero ensemble movie since X-Men 2 and paved the way for even greater things.

Avengers solidified the notion introduced by Iron Man that comedy is the glue that holds these films together and sets the standard for the MCU's ensemble movies from then on. Avengers also proved that The Hulk des??erves his own m??ovie, but we're still waiting on that.

12. Spider-Man: Far From Home

This movie has one of the most difficult jobs in the history of the MCU, that of passing the torch from Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark to someone else. On top of that, Far From Home continues the MCU's tradition of making things hard for Spider-Man by not having tall buildings for him to swing on, but the movie never fails to create fun and wildly original action sequences. In fact, Far From Home is one of the most inventive?? films in the history of the MCU, courtesy of how well the team's work came together to bring?? Jake Gyllenhaal's excellent Mysterio to life.

The only thing preventing Far From Home from becoming one of the MCU's top 5 is how it continues to avoid more dramatic personal moments that the first two non-MCU Spider-Man films nailed so well. This? one definitely isn't far from a home run.

11. Captain America: Civil War

Everybody wanted to see Cap and Iron Man duking it out for a very long time, and boy, did everyone get exactly what they wanted. Civil War picks up on some of the spy thriller threads left from Winter Soldier and works both as a Captain America movie and an Avengers movie.

This is also where the MCU introduced Black Panther and Spider-Man, two characters people were either very excited or very worried about. Civil War successfully planted the seed of greatness that we'd later see in other movies, delivering one of the most personal, emotive,? and subdued third acts in the history? of the MCU.

10. Iron Man

If you were there in '08 when Iron Man debuted, you were there to witness the birth of the true golden age of comic book movies. Did you know that most of the original Iron Man was shot without an actual script? Yes, all of the ??great comedy, chemistry, and never-before-seen action sequences of a man in a jet-powered suit are almost a literal miracle.

Iron Man not only succeeded, but it also provided the blueprint for the MCU's success. R??ewatch it today, and you'll likely have just as much time a?s you did the first time.

9. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 is a peculiar sequel because it tones down the scope of the first one a bit instead of?? going all out on an e??ven more explosive adventure. The result, however, is great. The shift was made to introduce the character of Star-Lord's father and to give more space to see the crazy dynamics between this cast of characters evolve.

The result is a surprisingly emotional adventure that features some of the most beautiful vi?suals and somehow still features some of the funniest moments in the series.

8. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

On top of being a stellar superhero flick, Winter Soldier doubles as a genuinely tense and gripping spy thriller with some of the best fight scenes in the series. Though its bigger set pieces feature a lot of CGI, every scene where Cap and the titular Winter Soldier have at it displays some of the best and most gripping choreographed action ever put to fil??m.

Winter Soldier is also a historically important movie for the MCU, considering how it showed Marvel the prowess of the Russo Brothers as directors. Their work on this sand Civil War ultimately led to them helming the franchise's two biggest flicks, Infinity War and Endgame.

7. Black Panther

Black Panther deserves all the ??love it gets. The late Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa proved that Marvel has room for superheroes who ar??e serious and even shy at times.

If Winter Soldier doubles as a great American Spy thriller, Black Panther finds some time to double as a 007 movie, complete with Eric Killmonger, one of the best and scariest villains in the his??tory of the series. While the movie has been criticized for rushed and lackluster CGI, the fight scenes are good.

6. Thor: Ragnarok

I don't know how Disney concluded that making another Thor movie afte?r two incredibly subpar entries was a good idea, but we all came out as winners after it took th??is huge risk.

When it comes to straight-up fun, Ragnarok is hard to beat. Thor Rag?narok completely ditches the overly serious Thor of the two previous entries and completely reinvents the character to fit the MCU mold. Another great choice made by Ragnarok was bringing The Hulk into the fold, another character that this movie also successfully turned int??o a great source of laughter. Ragnarok isn't just a great Thor movie; it's a great buddy super hero movie that makes me wonder which two unlikely superheroes should team up next.

5. Avengers: Endgame

If you're into CGI mayhem, Endgame is probably the best movie ever made. Even if you're already a tad fatigued by the amount of CGI these movies tend to fill the screen with at all times, Endgame is still one hell of a fun time. The idea of mixing a sci-fi war epic and the Ocean's Eleven series might sound very odd at first, but Endgame more than pulled it off.

Though it might strike some as bloated at some points, Endgame lands a surprisingly complex plot, featu??res many emotionally resonant moments, some great action scenes, and is a damn great send-off for the MCU's (first?) golden age.

4. Spider-Man: Homecoming

After the awful Amazing Spider-Man 2, pretty much anything Spider-Man-related would've worked for me, but this one w??as special. Jon Watts' directing isn't the most artistic or thrilling I've ever seen, but the characters and their dynamics are exceptionally well-written and fun. Michael Keaton as the Vulture is one of the most interesting and sympathetic villains in the series, and Tom Holland shines as both Spider-Man and Peter Parker.

Homecoming features some surprisingly original and funny action sequences, but I wouldn't call it a blast. I'd call it more of a really comfy, fun and surprising adventure that Spider-Man fans certainly deserved to witness.

3. Guardians Of The Galaxy

Let me be very clear: I don't think anyone outside of the production of this movie believed in this project. I'm pretty sure most people didn't even know that the Guardians Of The Galaxy even existed. Still, or perhaps due to that, James Gunn got the chance to experiment with the Super Hero formula. The result is the rare Super Hero film that got the chance to introduce the greater public to an effectively fre?sh ba?tch of heroes.

Though the action is stellar, the greatest strength of this movie relies on the Guardians themselves and the shenanigans they go through to find the strength needed to make their wacky group work together to save the galaxy. Guardians is the most surprising MCU movie and arguably the best Star Wars film to come out in a long while.

2. Spider-Man: No Way Home

If seeing a third entry in a trilogy that outdoes the two films that came before it is a rare event, then seeing a third entry that does that and even serves as a ??trilogy ender for three different trilogies is a unique one.

No Way Home is a dream come true as it plays less like a regular Spider-Man film and more like a top-notch Avengers movie where all Avengers are Spider-Men, and all villains are Spider-Man foes. No Way Home breathes new life into what we already loved from the best Spider-Man films and also rehabilitates what we didn't like about the bad ones - and it does all that without it ever feeling just like fan service. There's a real heart? beating inside t??his one, as there should always be when it comes to Spider-Man.

1. Avengers: Infinity War

It was a tough decision, but when it comes to a full package of action, thrills, comedy and even shock, Infinity War is probab?ly the most balanced movie in the series - as it should be.

Though the movie deals with never-before-seen stakes, it does so at an incredible pace, and manages to do exposure ??while it does action and without ever feeling rushed. It features the biggest ensemble cast ever seen in the series, and very few characters feel underused.

It's also one of the most courageous entries in the franchise, as it takes the incredibly bold approach of featuring its villain as the main character. Interestingly, Infinity War ended up so good that its gravitas ended up dwarfing Endgame - the movie it was meant to set up.

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You know him, you love him, and even if you think you don’t �you do. Prolific doesn’t even begin to desc??ribe Yuri Lowenthal’s voice acting career, as the actor has over 800 credit??s to his name across movies, TV shows, and video games.

When Lowenthal is not voicing major superheroes and lovable main characters, he’s tackling all sorts of background characters in smaller franchises you may have heard of, like Mortal Kombat, Fallout, Mass Effect, and Final Fantasy. Most recently, he even confirmed his involvement in Helldivers 2, a performance, "heav?ily inspired by Starship Troopers."

I could write a novel-length piece about Lowenthal’s ridiculous career, but this little overview into just a smattering of his best roles? will have to d?o.

