As shown by the original Marvel’s Spider-Man and its follow-up Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Insomniac has mastered the core aspects of a great superhero game. Combat is fluid and fast, allowing players to expand their combos with well-timed dodges and special pieces of gear. Web-swinging is top notch, with players able to build moment properly while also performing tricks as they go. Further, both games feature strong stories and stellar voice acting, with top-tier graphics helping to make each game fully satisfying.
Before Insomniac introduced the world to Marvel’s Spider-Man, though, the position of best Spidey game was held by Spider-Man 2. Widely regarded as the webhead’s best video game appearance for several years, the game was ahead of its time in terms of its mechanics. While Insomniac has taken note of Spider-Man 2’s top notch web swinging and Spider Sense-based dodging, there are still a few more things that could be pulled from the 2004 release.
It’s Pizza Time
While Spider-Man 2 featured random crime side missions like the ones seen in Insomniac’s games, it also incorporated a series of pizza delivery side quests. Tying into the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies and a plot point in the second film where Peter worked as a pizza delivery man, these missions saw the webslinger needing to deliver pizzas within a certain time limit. Players needed to deliver more pizzas and go further distances in the two-minute windows with later missions, and the side mission type is remembered fondly due to its unique style and catchy theme.
While it would not make sense narratively for Peter Parker to be delivering pizzas in the Insomniac universe, as he has already served stints at the Daily Bugle and worked with Doctor Octopus, the younger Miles Morales could use the job to make some extra money. Bringing these missions back would not only be a fun nod to a classic Spidey game, but they would also bring some diversity to the side quests. While simple, delivery missions could also be used to show off Peter and Miles’ roles as neighborhood heroes, focusing on helping people out when they are not fighting criminals. With the missions able to be worked into Ganke’s app as well, they seem like a perfect fit for the next Insomniac game.
The Benefits Of A Survival Mode
Though delivery side missions would be a fine addition to Insomniac’s next open world, they would have to be a minor feature as opposed to something major. However, a bigger addition could see the return of Spider-Man 2’s Warehouse Survival game mode. Just like the original, the mode could be unlocked via completion of the main story, giving players some endgame content to make use of their maxed-out Spider-Men. While the past two Marvel’s Spider-Man games have seen players clearing out buildings and bases full of baddies, neither has offered an endless game mode.
One feature that made Spider-Man 2’s wave-based survival so fun was the way that Treyarch inserted bosses into some of the waves. Not only could the next Marvel’s Spider-Man game do this, but it could expand upon this mechanic to include a separate boss rush game mode. Being able to take on the likes of Rhino, Shocker, Scorpion, Lizard, and Venom back-to-back would be a lot of fun, and it could prove to be a genuine challenge. The Spider-Man 2 Warehouse also included a bonus boss fight with the villain Calypso. Insomniac could do this as well, throwing in someone like Taskmaster or Prowler as a surprise fight.
Other improvements could be made too, such as special Spidey suits exclusive to meeting certain Survival goals. Leaderboards for combos, points, and time could also be added to a modern Spidey Survival mode, something that would only make the offering better as players compete with their friends for a top position. While Insomniac’s first two Spider-Man games have already outdone Spider-Man 2 in most ways, bringing over that game’s delivery side quests and Warehouse Survival could make the next one even better.
Marvel’s Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales are available now on PS4 and PS5. A sequel has not been officially announced.
