Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 - A Masterful Mess 

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This game’s story suffers most from a runtime that’s way too short, with not enough room for plot points to breathe. What they had was fantastic, they just needed MORE of it to truly flesh out their ideas

I actually think an extra 5-10 hours of the story would have helped to flesh out more elements

I think a lot of it comes down to the full Symbiote arc being hard to adapt into things that aren’t long form. You need to build up so many elements in order for the eventual Peter Vs Venom conflict to land.

It seems like they should have spent more time developing Bully Lowenthal, rather than making him quickly over the course of a couple missions.

Wow that’s actually an incredible point about these two spidermen just helping people. Villains are not just villains they’re people and worth saving and giving a second chance like that is quite perfectly the definition of spiderman.

Killing off most the villains kinda shocked me. Especially made me mad because I’ve loved to see Kraven actually fight them, instead of just off screen.

Howard’s death made me cry more than any Spiderman movie ever. Such a heartbreaking moment.

I feel like the story is on paper about as good as the first one, but the narrative context in which it's told alongside the gameplay is spotty. For example, in the first one the early parts of the game start the main plot with pretty low stakes. Peter's just investigating this mysterious new gang, the FEAST center is being introduced, Peter's doing his job with Otto, etc. All of this is just setup, and during the setup players are given a lot of narrative room to breathe, i.e. do side missions and activities without feeling the urgency that would push them to run through the main story missions one after another. It feels like, between each main mission, Spider-Man would realistically have the time to do all this side stuff, and that makes you more connected with the world and characters as well as giving you a view into what it's like to juggle all these responsibilities. By the time the climax is approaching, the main missions get more urgent and it feels like Spider-Man wouldn't really pause to do side stuff as often because the things he's supposed to be doing are too important, but it's fine because this is the endgame and story-wise that heightened urgency makes sense. Spider-Man 2's main story is just way more urgent right from the beginning and doesn't really let up. Whereas the first game gave you lots of narrative space to do side activities and integrate yourself in the world early on, the second game presents you with these side activities while also constructing a main story in which either Spider-Man actually stopping to do those side activities doesn't make much sense. Multiple times it's made clear throughout the story that only a couple of days have passed, which is insane considering all the side stuff available to do; realistically this story should span a few weeks at least in order to give a better sense of time. Harry in particular is a character who suffers from this crunched timeline; the section of the story in which he's a hero fighting alongside the Spider-Men feels like it should take up more time, it feels like you should be doing more missions with him both in the main story and in the side activities so that when the time comes for his downfall it hits all the harder. But instead he shows up, is a hero for like two days, gives Peter a job that also only lasts maybe two days, and then everything blows up without for example getting into Peter having to juggle his new job with Harry while also worrying about Kraven etc., the same way he had to juggle his job with Otto while dealing with Li and the Demon gang. There are multiple scenes in the first Spider-Man game of Peter and Otto doing science stuff in their lab, slowly building up when Otto would turn evil, but in the second game Peter and Harry only get that one mission where you tour their workplace before it gets destroyed. Ultimately it's a problem of pacing. The early sections of the game should've given you more narrative space, then gotten more urgent as the plot reached it's climax, particularly as there's so many more plot threads in this one than in the first one.

The reason these games work for me is the Peter Parker and Miles Morales characters here are so down to earth and likeable. You just want them to succeed, come out on top, the way they've been written just makes you want good things for both of them.

It’s crazy they haven’t learned the lessons from Spider-Man 3. Peter had the black suit for YEARS before Venom showed up in the comics. Venom shouldn’t be the end of the the black suit storyline, he should be the sequel. Venom should have been teased at the end of this game as opposed to being rushed into the final act.

For me personally the Kraven & Symbiote arcs were absolutely the standouts. The game definitely gets really rushed towards the end with the Venom stuff which was just weird. Insomniacs's take on Kraven is perfect tho.

I enjoyed the Story a lot. The Story doesnt have the emotional Impact as the first but the Horror Elements, Boss Fights and Sidequests are great. A few more Hours with Harry would have been perfect but still the Climax with the Anti Venom Suit was my personal Highlight.

The calm talk with the old man at the is one of the hardest hitting moments. You can save someone from the most horrific disasters but ultimately mortality will never just disappear like a villain or problem. Even Spider-Man has to face the day when he has to come to terms with there being no tomorrow for him, whether or not he's ready.