Ice-Man/Bobby Drake (X-Men)

It’s hard to really make an impact in the X-Men franchise. There are so many characters with so much history that most fans already have their favorites picked out. Despite that, Lowenthal definitely managed to move the needle when he portrayed Bobby Drake, and he made Ice-Man into a top-tier character for a generation of X-Man fans, myself included.

He voiced Ice-Man in Wolverine and the X-Men back in 2008 and again in 2014’s Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers. The Wolverine seri?es is the only one that’s really worth watching, but Lowenthal is a joy in both shows.

Tobias Nebbins (Catherine)

This is the first character I think of when I think of Yuri Lowenthal, but admittedly I’m a bit of an oddball. Toby was a supporting character in Atlus' 2011 Catherine, and his cringe-worthy, but somehow charming, obsession with finding love has stuck with me ever since. Toby is a great e??xample of how Lowenthal evokes pathos, even in his comic relief performances.

More importantly, he’s emblematic of all the other work Lowenthal has done with Atlus, including multiple Shin Megami Tensei and Persona projects. In Persona 4 (and P4: Golden), Lowenthal plays Yosuke Hanamura, a core member of the investigation team. He played the lead character Makoto Yuki in Persona 3: Dancing in the Moonlight, and he recently had a small role as Eiichiro Takeba, the scientist who created Aigis, in Persona 3 Reload.

Ben Tennyson (Ben 10: Alien Force)

If you were a Cartoon Network kid like me, then you know exactly who Ben Tennyson is. In Ben 10: Alien Force, the conveniently named kid got access to an alien armband that allowed him to transform into different creatures. Naturally, he needed to take on a new alien form every week to deal with another extraterrestrial and existential threat to the planet. Lowenthal? voiced the character through multiple shows and video game tie-ins, and his performance elevated Ben from a goofy cartoon character to a bona fide sci-fi hero. 

Frodo (Lord of the Rings)

Elijah Wood is inarguably our live-action Frodo, but for over a decade, Lowenthal has been the iconic Hobbit’s video game counterpart. Lowenthal first tackled the character in 2009’s The Lord of the Rings: Conquest on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and ?�bizarrely �Nin??tendo DS.

Since then he’s played the character five more times in various video games, but it’s been a while since we’ve gotten to see him sink back into the role. His last outing as Mr. Baggins was in Lego Dimensions all the way back in 2015. Lowenthal’s take on the character is the only one that comes close to Wood’s portrayal, so hopefu??lly, we’ll see him back in the role someday.

He-Man

Even when Lowenthal is playing heroes, he seems to gravitate toward characters who rely on brains over brawn. Whether it's Peter Parker or Donatello, Lowenthal doesn't often end up being the voice behind muscle-bound warriors like He-Man. But in Netflix's Master of the Universe, Lowenthal stepped into the shoes of the mightiest hero around and nailed it. There??’s a definite throughline from Lowenthal’s previous roles to He-Man, but ??if you aren’t already a believer (and really you should be), then this show will prove to you that Lowenthal doesn’t just play one-note heroes. 

Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto)

For a long time, it was easy to say that Sasuke Uchiha was Lowenthal’s most iconic character. Now there’s a certain web slinger who’s vying for that title, but for a generation of anime fans, Sasuke is still the man. Lowenthal started voicing Sasuke when Naruto started airing in 2007, and since then he’s steppe?d into the vocal booth countless times to pick the character back up.

More than any other character, Sasuke has given Lowenthal the chance to act his way through an entire heroic journey, complete with epic failures and inspiring redemption arcs. I’m not going anywhere near the subs v dubs debate, but Lowenthal’s talent alone is a compelling reason to experience Naruto in English. 

Spider-Man/Peter Parker

Everyone knows that Lowenthal voiced Peter Parker in the PlayStation Spider-Man games, but that franchise wasn’t his first outing as the wall crawler. Lowenthal actually first voiced Spider-Man in two different 2008 video games: ZEN Pinball and Spider-Man: Web of Shadows.

Since then, he's voiced the character more than a dozen times in v??arious animated shows and video games. In my opinion, Lowenthal is one of the best Peter Parkers that we’ve ever gotten. He’s got the comedic timing that makes the webhead so entertaining, but he also really understands the more tragic aspects of the character. In his performance as Peter, Lowenthal really captures the melancholy optimism that has been a part of the character’s comic book persona for decades. 

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While the Spider-Man movies might just now be dipping their ??toes into the multiverse, it's a concept that's been long established 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 being 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 e??ldritch 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 necessary connections. The biggest is that the larger multiverse has es??tablished 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 clearly no longer isolated. Sure, this w??as established in the aforementioned film, 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 la??rger Spider-Man corps.

This creates the opening for things to get truly bizarre for this universe's Peter and Miles. However, Insomniac seems to be stac??king 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 spi??ral symbol. This same symbol 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. Rej??ecting them and their offer, Knull formed the f??irst 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 t?o think it's due to the "cool factor" imparted to Venom by its creator, 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 Moon, 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 exhi?bit with Peter at the time of his infamous spider bite but was also bitten by the same spider. This led to her developing spider-based powers the same way Peter did. Unlike Peter, she was immediately thrown into the deep en??d 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 spider god, was responsible for creating the web. Neith, the Egyptian goddess who created the world daily with her loom, acted as the first Spider-Totem, and her spiders woul?d 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 Dest??iny, the Bride makes additional Spider-Totems through "chance, curses, magic, and unwant??ed luck."

The long and short of it is that this web and its Spider-Totems are the sources of spider powers and problems. Once ensnared by it, nearly every sp?ider-person is thrust into 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 a??lready laid the grou?ndwork 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 Marvel can get to touching Spider-Man content in the mo??vies without Sony getting involved.

Scarlet Witch does the bulk of the heavy l?ifting when it comes to otherworldly things 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 Scarl??et Witch. In the comics, Agatha acts as a mentor for several characters, including Franklin Richards and Wanda. In the show, Agatha intends 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 Chthon. A member of the Darkholders cult, Barry Gleason, believed that Carnage was the?? key to a ritual that would ??resurrect Chthon.

"When the Red Slayer spills blood on sacred stone,?? he who sleeps shall wake and what walked once will walk again."

Carnage Volume 2 #4

Ultimately, the sacrifice didn't pan out, and Carnage was instead infu??sed 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-S?othoth, and Shuma-Gorath, are more akin to the tentacled horrors usually associated with the Cthulhu Mythos. The distinctions are a little mud??dled, 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 write?r 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 of good versus evil.

TL;DR: Spider-Man might get weird

Marvel, Sony, and Insomniac ha?ve 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 horror could be the shot in the arm we need.

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I like being bad. It makes me happy.

This year's San Diego Comic-Con may be scaled down from years past with the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, but that doesn't mean there won't be any news out of the show. With television shows and movies taking a backseat this year, that means the spotlight can finally return to the one thing that lives at the heart of SDCC. I am of course talking about Marvel's Spider-Man 2. The upcoming action-adventure game is just a couple of months away, and?? today at SDCC, we got a brand new story trailer that gives us ?a good look at perennial favorite Venom.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgqGdIoa52s

This wasn't the only big Spidey announcement today. Sony also revealed it's releasing a Marvel's Spider-Man 2-th??emed PlayStation 5 console bundle, complete with a custom controller a??nd custom console covers. The bundle will also include a voucher for the digital version of the game even though this limited edition PS5 is fully capable of playing discs.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM9ICVdZLuQ

A far younger version of me wo??uld be pretty stoked to put something like this up in my apartment. Current me ?would rather all of his furniture match.

