Key Highlights:
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 gameplay shows Peter Parker using the Black Suit and new symbiote combat abilities.
- Both Peter and Miles can use Web Wings, while the sequel introduces near-instant switching between the two Spider-Men.
- Queens is confirmed as a new playable borough alongside new combat abilities, gadgets and traversal systems.
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Insomniac Games has shown the first full gameplay from Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, revealing major changes to combat, traversal and the playable version of New York.
The PlayStation Showcase demonstration follows Peter Parker and Miles Morales as they pursue Dr. Curt Connors, also known as the Lizard, while Kraven the Hunter’s forces attempt to capture him.
It also provides the clearest look yet at how Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 expands on Insomniac’s previous games ahead of its planned fall 2023 release on PlayStation 5.
Black Suit Changes Peter’s Combat
One of the biggest reveals is Peter wearing the Black Suit and using the symbiote directly in combat.
Insomniac’s official gameplay breakdown shows symbiote tendrils extending from Peter during attacks, allowing him to strike multiple enemies and slam opponents into nearby surfaces.
His fighting style is noticeably more aggressive while bonded with the symbiote, which Insomniac says will also affect Peter and those closest to him during the story.
Combat itself is gaining new defensive options.
Peter can parry incoming attacks, while certain enemy moves cannot simply be dodged and require a correctly timed parry instead. The footage also shows new takedowns and abilities designed around the Black Suit.
Miles has his own expanded powers.
His new bioelectric abilities include Thunder Burst, which sends him into a group of enemies with an electrical ground attack, and Chain Lightning, which can strike multiple nearby targets.
Both Spider-Men also receive individual skill trees for their unique abilities alongside a shared skill tree containing upgrades that benefit them both.
Web Wings and Character Switching Expand Traversal
The gameplay reveal also confirms Web Wings for both Peter and Miles.
Either Spider-Man can deploy the wings while moving through the city and combine gliding with traditional web-swinging. Wind tunnels provide additional momentum, allowing the characters to cover longer distances quickly.
The mechanic confirms the possibility suggested by recent Across the Spider-Verse promotional artwork, which showed Insomniac’s Peter with webbing beneath his arms.
Players will also be able to switch between Peter and Miles during the story.
The demonstration transitions from Peter in Queens to Miles in Harlem, with Insomniac highlighting the PlayStation 5 SSD as part of its near-instant switching between the two playable heroes.
Queens itself is another major addition.
The footage begins at Dr. Connors’ home across the East River, with Insomniac confirming Queens as one of the new playable and explorable boroughs in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
This resolves earlier uncertainty over whether the sequel would expand beyond Manhattan after the official prequel comic established Peter Parker at Aunt May’s home in Forest Hills.
Traversal is not the only system being expanded.
Miles uses a new Web Line to create a temporary perch above enemies during stealth encounters, while the Web Grabber gadget pulls several enemies towards the same position and creates opportunities for follow-up attacks.
Insomniac also says Marvel’s New York will feature improved environmental detail, lighting and reflections, while PlayStation 5 features include spatial 3D audio, DualSense haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support.
The gameplay sequence ends with Peter and Miles pursuing the Lizard along the East River while Kraven’s Hunters attack from boats and aircraft.
Kraven’s role is also now much clearer. The hunter has arrived in New York searching for powerful opponents, with the Lizard among his targets and Peter and Miles drawn into what Insomniac calls the Great Hunt.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 remains scheduled to launch exclusively for PlayStation 5 in fall 2023. An exact release date has not yet been announced.
Later update: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 launched for PS5 on October 20, 2023, with the major systems shown in the May gameplay reveal forming core parts of the finished game.
Peter and Miles can switch quickly while exploring the open world, and both use Web Wings alongside faster web-swinging to travel across Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn. The final game therefore expanded further than the May reveal initially showed, with Brooklyn joining Queens as another major playable borough.
The Black Suit also became central to Peter’s story and combat progression rather than appearing only as a scripted sequence. Peter gains dedicated symbiote abilities, while Miles develops evolved bioelectric powers, with both Spider-Men retaining character-specific upgrades alongside shared skills.
The Web Wings became one of the sequel’s defining traversal systems. Players can move between swinging and gliding almost seamlessly, while wind tunnels positioned around Marvel’s New York help maintain speed and altitude across longer distances.
Insomniac also continued expanding the game after launch. The March 2024 version 1.002 update added New Game+, Mission Replay, time-of-day controls, additional accessibility options and new suit content, giving players more ways to revisit the systems first shown in the May 2023 gameplay reveal.
