8 Tips for Playing 'Marvel's Spider-Man 2'

The opening hours of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 feel slick and cinematic, like a well-edited superhero movie. It’s the kind of game you sit back with, soak up. If mucking up your PlayStation 5 controllers weren’t an issue, it would go perfect with a bucket of popcorn.

Just because it’s massive, though, doesn’t mean it’s only for elite players. While there’s plenty here for dedicated fans of the franchise—from variations on his classic suit to the web-slinging traversal—it’s still approachable for gamers just looking for something fresh to play. “We definitely go through pains to make sure that we are teaching the player everything they need to know to be great at being Spider-Man,” says Doug Sheahan, a senior programming director at Insomniac Games, which dropped the title on Friday.

If you’d like a few, helpful tips before starting your Spider-Man 2 adventure, WIRED spoke with Sheahan for his advice on getting started. (Any narrative and late-game spoilers are avoided in this guide. Phew!)

Tweak the Difficulty Levels

The four difficulty levels for Spider-Man 2 are Friendly Neighborhood, Friendly, Amazing, and Spectacular. What’s different for players who choose the top difficulty setting? “Enemies are going to deal more damage,” Sheahan says. “Their timings are going to be a bit faster.” Does a quick dodge sound intimidating? Try starting with Amazing, and see how it feels. You can bump the difficulty up or down anytime by going to Settings, then Gameplay.

Younger players who might not have the best coordination or anyone who desires immortality when they don the Spidey suit may want to consider Friendly Neighborhood. If you pick this setting, there’s only a couple of situations where your superhero can die.

Spread Your Web Wings

“The biggest thing with the web wings to optimize speed is about utilizing them in conjunction with everything else,” says Sheahan. Make sure you’ve got physics on your side! Take your Spider-Man up, as high as you can on a New York City skyscraper. Then, dive down toward the ground and deploy your wingsuit to capture that speed. Sling a couple of webs to get back on top. Repeat.

Spider-Man 2 lets your hero soar through the air, as long as you start with enough momentum.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 via Reece Rogers

Perfect That Parry

Similar to the wings, the defensive parry is new in Spider-Man 2. “Regular combat is more engaging,” Sheahan says. “Because the player has to pay a little more attention.” While fighting crime and supervillains, you have to determine when the encounter calls for a dodge and when a parry might be the best idea. Parrying isn’t as central to the game as something like Lies of P, but it’s a welcome addition to the abilities toolkit.

Flip Between Heroes

For Insomniac’s 2018 release, Marvel’s Spider-Man, players focused on Peter Parker. The title earned a Game of the Year nomination, losing out to God of War. The next installment in the franchise featured the story of Miles Morales. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 leans into the duality, and you can often switch between the two by swiping left on the touchpad and holding the square button.

How is gameplay different between the superheroes? Sheahan says that Peter’s combat is more keyed toward single-target attacks, and Miles is more adept at ranged attacks.