If already own a PS5 and would like to upgrade to the Spider-Man console covers, Sony will be selling them separately for both the standard PS5 and the Digital Edition. The same goes for the Spider-Man 2 DualSense controller. Pre-orders begin July 28 on the PlayStation website and at select retailers. The console bundle, covers, and DualSense controller will release on September 1. If you do order the full bundle, ??know that it comes with a couple of in-game perks, including early access to two suits and an early unlock of the Web Grabber gadget.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 releases exclusively for PlayStation 5 on October 20, 2023.

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That's right, I'm doing listicles on weekends now

Easily one of the most-anticipated games of 2023 is Marvel's Spider-Man 2. As the follow-up to the highly successful Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the PlayStation 5 exclusive Spider-Man 2 will introduce Venom to the series and there is still some speculation the game will include some form of co-op, even though Insomniac Games has denied this. Whichever way it? goes, you can be sure that the game will be at the top of many Game of the Year lists come next December.

As I shiver in anticipation for that game, I'm often tempted to boot up some of the older Spider-Man games I have scattered around the various game devices I've collected over the years. Peter Parker has shown up in a wide array of games, starting back in the 1980s with Spider-Man for the Atari 2600. He's just the ideal comic book hero to recreate in video games, and over the decades, Parker's found hims??elf in some of the best games? ever.

With that in mind, we're going to look back at the five best Spider-Man games. To keep things simple, we're going to limit this to games that are centered on Spider-Man. So no Marvel vs. Capcom or LEGO Marvel Super Heroes. With that?? in mind, you probably already know what two games are sitting at the top of this list. But try and practice a surprised face anyway.

5. Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage (1994)

So here's the thing with a lot of Spider-Man games: plenty of them are mediocre. Marvel didn't always care about putting out quality products with its top comic stars and there is no better proof than the fact two of the first licensors of the character were LJN and Acclaim. Both companies were pretty notorious for their terrible games, but shockingly, a decent game managed to find its way to store shelves in the form of Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage.

Beat'em ups were a dime a dozen in the '90s and Spider-Man starred in his fair share of stinkers on the SNES and Genesis. Maximum Carnage might be the lone exception. As an adaptation of the wildly successful "Maximum Carnage" comic book storyline, the game gave players the ability to choose between playing as Spider-Man or Venom as they attempted to stop Carnage and his minions. Maximum Carnage featured cutscenes pulled straight from the pages of the comic and a solid red cartridge if you were lucky enough to get a first-run print. Initially dismissed as yet "another" Spider-Man beat 'em up, time has been kind to Maximum Carnage and it's now considered one of the better Spider-Man games of the era, along with the arcade-exclusive Spider-Man: The Video Game.

4. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

The best thing to happen to Spider-Man in the 2010s was Activision losing the license. The best thing to happen to Spider-Man in the '90s was Activision taking the license from Acclaim and LJN. Before it devoted itself entirely to Call of Duty, Activision could be depended on for some fun Spider-Man games at the turn of the millennium. Its first outing with the webhead, 2000's Spider-Man for the PlayStation, was arguably the best Spider-Man game made to that point. However, just four years later, that game became an outdated relic of the past with the release of Spider-Man 2.

Based on the best of the Tobey Maguire-era films, Spider-Man 2 was the first game to take Peter Parker and put him in an open world. No more levels, just one big New York City to swing around as you stop petty crimes and the familiar faces of Spidey's rogue's gallery. And the swinging, oh man, the swinging. While many parts of it are dated now, it sti??ll stands as a benchmark for the industry and the game that would define the c??haracter going forward.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCMyiYeXPHQ

3. Ultimate Spider-Man (2005)

I was very tempted to put Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions in the #3 spot until I re-read Nick Chester's review of it and was reminded just how repetitive the game was (though I liked the stealth sections). With that off the list, there was only one obvious choice: Ultimate Spider-Man. Arguably the best Spider-Man game of the Activision years, Ultimate Spider-Man was released just a year after Spider-Man 2 and brought a smartly chosen cell-shaded art style to the streets of New York City. Like with Maximum Carnage, one of the big selling points for this game was the ability to play as Spidey or Venom. Unlike Maximum Carnage, both Spider-Man and Venom had their ow?n storylines and vastly different playstyles.

Like with Spider-Man 2, some of the gameplay of Ultimate Spider-Man has not aged that well, but with a well-written story and fun voice acting, it's the one Spidey game released by Activi?sion that I'd love to see remade today. I mean, just imagin?e what a cell-shaded NYC would look like on the PS5 or Xbox Series X.

2. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020)

Of course Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is in the second spot on this list. Some could argue it might be better suited for the top spot. With improved swinging mechanics, an endlessly likable protagonist, and a stunning snowy cityscape, Miles Morales was one of the best launch titles for the PlayStation 5. As a half-step between Marvel's Spider-Man and the upcoming sequel, Miles Morales fleshed out Miles' character and backstory following his introduction in the PlayStation 4 original. While his solo adventure was short and the Tinkerer wasn't exactly the most compelling of villains, Miles Morales' true strength is in the way it depicted his community of Spanish Harle??m and the peopl?e who live there. Also, Spider-Man cat backpack. Can't beat that.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8RKB7ZEN5A

1. Marvel's Spider-Man (2018)

I remember the first time I played Marvel's Spider-Man. It was at E3 just months before the game was set to release. I stood in line for nearly an hour t?o play for just 20 minutes. And at the end of that 20 minutes, I wasn't too impressed. It didn't click with me. Something about it felt off. Turns out, 20 minutes just wasn'??t enough time. I needed the whole game, all at once. When I did finally get my hands on the full game, I didn't put it down for days.

Marvel's Spider-Man is nothing less than the culmination of every Spider-Man game that came before it. That open-world vision of New York that was first explored in Spider-Man 2 came to fruition with Insomniac Games' painstakingly accurate recreation of the Big Apple, and the swinging mechanics that define the character were refined and reimagined to make Spidey more agile than he had ever been before. It may have borrowed heavily from the combat of Batman: Arkham Asylum, but who cares about a little cribbing when the gameplay is this stinking good? Not only is Marvel's Spider-Man a joy to play, but it features arguably the best storyline of any Spider-Man video game with top-notch voice acting that brings it al?l to life.

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PlayStation Steam Network

Video?? game fans who like to rock both PlayStation and PC platforms now have the option of creating some sort of Marriage Made in Hell, as SIE has announced that players are now able to link their PSN and Steam accounts together �The latest step in PlayStation Studios grand push to the PC platform.

Once said action has been performed, then this will open the door for the possibility of joint actions of PlayStation Studios' upcoming gamut of PC releases. For example, players with linked accounts will receive additional skill points and two "early unlock bonuses" in Insomniac Games' Marvel's Spider-Man, namely the "Resilient Suit" and the "Concussive Blast" weapon. Future titles ported to the PC platform could se?e similar bonuses, or cross-progression, or any manner of additional features.

Those wishing to link their PSN and Steam accounts should head on over to the sign-up page on the official PlayStation website, and you'll be good to go in just a few clicks. While this may eventually prove to be a fairly unrewarding endeavor, It is understandable that Sony would be looking to bring the Steam audience further into its own community, given the studio's ongoing desire to release a slew of major PlayStation titles onto the PC platform, including titles from the Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, and Uncharted franchises.

//twitter??.com/NixxesSoftware/status/1578042898418999296?s=20&t=OMysbXNM1kM4g77O41cQTg

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Does he have an anti-nausea superpower too?

In theory, getting a first-person view as Spider-Man swinging around New York sounds like the coolest thing ever, because who doesn't want to be Spidey? In practice, though, it's a bit of a nightmare �I can't even look at the screen for more than a few seconds without being overcome with nausea. But if you can stomach the herky-jerky camera, and if you're just dying to play Spider-Man in first-person, this new mod has you covered.

