Spider-Man 2 on the PS5 has twice the spider-men, twice the emo fun

theverge.com:

The first Spider-Man game from Insomniac was proof of just how fun it could be to play as the web-slinger. It nailed the feeling of momentum and grace inherent in the character and fused it with a solid — if at times formulaic — open-world action game. Two years later, the studio kept things going with a smaller, tighter spinoff focused on Miles Morales. Now comes the inevitable full sequel, which not only has a two in the name but also two spider-men to play as.

Spider-Man 2 doesn’t change things up substantially. Instead, it’s the kind of sequel that smartly builds upon the original. The side missions can still be dull, but the main storyline — which involves a murderous Kraven the Hunter and a new take on Venom — is excellent, putting the series firmly in its emo era. And still feels as good as ever to be Spider-Man — no matter which one you’re controlling.

Things start off with a helpful recap. Miles is trying hard to fill out a college application, and he calls Peter for help, with the two going over just how much has happened over the last few years. Both are just a little bit older and more mature here; at the very beginning of the game, Peter has started a job as a science teacher at Miles’ school. One of the main narrative themes in Spider-Man 2 — as in a lot of Spider-Man stories — is how hard it is to balance being a hero with being a person. The game wastes no time getting to this: just as Peter introduces himself to the class, he and Miles are forced to deal with gigantic Sandman assaulting the city.

There’s actually quite a lot going on in the main story, with multiple threats coming from multiple villains. Sandman is just a teaser. Eventually, the spider duo is confronted with Kraven the Hunter, who is