Spider-Man 2 – a lot has changed (Picture: Sony)
PS5 exclusive Spider-Man 2 is out now but whether you know the original or not our guide will help get to grips with all the new features.
Barbenheimer may have set the movie world alight this year but because video game companies are so bad at scheduling, it’s actually very common for two major titles to come out at the same time. This year, we’ve already had Baldurfield, thanks to Starfield and Baldur’s Gate 3 on PlayStation 5 coming out at the same time, and now we’ve got the portmanteau-less combination of Spider-Man 2 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Spider-Man 2 is a sequel, obviously, but while the basics are the same as before there’s a lot about the combat and navigation that has changed, not least because there’s now two different Spider-Men with very different powers.
So, if you want to hit the ground running here’s 10 spoiler-free tips on how to deal with the game’s enemies, how to upgrade your characters, and how to get around the virtual version of New York City.
1. The most important thing to remember about Spider-Man 2 is that the name is not a lie: there are two Spider-Men and, except for a small number of story moments, you can switch between them at any point. This is easy to forget sometimes, but if you’re having trouble with a particular encounter try switching characters and see if their abilities work better – especially if you’ve been levelling up one more than the other.
In combat, Miles is generally better at handling a crowd and Peter is better at taking on individuals, so use them accordingly. Also, if it’s a stealth mission don’t forget that Miles can turn invisible for short periods, which is obviously very handy.
2. Whenever you’re chasing something don’t rely on gliding, it can be good for an initial burst of speed, as you dive down from a height, but it’s much slower than web-swinging when you’re just going straight forward. The best thing, though, is to use the web zip ability to move horizontally as fast as possible, although this does need the right size of building nearby to web onto.
3. The most important skill in combat is situational awareness – make sure you know where all your enemies are and which is the highest priority. That will normally be either robots or one of the small number of larger, mini-boss style characters. It’s always best to take these out first, because if you don’t, and they get to you while you’re fighting an ordinary grunt, you’re going to be in real trouble.
4. Also be aware of when you charge up a takedown move, after causing or taking enough damage. When you do, you’ll see the icons for the triangle and circle button above enemies, meaning you can do major damage in one attack. However, be careful not to waste this on someone that’s already half dead. Also, don’t forget the rage move that takes longer to charge and is activated by L3 + R3 – we constantly forget it’s a thing but its charge is shown in the top right corner of the screen.
Spider-Man 2 – naturally, Venom is one of the tougher boss battles (Picture: Sony)
5. Snagging an enemy with the triangle button and boosting towards them is the single most useful move in the game. It works at long distance and is 100% accurate; it’s not only one of the best ways to deal with distant enemies but also snipers who are often perched up on walls or things like lampposts. Using the move interrupts whatever they’re doing and lets you get in multiple punches while they can do nothing.
6. Don’t forget just shooting webbing at enemies. With lesser enemies you can immobilise them for a good few seconds and if you kick them into a wall or other object while they’re webbed they’ll get stuck there. If you upgrade the right abilities you can do this with large enemies too, but if nothing else webbing is a useful distraction – although watch out because for some boss battles it doesn’t work at all, although the game will warn you of this.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – Sandman makes for a great tutorial boss (Picture: Sony)
7. There’s a lot of different moves and abilities in Spider-Man 2 but don’t forget the gadgets. Not only are there four you can access at any one time, but they can be upgraded too. These can launch enemies or web them up, but they can also be used in a combo so they’re very good for dealing with a sudden crowd of bad guys or if you need a bit of breathing space to heal.
8. Remember that you can still web swing while in combat. There’s no reason to just stay on the ground fighting and swinging around is very useful for not only catching a breather but scoping out where the enemies are. They can still attack you when you’re swinging, especially the ranged fighters, but it’s much harder for them and if you attack while swinging, by pressing the square button, you can give them a good hard kick.
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9. Side quests are always worth doing. The red alert ones are just random, and they do repeat, but there’s so many of them you’ll rarely do the same one twice and almost never in the same place. They also tend to be fairly short but they’re very useful for getting the items you need to upgrade your characters, so there’s always a useful reward even towards the end of the game, when you think you’ve seen them all.
10. Fast travel takes a long time to unlock for each area but despite what it seems it is possible to cross the river without web-swinging along a bridge. There are a number of buildings along the riverbanks that you can catapult from – just look for a catapult symbol on the mini-map. But there are also a number of air currents that cross the river and that you can glide along, which can get you to the other side very quickly. Some might not go exactly where you want but you can still get a big boost from them and glide the rest of the way under your own power.
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PS5 exclusive Spider-Man 2 is out now but whether you know the original or not our guide will help get to grips with all the new features.