Spider-Man's release for PC means that modding the game just got a whole lot easier, hence why the aptly named "Spider-Man PC First Person Mod Web Swinging" mod by well-known GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 modder Jedijosh920?? has gained some attention online. They also? released a slightly less stomach-churning video where the camera stays fixed in place as Spidey spins and flips around, so that's at least a little bit better.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mylHkF4ExBE

Mind you, I used to be a roller coaster junkie, but unfortunately as I've gotten older, my motion sickness has only gotten worse and worse. When I came across the video showcasing the mod on Twitter, I had to scroll away pretty fast at risk of ending up like Liza Minnelli in Arrested Development.

Even so, I have to admit that this is something I'd like to experience, motion s?ickness permitting �although it's pretty sad to be hit in the face with the reality that I wouldn't be able to handle life? as a web-slinging superhero simply because I get sick by moving around too much. Oh well, I was never made for the crime-fighting life anyway.

Either way, it's alwa??ys fun to see modders put a new spin on some of our favorite games, and to the brave souls out there who are somehow playing this in?? VR, I commend you. Your stomach is much stronger than mine.

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The poses are picture-perfect

I expected to be buried under an avalanche of silly mods for the PC release of Spider-Man, but this Spider-Man Kermit mod is something else.

Locate??d here on Nexus Mods from its creator TangoTeds, it's basically a reskin of Peter Parker, utilizing the "Advanced Suit" (with the battle focus ability, which regenerates focus as its active) as a piggyback for the skin. TangoTeds even jokes in the mod descript??ion: "That's it. You can go now. There's surely other mods you'd want instead, right?"

Nope! I think I'm in the right place �and with 12,000 views in just over a day, I think a bunch of other folks are too. That includes the below Twitter video from Devil ?Artemis Animation, who shows off the mod in action. The way Kermit's ragdoll felt physics interact with the game feels natural, like it was a legit April Fool's skin added by Sony.

As I've said many times in the past, skin unlocks (especially official ones that go above and beyond with new animations and sound effects)?? are my jam. It was one of my favorite aspects of playing action games back in the day before DLC took over, to be able to naturally unloc??k something as a result of clearing a specific difficulty. PC modding has always made things easier on that front, and with the proliferation of social media and visibility, that aspect of gaming is still alive, at least, on a wider scale.

Spider-Man Kermit mod footage:

//twitter.com/DevilArtemisX/status?/1563905620390166528

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Anybody call for a web-slinger?

Insomniac Games has released the first major patch for the PC port of Marvel's Spider-Man. The patch, which is available to download right now, includes fixes for several issues pertaining to the port's use of ray-tracing technology alongside general improvements to Spidey Stab??ility.

The clunkily titled Version 1.817.1.0 has been pushed out as a small fix to stick a band-aid over some of the port's most egregious issues. Insomniac has noted that it is already working on a much larger update, which will contain a litany of bug stomps as well as directly address issues ?brought to the developer's att?ention via player feedback. A release date for this secondary patch was not announced.

Today's update fixes crashes and visual distortions directly related to the use of ray-tracing, while also eliminating random issues that would crop under specific circumstances �such as when playing on widescreen monitors or when Alt-Tabbing out of the game. In addition, Insomniac assured fans it is aware of less common issues �such as a baffling bug that is stopping s??ome players from photographing The Empire State Building �and is continuing to investigate solutions.

You can check out the patch notes for Version 1.817.1.0 right here.

Marvel's Spider-Man is available now on PlayStation ??and PC platforms.

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Find some way to play it

Spider-Man PC is bringing the modern Insomniac classic to a wider market, just like God of War? and several others did before it. The spic??e must flow, and so must ports.

What can be said about Spider-Man that hasn't already been sai??d? Well, not much! But t??his port is new.

Despite the déjà vu, I found myself getting lost in playing Spider-Man all over again �even though the purpose of this exercise was to mainly test performance. The intro says everything it needs to say about Peter Parker, then he quickly becomes Spider-Man, and we're on our way with some organic tutorials on how to web-sling and get around. Even slipping into the Arkham Asylum/Assassin's Creed 2 combat was like riding a bike: it felt like second nature to web up a goon ne?ar a wall so that you could incapacitate them instantly. I quickly recalled the energetic animations for when Spider-Man dodges between someone's legs.

A lot of us have been recommending this game for almost four years now (we're close to the day), and with the slick visual upgrade, it's even easier to vouch for (and it pairs well with The Spectacular Spider-Man, which just hit Netflix).

As far as the port side of the equation goes, here are the bigger features of Spider-Man PC:

• A new graphical suite with the option for an unlocked framerate
• Ray-tracing and shadow support
• Ultra-wide monitor support
• Haptic feedback for DualSense users and full mouse and keyboard support

[gallery link="file" ids="338761,338762??,338763,338764,338765,338766,338??767,338778"]

The existing prior-console-update options (like accessibility) made it into the PC version, as did several PC-only toggles, which take the "performance" mode slider in a decidedly more nuanced direction. Ultra-wide monitor support is a quick toggle, amid vsync, framerate, HDR, and DLSS/DLAA settings (much like God of War). There are toggles for shadow quality, level of detail (as well as hair? quality), depth of field, field of view, motion blur strength, and more. You can view all of those intricacies in the gallery above.

Sony says these extra features will also be available at launch:

• Reflections (On / Off)
• Ray-traced reflections (High / Very High)
• Object Range (Slider)
• Geometry Detail (High / Very High)

Mods of course will be a consideration (as is the game's Steam Deck verification), and hopefully that scene will blow up to the point where we'll be writing about it next week. One meta sorta-negative is that you're spending $60 on just Spider-Man Remastered (the first game) without Miles' story. A Sony listing confirmed a "fall 2022" PC dat??e for him, but for now, it's just the first game �four whole years removed from the original release date on consoles. For those of you who already enjoyed it, you may not need to double dip. If you're looking at picking it up and own a PS4 or PS5, it would b?e frugal to just get the combined pack online.

Either way, the c?hoice is yours. As long as?? everyone gets the chance to experience this series, it's a win.

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Coming August 12

Sony has provided new details for the Spider-Man PC port via a PC edition trailer, including confir?mation of an unlocked framerate, among other?? goodies.

Set to arrive on August 12, it'll feature a new graphical setting suite, including the aforementioned unlocked framerate, on top of ray-tracing for reflections and shadows, and ultra-wide monitor support. Here's the description straight from Son?y:

"Enjoy a variety of graphics quality options to tailor to a wide range of devices, unlocked framerates, and sup?port for other technologies including performance boosting NVIDIA DLSS and image quality enhanci??ng NVIDIA DLAA."

Beyond that there's haptic feed??back and DualSense controller support for wired USB users, as wel??l as "full mouse and keyboard support" with customizable controls. You can get a look at all that in the trailer, embedded below.

Oh, and if you're going this route, here are the pre-order bonuses for the Spider-Man PC port:

• Iron Spider Suit
• Velocity Suit
• Spider-Punk Suit
• "Early access" to the Spider-Drone Gadget
• 5 skill points that you can use at the start of the game

Of course, mods are part of the package too! Thankfully you'll have options, as it'll be available on both Steam and Epic Games. Note, however, that all these upgrades come with a $60 price tag. The current market rate for a new? copy of the game (Game of the Year Edition) on PS4 is around $30 physical, $20 digital.

Spider-Man PC port features trailer:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E051WtpyWg

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Retrospect in a pandemic

The following contains major spoilers for the main story of Insomniac's Spider-Man (2018). You have been warned.

