Played ~25 hours at time of writing

As a fan of the first Spider-Man game and Spider-Man as a character, I have to say—this sequel was a major disappointment. I really wanted to enjoy it, but there were too many issues that held it back. While there are a few positives, they’re buried under weak storytelling, frustrating design choices, and an overbearing sense of corporate messaging.

The Bad (aka why I regret buying it)

Weak, Short Story:
The main story was both underwhelming and short. I beat it in about 25 hours while taking my time. The writing felt shallow, with characters behaving in ways that felt out of touch. Spider-Man’s constant attempts at humor fell flat, coming off more like forced MCU-style quips than anything genuinely funny or charming.

Major Character Decisions (Spoilers):
The game kills off some major villains, removing any potential for interesting returns in future entries. It felt like wasted potential and poor planning for long-term storytelling.

Boss Fights:
Many bosses had overly long, multi-phase fights that felt more tedious than exciting. They dragged on and didn’t evolve in a meaningful way, making them a chore rather than a challenge.

MJ Missions Are Somehow Worse:
Fans asked for fewer MJ missions after the first game—and instead, the devs doubled down. She now has a taser that one-shots enemies, making the missions laughably easy and completely tensionless.

Miles Felt Underused:
Outside of a short-lived revenge arc with Martin Li, Miles didn’t feel like he had a significant role in the story. His development felt shallow and tacked on.

Overbearing Political Messaging:
A lot of side missions felt like corporate attempts at shallow positivity and inclusivity, rather than meaningful storytelling. Examples:

Help someone find their lost grandfather

Collect instruments to "save" a cultural museum

Use city tech to make eco-friendly improvements

Help a student ask his boyfriend to prom (felt more like a checkbox than a heartfelt mission)

Spray paint walls as a deaf girl (that’s the whole mission)

I have nothing against inclusive content when it’s done well, but these moments felt like empty gestures rather than genuine character moments. Spider-Man doesn’t need political pandering—he just needs to be a hero.

Corporate Tie-Ins & Product Placement:
Miles gets a new suit near the end the story that was apparently just an Adidas ad. It’s ugly and takes you out of the experience. I’m tired of blatant product placements being shoehorned into the story.

Combat Changes Were a Downgrade:
The symbiote powers were fun, but overall, combat felt simplified. The removal of the gadget wheel in favor of four basic gadgets and a few abilities made it feel more repetitive and less strategic than before.

Set-Piece Fatigue:
Many story segments felt like amusement park rides—heavily scripted, visually flashy, but lacking real engagement. Sliding on trucks and dodging explosions might look cool once, but it quickly becomes repetitive.

The Good (credit where it's due)

Web-Swinging Still Feels Great:
Traversal is still one of the best things about the game. Swinging through the city is fluid and fun, and the added glider has its moments—though it’s not always enjoyable.

Symbiote Powers:
These were the highlight for me. Playing with the symbiote powers was genuinely fun, even if the surrounding game didn’t live up to the hype.

Final Thoughts

This game feels like a massive step back. It tried to do too much—appeal to everyone, tick every box—and in the process, it lost sight of what made Spider-Man great in the first place. I don’t mind diversity or real-world themes in games, but they need to be earned, not forced in to check marketing boxes.

If I could refund this game, I would. I can’t support studios that lazily use representation and shallow storytelling to cover up weak design and poor writing. If you’re thinking of trying this game, I’d suggest buying the first one or playing a ROM of the OG Spider-man 2 or even Ultimate Spider-man instead. This just isn’t it.

My personal score 4/10