Insomniac announces Spider-Man 2, reveals 2023 release

Insomniac announced the highly anticipated sequel to 2018’s smash hit Spider-Man yesterday at the PlayStation Showcase.

Since the success of Insomniac’s first Spider-Man game, fans remained eager to see what’s next for the wall-crawler. The post-credit scenes for both Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales gave fans a taste of what’s to come. However, the announcement trailer for Spider-Man 2 reveals even more of where the story’s headed.

The trailer showcases Peter and Miles working together to take down criminals. One section shows off the two Spider-Men even performing a double-team move. The inclusion of double-takedowns will likely become an important new combat mechanic to master in the upcoming game. With the inclusion of two main heroes, it will also be interesting to see if an online co-op mode is implemented.

It also appears that Peter’s suit will get a major upgrade in this installment. A scene in the trailer showcases Spider-Man’s classic iron spider arms attached to the standard advanced suit. While the Iron Spider was an alternative costume in Insomniac’s first Spider-Man game, it was not canon to the story. The inclusion of the arms in this trailer hints otherwise for the sequel. Maybe Tony Stark himself will even make an appearance.

Villain reveals for Spider-Man 2

The biggest takeaways from the announcement trailer for Spider-Man 2, however, are the villain reveals. The entire video is narrated by a man with a foreign accent calling for a new challenger to be his equal. Longtime Spidey fans would recognize this voice as none-other than Kraven the Hunter.

Additionally, the trailer gives us our very first look at Insomniac’s take on Venom. This reveal should not come as much of a surprise due to the post-credit scenes from the last two entries. In both games, Harry Osborn was shown surrounded by the symbiote inside of a glass chamber in Norman’s secret lab.

Although Venom’s host has traditionally been Eddie Brock, Insomniac’s universe places Harry at center stage. With this change, it will be even more exciting to see how they tackle the character. Venom’s answer to Kraven’s challenge as he appears out of the shadows even teases the possibility of a battle between those characters.

In recent history, Marvel has portrayed Venom as more of an anti-hero than a villain. This opens the possibility of the character taking that role in Spider-Man 2 as well. While it’s highly probable the two Spider-Men will fight him at some point, it’s also possible Venom may become a playable character for certain parts of the game.

It’s also important to note that Insomniac doesn’t like to reveal the main villain in their Spider-Man games in the trailers. With the importance placed on the Osborn family, however, one possible option for the main villain is the Green Goblin. Norman may possibly take on this role in an attempt to gain control of his Venomized son. Following the symbiote storyline could also allow Carnage to take the stage.

For now, all we know is that Spider-Man 2 will release in 2023 as a PlayStation 5 exclusive. Insomniac also revealed the development for another Marvel game in Wolverine at the PlayStation Showcase. With these games in development, it is an exciting time for fans of superhero games.

Via YouTube