I recently jumped back into my old Spider-Man save file fro??m 2019. I was in college when I started it, and I don't quite remember why I didn't finish the game, but I left it at about 75% complete. Jumping back into the middle of it was a bit jarring at first because I had lost some of the story beats over time, but a quick read through the Wikipedia page and I was good to go.

A friend and I have been doing a watch-through of all the Spider-Man movies in preparation for the release of No Way Home, so that's really got me in the mood recently. Even though superheroes aren't usually my thing, Spidey ??is by far my favorite �he's just a normal high school kid who's trying to cope with this tremendous responsibility, which always delivers on some interesting emotional conflicts. I know some people think he's been overdone with the half-dozen franchises we have focused on the character (and that's just the movies and games), but I think it's cool to see so many different interpretations of Peter and Miles. It's like our? own modern mythology.

One thing I wasn't expecting when I jumped back into Spider-Man would be just how different it feels to play in 2021. Part of that is just because I've improved a ton mechanically as a player, so I could enjoy the combat and swinging a lot more by getting combos and building out my suit to my preferred specifications. I wasn't very gameplay-focused back when I tried it the first time, and I can see now that it actually limited my enjoymen??t of the overall experience.

The biggest difference between playing it now versus then, though, is the game's main story. The whole narrative hinges on the release of a mutant bioweapon that, as you recall, manifests as an airborne respiratory infection. I remember back when I was playing it for the first time, this plot point felt serviceable but a bit cliched to ?me. Now I can't help but gawk at how uncanny it feels.

As I progressed into the final hours, I felt myself cringing internally as I started to hear coughing absolutely everywhere �from J. Jonah Jameson on the radio, from groups of sickly civilians huddled together on the streets, and even from some of my enemies. Shots of Aunt May in her hospital bed covered in sweat and breathing through an oxygen tube?? were almost too much to bear. "Antiserum" tents that were set up around the city after the antidote was acquired looked eerily similar to the tent where?? I got my booster shot just last week.

I had no idea Aunt May was killed off in t??his game. I actually ended up really enjoying how her character was written this time around, and I found myself tearing up a little bit during her final scene where she revealed to Peter that she knew he was Spider-Man.

"Take off your mask. I want to see my nephew."

Oh my god,?? have some mercy on my sad, sen??timental heart, May.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3hAt1uWo8M

So yeah, it hurt to see her go because I liked her character a lot, but man, having her die of a fictional, manufactured disease with a name like Devil's Breath, the effects of which look and sound so similar to how Covid patients are affected in real life �that was hard to wrap my head around. Suddenly an already-tragic death scene has the weight of over five million deaths behind it... and that's heavy. Anyone who has had a loved one struggling with Covid understands Peter's dilemma in this scene with a new,?? raw context.

It's even more upsetting to think that New York suffered as America's worst hot spot right at the start of the outbreak, something the game predicted all too well. Something out of science ficti??on became all too real, and it's uncanny that Insomniac released this only a few years before it all w??ent down.

Besides how much these parallels to real life shocked me, I had such a great time with the last quarter of this game. I challenged myself in ways I never did the first time I played it, and it was cool to tangibly see how much I've improved as a gamer. Finishing up Spider-Man's main story got me reflecting a lot on both my past and? my present, which is what good art is supposed to do. Now I've just gotta finish up all thos??e side missions.

Story Beat is a weekly column discussing anything and everything to do with storytelling in video games.

The post Insomniac’s Spider-Man hits different in 2021 appeared first on Destructoid.

They're live on December 10

We're years removed from the original Spider-Man PS4 release, and now Insomniac is still keeping t?he party going with free?? Spider-Man DLC suits.

As folks speculate about all sorts of spoilery things regarding Spider-Man: No Way Home, Insomniac is celebrating the new Marvel/Sony joint film with some DLC. Once December 10 hits, you'll be able to grab two new s?uits "inspired by" the mo??vie for free, as part of the classic "free Spider-Man DLC suits" system they've bee?n doing since the 2018 launch.

There's a catch, though. These suits are only available for the Miles Morales Ultimate Edition. This whole affair is still a sore spot, as Sony has not offered the option to separately purchase the remastered version of the 2018 game. Ultimately it's just a couple of free Spider-M?an DLC suits, but the promo reminds us all the same of the stringent delivery system of these two games on PS5. Plus, there's the whole thing of Sony/Insomniac/the powers that be trying to erase the fact that the PS4 version exists, because? of the old character designs.

If you find yourself in the position of wanting to upgrade; you can do it from ultimate edition in-game from the main menu of Miles Morales, if the store isn't working (Sony upgrades and licenses: I'm not even sure Sony knows how they work!). Maybe once all of the money is wrung out they'll release Spider-Man 2018 remastered as a piece?meal purchase. Until then, you're stuck with the ultimate edition bundle.

??//twitter.com/insomniacgames/status/1467886606614814723

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Don't get me pictures of Spider-Man

It's taken a year and a day, but Square Enix has finally, finally released the PlayStation-exclusive Spider-Man DLC for its limp comic-book adventure Marvel's Avengers. And, after mul?tiple delays and lots of furor, Spider-Man, Spider-Man, is ready to do everything a spider can... (just not story missions).

Despite being almost a year late, it appears that the Spider-Man DLC will simply offer up Peter Parker as a selectable hero, with no accompanying story mode or campaign. It's just Spidey. Swinging around the city and fighting criminal scum, but in a manner that looks distinctly less interesting and fun than his Insomniac counterpart. Hell, maybe even his LEGO counterpart. While Spidey can be used in all Marvel's Avengers content,? he will not be receiving any missions of his own.

"We want to spend our efforts on content that everyone can enjoy, so we chose to spend a lot of our energy on the Klaw raid that's coming up at the same time," explained gameplay dire?ctor Philippe Therien to IGN. "Really that's a simple decision for us. Spider-Man can play ?all the content, but then we release a piece of content that's good on all platforms. Really that was a decision that's been that way since the beginning."

Weaksauce Spidey is a fitting end to Marvel's Avengers' Spider-Man saga, just one of an abundance of marketing missteps that has surrounded what seemed to be a "can't-miss" prospect on its initial announcement. Fans had already started shuffling nervously pre-launch, as more and more news came out about Marvel's Avengers and its Games as a Service focus. Square Enix treated us to boring gameplay videos, strange product placement tie-ins, delays, and a breakdown of the title's cosmetic-heavy?? slant, all of which turned off a large portion of the audien?ce before the title had even hit.

The reveal that this Spider-Man DLC would, ultimately, be a PlayStation-exclusive only furthered agitated fans, leading to a very limp launch for what seemed to be a game designed with a long-term future. Even when out in the wild, the problems continued, with the loss of its creative director, a fan-angering walk back on paid-XP microtransactions, and now this, Spider-Man's belated, super-vanilla arrival �years after two incredible Spider-Man g??ames already exist.

Regardless, he's almost here. So if you want to see the web-crawler swinging his way through a digital world, and neither of Insomniac's excellent releases fulfills that need, you can purchase the DLC for Marvel's Avengers from November 30.

//twitter.com/Nibellion/status/14627494951842?652?21?s=20

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The PlayStation-exclusive hero finally makes his debut this month

A friendly neighborhood superhero will make his way into Crystal Dynamics' superhero brawler at the end of November. Spider-Man will finally arrive in Marvel's Avengers for PlayStation owners on Nov. 30, 2021.

Announced in the weekly War Table blog, Nov. 30 will bring a bunch of updates to Marvel's Avengers alongside Spider-Man. The Klaw raid will arrive, set after the War for Wakanda expansion and tasking players with taking down th?e big baddie for some high-end gear.

