At the recent Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Insomniac showed off a new story trailer for the highly anticipated sequel, in addition to which the developer has also revealed some new details on what to expect from its narrative.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will be set roughly nine months after the events of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, according to Insomniac, and in the time that Peter and Miles have spent working together protecting New York as Spider-Men, they have become a “well-oiled machine”. At the same time, however, they’re also struggling in their own personal lives in different ways, while interestingly enough, J. Jonah Jameson has also left behind his podcast and returned to The Daily Bugle.
“At the beginning of our story, our Spider-Men are at the top of their game,” says senior narrative director Jon Paquette. “But both Peter Parker and Miles Morales are struggling with their personal lives. Miles is trying to find time to write his college entrance essay, but he keeps procrastinating and focusing on Spider-Work instead. Meanwhile, Peter is underwater on payments for Aunt May’s house, but he can’t sell, it means too much to him. And just like Miles, Peter tries (and fails) to find balance with so many responsibilities. MJ wants to help Pete with the mortgage, but her job is on the line now that J. Jonah Jameson is back at the Bugle and looking to clean house. Our heroes have arrived at a confluence of crossroads, with uncertain futures, and some tough decisions ahead.”
Miles, meanwhile, is also still struggling to cope with the traumatic events he went through in the original game, while the person responsible for them – Martin Li, a.k.a. Mister Negative – is still around, and was even glimpsed in the recent story trailer. Add to all of that the cause erupting in New York with the arrival of Kraven the Hunter and the new threat of the Symbiote, and it’s clear that things are going to get complicated, to say the least.
Speaking of which, Paquette and senior creative director Bryan Intihar have also spoken more about the game’s central antagonist, Venom, who’s played by Tony Todd, what he will bring to the story, and how his arrival will bring about a unique tonal shift to set the game apart from its two predecessors.
“Our philosophy has always been that we want to respect the history of the franchise and the Spider-Man DNA, but also not be afraid to mix things up,” Intihar said. “The same holds true for one of its iconic characters, Venom. While the look of the character and several of his powers/abilities should be familiar to fans, this will be a unique Venom story that we are excited for everyone to experience this October.”
Paquette added, “When we decided to craft a Venom story, we knew we’d be making a bit of a tone shift. The best symbiote stories serve as an allegory: We all have darkness inside of us– but what would happen if we let it take over? With the introduction of the symbiote into our franchise, our heroes are forced to battle darkness, in all its forms. We wanted to see them change, both inside and outside, and feel the effect it has on those around them. And when Venom takes control, they face the real danger that they could lose themselves, and their loved ones, forever.”
Speaking about the visual design of Venom and his suit in the game, senior art director Jacinda Chew said, “Our Venom was inspired by the comics, but there have been so many interpretations that it was fun to pick and choose what fits the game. He has a unique take on the white spider icon and has the anatomy of a human. He also has powerful tendril attacks that can take many forms. It was challenging to find the right balance between liquid and solid in Venom’s materials as going too watery makes him look weak and going too solid can quickly turn him into a tentacle monster. Venom must look both powerful and semi liquid at the same time.”
Some brief new details have also been revealed by the developers on Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s open world and some of its new traversal mechanics. Read more on that through here.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 launches for PS5 on October 20. Sony has also revealed a Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Limited Edition PS5 Bundle.
