When you think of Spider-Man, grit definitely isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, but according to Bill Rosemann — Creative Vice President of Marvel Entertainment — that’s exactly what Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is bringing to the series. “If the first Spider-Man game was Star Wars, Spider-Man 2 is kind of our Empire. It gets a little darker.” Not to worry, Insomniac Games doesn’t intend to immediately jump off the edgy deep-end Zack Snyder-style, rather the studio planning to take it slow and explore more of the mature elements of Spider-Man without going full Batman. To say we’re hyped for this exploration into the dark side of Spider-Man is an understatement, and while we wait for more details to drop, we’ve compiled a list of predictions and things we’d like to see in the upcoming game.
Kraven the Hunter is just the first boss
One of the things that gamers loved about Marvel’s Spider-Man was the smorgasbord of baddies they could punch their way through. Sure punching nameless henchmen is always a good time, but there is truly something magical about taking on a true villain. We hope that just like last time, Marvel’s Spider-Man is oozing ner-do-wells. With that in mind, Kraven the Hunter will likely be the first of many villains. I personally would love to see Kraven fill a role similar to that of Mister X in the Resident Evil 2 Remake, a constant terrifying presence that keeps players on their toes.
Lizard will finally rear his scaly head
Though he was mentioned in Marvel’s Spider-Man – players can recover a Backpack titled “The Lizard’s Blood” – Doctor Curtis Connors, aka Lizard, didn’t make his appearance until Miles Morales. The doctor was briefly seen trying to dissuade Norman Osborn from releasing Harry from stasis due to potential complications. We know from trailers that Connors will be stuck in his lizard form for at least a portion of the game, but the implications of his appearance go much deeper. Peter and Miles will need to keep Connors safe from Kraven if they intend to use his blood to develop a cure for Harry, and the wily lizard-man will no doubt keep them busy.
Peter will get Venom from Harry
After being relegated to a stasis chamber for all of Marvel’s Spider-Man and Miles Morales, Harry Osborn will finally make his in-game debut. Context clues from the first game confirm that the experimental treatment Harry has been undergoing is related to Venom in some way (how else can you explain the Venom-like tendrils crawling all over his body). It’s not a leap to assume Harry is the reason Peter gets the Symbiote in the first place, and Conner’s warning to Norman at the end of Miles Morales made it sound like the Symbiote wasn’t fully attached to its human host. Once the creature leaves Harry’s sick body for the much more healthy and powerful Peter, it will only be a matter of time before Harry’s desperation to avoid dying pushes him to do something drastic.
Harry will use Venom to accidentally become Hobgoblin
With Venom out of Harry’s system, he will have to lean on the less-developed experimental cures, and will quickly start to succumb to his illness. If Osborn is still working with Doctor Connors, there is a chance that Harry’s Hobgoblinification happens with Connors’ research rather than that done on Venom. Lizard’s concoction addles the mind and brings out the vicious side of those afflicted, which makes for an easy way to explain Harry’s madness.
Miles and Peter will fight after the Symbiote changes Peter’s personality
This one is a given. When Peter is attached to the symbiote he tends to be a darker version of himself. Prone to angst, indulging in bad behavior, horrible dance moves, and much more willing to hurt bystanders, Venom brings out the worst in Peter. With Peter’s position as Miles’ mentor, there is no doubt that the younger spider will try to save his teacher. When it happens, we hope it’s a knock-down, drag-out fight. If Insomniac takes a page from Naughty Dog and makes the fight as harrowing as the one between Abbey and Ellie, their conflict will shake gamers for years. Okay, maybe we don’t want Peter to endure that much trauma.
Venom will be the main villain
Despite Kraven’s spotlight, there’s no doubt the leopard-print-clad baddie is just one of many Spider-Man villains to antagonize players throughout the game. Venom is clearly being set up as the third-act villain, and once players get used to the added powers, crazy strength, and whatever other traits Venom enhances, Insomniac games will send the Symbiote scuttling off for a new host.
Once Venom is removed from Peter, it’ll replace Kraven as the big bad. Venom will know everyone Peter/Spider-Man knows, and boy-howdy is that a lengthy list of powerful people for the Symbiote to choose from. While it’s typically Eddie Brock, we assume Insomniac will keep us guessing and allow Venom to fuse with someone else before attaching to the hapless journalist. There is a plethora of big baddies that would love to give themselves to the creature in order to get their revenge on Spider-Man.
Yuri will be a frenemy
After the events of the Turf Wars DLC, there is no doubt that Yuri Watanabe is well on her way to becoming the Wraith. Disenfranchised with the justice system, the rogue former cop will likely pose a frequent problem for Miles and Peter. Yuri is only out to stop the bad guys, and though she and Peter deeply disagree on how to stop crime, they are still friendly. It will be interesting to see how their interests align when Venom twists Peter’s views of right and wrong.
Peter will save a bad guy from Kraven
With Kraven trolling around the Big Apple looking for the best fights around, he is going to take on some of Spider-Man’s formidable foes. Kraven’s map showed more than one frenemy, so it’s likely that Peter — or Miles depending on how in control the Symbiote is — will have his hands full trying to rescue Wraith, Black Cat, Lizard, and whomever else the hunter decides to go for. It’s giving hard No Way Home energy, and honestly, we’re here for it.
Norman Osborn will discover Peter’s identity by the end
Norman Osborn may not have been a villain in the first game and certainly doesn’t appear to be gunning for the role in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 but that doesn’t mean Insomniac Games isn’t setting him up for the third game. We are incredibly hopeful that — by the end of this game — Osborn will take the leap and become The Green Goblin. With all of the bad guys running around New York and Doctor Connors’ position as the only scientist capable of saving Harry, there are tons of ways for Norman to finally discover Spider-Man’s identity. And if Peter ends up having to take Harry down, Osborn will have all of the motivation he needs to become Peter’s arch-nemesis.
You’ll be able to play as both of them in the final fight
If insomniac Games only makes this one dream come true, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will be the best game of all time. We’ve already seen that players can switch between Peter and Miles and that the Spider Boys will be working in tandem, but if Players can seamlessly switch between the two during the final fight, all of my dreams will come true. Nothing is better than a superhero team-up, except one where you control all of the action.