Spider-Man's arrival will also come with the Spider-Man: With Great Power Hero Event. Here, you'll get to play through Spider-Man's story, as he teams up with Ms. Marvel and Black Widow to fight AIM. It seems like the crux of the Spider-Man narrative in Marvel's Avengers will be about Peter learning to work wi??th a team, rather than fighting solo.

Some improved systems will also arrive in this update, including gear recycling, a Pow?er Leve?l increase to 175, and Per-Hero Weekly Objectives.

Crystal Dynamics also addresses earning cosmetics, rather than just buying them. Shipments arrive as a 500 Unit-cost box which pulls from a collection of possible items. You will be able to see w?hat's in a Shipment before getting it, and there's a small chance a Shipment might hold a premium Outfit you can't get anywhere else. You'll automatically get that after picking up 100 Shipments though, so you won't have to rely on dice rolls forever. More is coming about this new system in the coming weeks.

Marvel's Avengers has been in hot waters lately over its controversial paid XP consumables, which Crystal Dynamics has since removed. There were also some tough words about the game's progress in the recent Square Enix financial earnings.

What 2022 will look like for Marvel's Avengers remains to be seen, but Spider-Man arriving in Marvel's Avengers has been a long-awaited addition for the game. Maybe it can right the ship a bit as it? sails into a new year.

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Peter and Miles are about to deal with an alien symbiote

During today's PlayStation Showcase 2021, Insomniac revealed two games. And alongside its take on Logan, the studio confirmed that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is in development and aiming for 2023.

The trailer shown off today features both Peter ??Parker and Miles Morales fighting crime and slinging webs, but an ominous voice soon cracks the scene. As they peer into the darkness, we get a glimpse of a well-known Spidey villain: Venom.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIQ3xNqkVC4

Over on the PlayStation blog, Insomniac's Ryan Schneider confirms the team is crafting all-new stories for both Peter and Miles. Much of the same development team that worked on Marvel's Spider-Man ??is returning, incl?uding creative director Bryan Intihar and game director Ryan Smith.

Schneider also confirms that Tony Todd, of Candyman fame, wil?l be voicing Venom, and that Yuri Lowenthal and Nadji Jeter will be reprising their roles as Peter Parker and Miles Morales.

The first Marvel's Spider-Man was a pretty big hit for the PlayStation 4 back in 2018, and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales carried the torch forward into the PlayStation 5 era. It's not a huge surprise to see the Spidey franchise continue production, though it's heartening to see both Peter and Miles getting the f?ocus in this trailer. And with Venom, the Spider-family looks like it will keep on growing.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is set for sometime in 2023.

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Your friendly neighborhood web-slinger makes his way into the game

Crystal Dynamics has laid out the road ahead for the rest of the year in Marvel's Avengers content, and some big additions are on it. Both Marvel's Avengers first raid and the introduc?tion of a certain web-slinging Spider-Man to PlayStation players.

In a new State of the Game update, the studio discusses its roadmap for 2021, including content and cosmetics that are still on the way. Spider-Man is expected to arrive sometime this fall or winter, alongside the first raid, where players will confront Klaw. This is also a friendly reminder that Marvel's Avengers take on Spider-Man is still a PlayStation platform-exclusive hero.

//twitt??er.com/PlayAvengers/status/1435651461??287874562

There will also be a power level cap increase and some new cosmetics, but it isn't all just new content. Crystal Dynamics is also looking to rework its gear upgrading and resources. Accor??ding to today's blog, the new system will let players upgrade Epic, Legendary, and Exotic gear from power level 100 up to the new power level cap.

Cosmetics are also becoming earnable through g?ameplay, including items that were previously only available in the Marketplace. Crystal Dynamics is ??planning on discussing details of that in the coming months. And of course, there are some Marvel Cinematic Universe cosmetics in the works, too.

Anecdotally, I've seen some people hopping back into Marvel's Avengers with the recent War for Wakanda expansion pack. With a big raid and another new hero on the way too, I'm interested to see where Avengers stands in the public eye by the ?start of the new year.

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Returnal, Demon's Souls, and Miles Morales Ultimate Edition are under $50 right now

Slightly hidden in an unassuming Weekend Offer sale on the PlayStation Store, ?you can find some of the best early PlayStation 5 games with ho?nest-to-god discounts.

If you skipped Returnal at launch because $70 is just too much on the line for a ?great-for-some-but-not-all rogueli?ke shooter, you might be tempted by a 29 percent discount.

Same goes for Demon's Souls. It's my favorite PS5 game to this day, but some players are thinking of entering the Souls series with this remake, and again, seventy dollars. While I rarely have buyer's remorse with video games, they're starting to feel high?er stakes.

Here's the full list of?? deals. It's short but high-impact.

• Returnal ($49.69)
• Returnal Digital Deluxe Edition ($59.99)
  • Some early weapon unlocks and the soundtrack.
• Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales ($29.99)
• Marvel's Spider-??Man: Miles Morales Ultima??te Edition ($49.69)
  • Includes Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered.
• Demon's Souls ($49.69)
• Demon's Souls Digital Deluxe Edition ($70.19)
  • Red-Eye Knight Armor, the Ritual Blade, a few other items, and the soundtrack.
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure ($40.19) [PS4 and PS5]
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure Digital Deluxe Edition ($59.99) [PS4 and PS5]
  • Four costumes, four emotes, an art book, and the soundtrack.
• Nioh Remastered â€?The Complete Edition ($29.99)
• Nioh 2 Remastered â€?The Complete Edition ($29.99) [PS4 and PS5]
• The Nioh Collection ($49.69)
  • Includes Nioh Remastered (PS5) and Nioh 2 Remastered (PS4 and PS5)
• Destruction AllStars Digital Deluxe Edition ($29.99)
  • In-game currency, Lupita Legendary Crow skin, eight Story Mode packs, and an art book.

The sale runs until June 28, 2021.

As more of you are able t??o land a PS5 throughout the year, I'l?l feel obligated to share deals like these as often as I can. "Around $50" seems like Sony's new go-to sale price.

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It's the Advanced Tech Suit

Insomniac has done a pretty good job of handling the Spider-Man franchise.

I mean, the first game made some waves, but it doesn't get enough credit for how breezy ?its open world is. It's the kind of sandbox you can finish in the time it tak??es to fully complete some other bloated open world romps, and that sort of restraint should be commended.

While some lament the fact that Spider-Man: Miles Morales was shorter, I celebrated it. Once again I found myself hitting that 100% completion mark an??d not stressing it. The injection of free DLC costumes doesn't hurt either.

As of now, you can grab a new update for Miles Morales, which includes the classic free costume add-on. In this case it's the Advanced Tech Suit, amid "various ?fixes" for the game itself. Insomniac also flaunts "realistic muscle deformation for select suits," which is a PS5 ?exclusive feature.

Remember w??hen Microsoft kept touting "the power of the cloud" for basically every pre??sentation? Well, now we just have the power of new consoles to fuel things like realistic muscles.

Insomniac Games [Twitter]

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Anybody call for a web-slinger?

In an interesting turn of events, Insomniac Games' pseudo-sequel Spider-Man: Miles Morales has clambered to the top of the UK Charts, just over fou??r months after its initial November 2020 release.

Miles Morales' belated arrival at the No.1 position comes after the UK received a major restock of PS5 releases, with the next-gen version of the open-world adventure accounting for 90% of all Spider-Man sales over the past week. As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, even if you discounted PS4 sales, our boy Morales would still have found himself in the top spot, usurping Nintendo's Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury after one full month in the premier position.

The PS5 restock also saw a sales boost for other older releases, with the PS5 edition of Warner Bros. Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate returning to the Top 40 at number 18, and Ubisoft's Immortals: Fenyx Rising returning at number 14. It's still very much a Nintendo-led Top Ten, however, with over 50% of the division taken up by Switch releases including Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Ring Fit Adventure, Minecraft, and Super Mario 3D All-Stars - all of which will no doubt be joined by Capcom's incoming Monster Hunter Rise in just a matter of weeks.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: March 13, 2021
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Spider-Man: Miles Morales - Sony Interactive Entertainment
2. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury - Nintendo
3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
4. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
5. Minecraft - Nintendo
6. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Activision
7. Grand Theft Auto V - Take-Two Interactive
8. Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Ubisoft
9. Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Nintendo
10. Ring Fit Adventure - Nintendo

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

The post Four months later, Spider-Man??: Miles Morales swings in at No.1 appeared first on Destructoid.

Bowser's Fury celebrates one full month in the premier position

Nintendo Switch titles remain the most popular physical purchases in the UK's gaming market, a trend that has seen the Japanese industry giant dominate the UK Charts for the first quarter of 2021. Leading the charge is the indelible Super Mario Bros. series, which has seen steady and persistent sales across its range ??of re-released Switch titles.

This past week saw Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury retain the number one spot for a fourth week running, making it a month on top for the Wii-U remaster. Social sim Animal Crossing: New Horizons sits at number three, having held a Top Ten position for almost an entire year. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario 3D All-Stars sit at number four and six respectively, while the Switch edition of Minecraft and exercise 'em up Ring Fit Adventure fill out the back end of the Top Ten.

Elsewhere in the Top Ten, Square Enix' RPG Bravely Default II plummeted from number 11 to number 33, which is de rigueur for most non-Final Fantasy JRPGs, at least in regards to the UK's physical sales. Sega's Yakuza: Like a Dragon poked its head back into the chart scene at number 35, thanks to the release of the new PS5 port, while Atlus' Persona 5 Strikers has already left the Top 40 entirely.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: March 6, 2021
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury - Nintendo
2. Spider-Man: Miles Morales - Sony Interactive Entertainment
3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
4. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Activision
6. Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Nintendo
7. Grand Theft Auto V - Take-Two Interactive
8. Minecraft - Nintendo
9. Ring Fit Adventure - Nintendo
10. Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Ubisoft

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

The post Mario leads Nintendo’s continued success in the UK sales charts appeared first on Destructoid.

Best Skull-Crushing

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has released the nominations list for the 2021 edition of its BAFTA Games Awards, which will be taking place later in March.

The Last of Us Part II has received a record-breaking 13 nominations - the most any one video game has received since the event's inception back in 2004. Naughty Dog's dramatic and violent sequel is up in numerous categories, including Best Animation, Best Music, Best Audio Achievement, and Best Game Design. Ironically for such as story-heavy title, TLOU II is not nominated in the Best Narrative categ?ory. Several actors, including Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, and Troy Baker, are also nominated f??or Performer awards.

The nominations have seen Sony sweep all categories, with a grand total of 41 nominations among the award categories. Titles such as Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima, Media Molecule's Dreams, and Sumo Digital's Sackboy: A Big Adventure are all in-line for potential gongs. Fortunately, smaller titles such as Supergiant's Hades, Phobia Game Studio's Carrion, and Out of the Blue's Call of the Sea also get a look-in.

You can chec?k out the full list of categories a??nd nominations below. The 2021 BAFTA Games Awards will stream March 25, hosted by journalist and presenter Elle Osili-Wood.

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for Best Game:

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons

• Ghost of Tsushima

• Hades

• Half-Life: Alyx

• Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

• The Last of Us Part II

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for British Game:

• Dreams

• F1 2020

• Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

• Röki

• Sackboy: A Big Adventure

• The Last Campfire

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for Animation:

• Doom Eternal

• Final Fantasy VII Remake

• Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

• Ori and the Will of the Wisps

• Spiritfarer

• The Last of Us Part II

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for Artistic Achievement:

• Cyberpunk 2077

• Dreams

• Ghost of Tsushima

• Hades

• Half-Life: Alyx

• The Last of Us Part II

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for Audio Achievement:

• Astro's Playroom

• Ghost of Tsushima

• Hades

• Half-Life: Alyx

• Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

• The Last of Us Part II

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for Debut Game:

• Airborne Kingdom

• Call of the Sea

• Carrion

• Factorio

• Röki

• The Falconeer

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for Evolving Game:

• Destiny 2: Beyond Light

• Dreams

• Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

• Fortnite

• No Man's Sky

• Sea of Thieves

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for Family Game:

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons

• Astro's Playroom

• Dreams

• Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

• Minecraft Dungeons

• Sackboy: A Big Adventure

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for Game Beyond Entertainment:

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons

• Before I Forget

• Dreams

• Spiritfarer

• Tell Me Why

• The Last of Us Part II

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for Game Design:

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons

• Astro's Playroom

• Ghost of Tsushima

• Hades

• Half-Life: Alyx

• The Last of Us Part II

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for Multiplayer Game:

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons

• Deep Rock Galactic

• Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

• Ghost of Tsushima

• Sackboy: A Big Adventure

• Valorant

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for Music:

• Ghost of Tsushima

• Hades

• Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

• Ori and the Will of the Wisps

• Sackboy: A Big Adventure

• The Last of Us Part II

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for Narrative:

• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla

• Cyberpunk 2077

• Ghost of Tsushima

• Hades

• Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition

• Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for Original Property:

• Carrion

• Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

• Ghost of Tsushima

• Hades

• Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition

• Spiritfarer

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for Performer in a Leading Role:

• Ashley Johnson - The Last of Us Part II

• Cherami Leigh - Cyberpunk 2077

• Cody Christian - Final Fantasy VII Remake

• Daisuke Tsuji - Ghost of Tsushima

• Laura Bailey - The Last of Us Part II

• Nadji Jeter - Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for Performer in a Supporting Role:

• Carla Tassara - Cyberpunk 2077

• Jeffrey Pierce - The Last of Us Part II

• Logan Cunningham - Hades

• Patrick Gallagher - Ghost of Tsushima

• Shannon Woodward - The Last of Us Part II

• Troy Baker - The Last of Us Part II

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for Technical Achievement:

• Demon's Souls

• Doom Eternal

• Dreams

• Flight Simulator

• Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

• The Last of Us Part II

BAFTA 2021 Nominees for EE Game of the Year:

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons

• Call of Duty: Warzone

• Ghost of Tsushima

• Hades

• The Last of Us Part II

• Valorant

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But not enough to sate Bowser's Fury

After weeks of Nintendo's dominance, PlayStation finally had reason to celebrate. A supply restock - in addition to several store discounts - saw some of Sony's big-hitter?s shoot back up the UK Cha??rts.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, comic-book adventure Spider-Man: Miles Morales saw a 172% rise in sales, climbing from number nine to number two in the Top Ten. Naughty Dog's misery-fest The Last of Us Part II was discounted at a variety of outlets, which saw the award-winning title skyrocket up the charts to make a grand re-entry at number three. FromSoftware's PS5 remake Demon's Souls also returned to the Top 40 at number 21.

None of the above releases, however, were successful in usurping Nintendo's Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, which enjoyed a third week at number one despite seeing a 38% drop in sales. On the subject of Switch releases, Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Minecraft all m/animal-crossing-new-horizons-ichiban-kuji-lets-you-experience-island-life/anaged to retain Top Ten positions, while Atlus' musou-lite Persona 5 Strikers enjoyed moderate succe??ss, debuting at number?? five.

There are very few major releases scheduled to hit the market in the foreseeable future. Add to this continued stock issues brought about by Brexit, as well as Britain's ongoing lockdown woes, and it seems that the nation's video games charts will continue spinning the platters that matter from last year, or even before. Let's go, Crash Bandicoot 4 for Switch.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: February 27, 2021
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury - Nintendo
2. Spider-Man: Miles Morales - Sony Interactive Entertainment
3. The Last of Us Part II - Sony Interactive Entertainment
4. FIFA 21 - Electronic Arts
5. Persona 5 Strikers - Atlus
6. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
7. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
8. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Activision
9. Grand Theft Auto V - Take-Two Interactive
10. Minecraft - Nintendo

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

The post Big PlayStation sales week sees The Last ??of Us Part II and Spider-Man: Miles Morales riding high appeared first on Destructoid.

What a confusing rollout

Spider-Man Remastered has been one of ?the m??ost confusing remaster rollouts in recent memory.

First, Sony muddled its messaging (along with what Miles Morales was), not making it clear whether or not a remaster was coming alongside of Miles Morales. Then, it wasn't getting? save exports...until it did. Now??, the remaster has suddenly appeared as a full separate downloa?d on the PSN: a month after launch. Go figure!

Here it is! For $39.99, you can get the remaster on its own, with its enhanced visuals/load times, and adaptive trigger/haptic feedback controls. Or, you can still opt for the Ultimate Edition of Miles Morales for $69.99, which comes with the remaster as-is. Note that Miles is $49.99 as a standalone download.

Both are worth playing on their own merits, and are interconnected. Remastered offers a lead-in to Miles Morales' story and a bit?? of background; but you wouldn't be completely lost if you just head into the second release.

Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered [PSN]

The post You can?? now buy Spider-Man Remastered ?separately on PS5 appeared first on Destructoid.

Night City Higher

Night City's fascinating and dangerous world - inhabited by a cast of intriguing and amoral characters - has been providing an exciting experience for many Cyberpunk 2077 players. However, the slew of undeniable controversies surround CDPR's development process and the title's eventual launch - from technical, critical, employee and consumer standpoints - has gone some way to damping the fire for what was one of gaming's most-hyped releases ever.

Of no surprise, Cyberpunk 2077 debuted in the No.1 spot of this week's UK Charts, becoming the second biggest UK retail release of 2020 - beaten out only by Electronic Arts' soccer sim FIFA 21. While this is an achievement, these numbers generally reflect the sales of the PS4 and Xbox One editions of Cyberpunk 2077, the very same editions that CDPR is currently offering refunds for, due to their shaky technical performance.

Elsewhere in the charts, other blockbuster titles such as Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Sony's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Valhalla continue to jockey for both position and those all-important Holiday sales. Over in Nintendoland, sales continue for Switch releases Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and perennial Xmas seller Just Dance 5.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: December 12, 2020
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Cyberpunk 2077 - CD Projekt RED
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Activision
3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
4. Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Ubisoft
5. FIFA 21 - Electronic Arts
6. Just Dance 5 - Ubisoft
7. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
8. Spider-Man: Miles Morales - Sony Interactive Entertainment
9. Minecraft - Nintendo
10. Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Nintendo

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

The post Amidst controversy and furore, Cyberpunk 2077 debuts atop of the UK Chart?s appeared first on Destructoid.

Performance RT mode is a great compromise

I'm starting to wish I hadn't burned through my New Game+ playthrough of Spider-Man: Miles Morales so quickly (and deleted the game to free up some precious storage space on my PS5). Insomniac Games updated Miles Morales with an alternate graphics mode – Performance RT – that ticks the right boxes.

If you wanted to see cool ray-traced reflections but you weren't willing to play Miles Morales at 30 frames per second, there's now an "alternate version of the 60 frames per second 'Performance' mode" that adds "ray tracing by adj?usting the scene resolution?, reflection quality, and pedestrian density."

In other words, Performance RT is trying to give the best of both worlds – fidelity and performance. ?If you can live without 4K (and I believe plenty of us easily can), this should be a great option.

There's no confirmation that Spider-Man Remastered will get a Performance RT update, but I hope so.

@InsomniacGames [Twitter]

The post Spider-Man: Mi??les Morales will let you have 60fps *and* ray tracing appeared first on Destructoid.

FIFA 21 remains the title to beat

While we have already passed the typically lucrative Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend, the UK Chart remains relatively stagnant this week. The same ten titles occupy almost the exact same ten spots that they did last week, with Electronic Arts' FIFA 21 retaining the coveted number one position for a third wee???k running.

The Top Ten is rounded out with some of 2020's most recent releases, including Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and Sony's pseudo-sequel Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Nintendo regulars Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Super Mario 3D All-Stars are presen??t and correct, maintaining the?? steady sales that each Switch title has seen since launch.

There's a new gun in town however, and this week's launch of the long-in-development and highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 is guaranteed to cause a stir when it la?unches December 10. With the UK high street temporarily out ??of lockdown, and Holiday shopping in full effect, it is very likely that next week is CD Projekt RED's for the taking.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: December 5, 2020
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. FIFA 21 - Electronic Arts
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Activision
3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
4. Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Ubisoft
5. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
6. Spider-Man: Miles Morales - Sony Interactive Entertainment
7. Just Dance 5 - Ubisoft
8. Minecraft - Nintendo
9. Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Nintendo
10. Marvel's Avengers - Square Enix

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

The post Cyber Monday had little impact on last week’s UK Charts appeared first on Destructoid.

There's nothing accidental about this post!

Look, so the good news is that John Mulaney is in a video game. The bad news is that it's Marvel Contest of Champions: a multi-currency free-to-play mobile game.

Look I'm just the messenger, don't sue me! Unl??ess, as that messenger, I improperly serve you legal papers...then it's fair g??ame!

Yes, the beloved writer, comedian and brief sitcom star (I'm SO sorry) is reprising his role from the universally liked Into the Spider-Verse film as Spider-Ham. There's even a quick clip below to get people hyped?? up about his appearance as Peter Porker.

The bad news (there's MORE bad news?!) is that he's only part of an Event Quest, called Framed by Fame. Pretty great title though! The update is out today and will run through December 31, which will grant players a "two-star Spider-Ham" if they participate. Gacha-like mechanics: can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. Oh, and you also get to fight against a team of super heroes and villains "hand-picked" by Mulaney. If that's real — and not a series of hasty choices by a highly-paid intern, I'm sure —I'm not gonna lie, I kind of want t??o experience that.

You?? totally read this entire post in Mulaney's signature vo??ice, didn't you? That's no accident.

The post Finally?, an excuse to write about John Mulaney on a video game site appeared first on Destructoid.

Slack Friday

The latest UK Chart report sees most of the industry's biggest releases jostling within the Top Ten, as the UK's current COVID-19 lockdow?n legislation put the dampers on the lucrative Black Friday sales, (which Britain also adopted because Capitalism, yo).

Electronic Arts' football simulator FIFA 21 has once again returned to the number one spot, pushing out Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War after just one week. Nintendo saw its Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe climb to numbers three and four respectively, while Square Enix's stumbling Marvel's Avengers has managed to push back into the Top Ten at number seven. Rounding out the charts at number 10 is Ubisoft's perennial holiday seller Just Dance. 'Tis the season, after all.

The biggest single-week drop goes to Nintendo brawler Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, which slipped from number six to number 20, with a 61?% sales decline. Given the current state of the UK high street and the rapid decline in physical sales, these rise and falls are ??becoming ever more irrelevant as an expression of a title's success or failure - but it's still an achievement to see your title hit the coveted number one spot, only encouraging further sales.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: November 28, 2020
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. FIFA 21 - Electronic Arts
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Activision
3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
4. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
5. Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Ubisoft
6. Spider-Man: Miles Morales - Sony Interactive Entertainment
7. Marvel's Avengers - Square Enix
8. Minecraft - Nintendo
9. Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Nintendo
10. Just Dance 5 - Ubisoft

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

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