I think the game lacks dynamics between the two main characters: Miles and Peter. They are basically the same person, until Peter gets infected by the symbiote. Even then, he is still a decent Peter until MJ uses a taser on him while he is sleeping (the bridge scene). So, essentially, everything that goes wrong after that is caused by MJ’s attempt to wake up Peter with a taser. Peter doesn’t do anything really bad when he is the symbiote Spider-Man. Yet, he is constantly pushed around and apologizing in the third act. The argument between him and MJ was supposed to be serious, but it was hilarious (“You’re just using me to pay the bank loans!” - “MJ, I’m sorry!” - “You’re holding me back!” - “Sorry, MJ!”). But we know for a fact that Peter was supporting her. And remember, BEFORE Peter, I mean, the Venom symbiote, went crazy in Pete’s sleep, BEFORE all that, everyone around Peter was like: Hey, MJ, guess what? This suit is a living organism! Peter, you need to take it off. But MJ… Screw you, Peter! The same goes for Miles and, for crying out loud, DANIKA’s PODCAST. How did she figure out that Spider-Man in black is “not the one we all knew before”? Pete hasn’t done ANYTHING. Then Peter gets home and tries to sleep, and then the bad stuff happens for the first time. And yes, Miles is also wearing black, so… why doesn’t Danika criticize him for being “scary”, etc.? Because the game designers wanted us to feel guilty, even though there was no real reason for it (not yet, at least). Sure, Harry is dying, but his father - I mean it - his father has already been working on “something else”, some other cure. And there’s even MORE to it - as we know from The Flame’s side quest, Oscorp cars were transporting ANOTHER PIECE of the symbiote somewhere. Why didn’t Norman use THIS part of the symbiote to merge with Harry? Why did he sell this symbiote to someone else? That’s some huge HYPOCRISY, Norman. Especially because in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 you played the role of a desperate father (which is a big downgrade from the last game’s Norman, who was a caring father AND a ruthless businessman/politician). About the suit, again… If the game designers wanted me to feel out of control, they should have come up with something better. Maybe let the symbiote mess with my controller, for example. Let it do its own thing for a few moments. For example, I’m trying to catch a guy and I need to press triangle, but the suit suddenly does something completely different. That would work, with some thought, of course. This game is full of lazy writing.

Bully Lowenthal was really great imo. The ending didnt hit me as much as the first one did. The Howard mission hurt me a lot more (especially after realizing it was Dave Fennoy from The Walking Dead game, if you know you know) All in all it was indeed a solid experience. Much more engaging open world me thinks.

Their's an event in this game that triggers randomly where if you walk behind a news reporter as Peter you'll get interviewed about if a hot dog is a sandwich. It's the little stuff that makes the game great.

The little side quests with Mysterio and Sandman were two of the most surprising parts in this game I could find. Sure the main story was amazing and I could feel the heart and soul they poured into this game but just the simple side missions of Mysterio and Sandman brought me some of the strongest emotions I have ever felt in a video game. The side quests for those 2 may be simple in gameplay but the story they tell especially for Sandman and hell even the old man had me close to tears. They are such beautiful moments that I just never could've expected from this game.

Love how Martin Li wears black when reformed compared to him in white when evil. I loved that , wardrobe has been slept on in this game IMO

I loved this. I loved this game. It may sound silly...but at the start of the year I considered packing it all in. I kept going because I told myself I needed to play this game. I cried more than a few times as I played. This game literally saved my life. A Masterful Mess sums it up so well I'm actually typing this through tears. Thanks. I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

It’s always extra special when High Top Films releases a Spider-Man video, especially since… I’m something of a Spider-Man fan myself lol

I personally loved this story I just wish it lasted longer.

The best part about giving that Blind Old Woman the robot dog is realing who that character is. Her name is Alma. Al. She's Blind Al, as in the woman that Deadpool lives with most of the time. Insomniac did a wonderful job at hinting a little more of the wider Marvel universe with this one, with the Baxter building, the Wand of Watoomb and a few other little easter eggs here & there like Nelson & Murdock having closed down (edit, Nelson & Murdock is still there. They forgot to put the sign in, it's back now)

Sadly Miles was the one who dragged the story down this time. He had almost nothing to do with the main story then stole the Spotlight in the end all of a sudden, leaving Peter behind in what was supposed to be HIS story.

I have to say I was disappointed by how little Peter is impacted by what he’s done with the black suit. He feels guilty, yes, but he kinda returns to his usual self pretty quickly. The game itself basically tells us in our faces that we should draw a parallel between Peter’s downfall with the symbiote and Otto’s in the first game. Peter’s egotistical rant to Miles during their fight, the fact that Peter stares at the destroyed antenna where he fought Doc Ock before confronting Harry… he almost became his worst enemy, he’s aware of it, and he kinda gets over it as if it was a bad hangover.

I think the game really could have used a mission where Miles and Agent Venom Harry work together for some kind of mission, build up that rivalry and relationship between the two. Also, a "round 1" fight against Venom before the main invasion where Peter and Miles get absolutely bodied, show us how powerful Venom is and how their failure led to the invasion, making their rematch even more eventful. Otherwise, I think the story was fantastic the whole way through.

I love your takes. This was a great story, but I just needed it to flesh out its themes. It felt like it was hitting bullet points. I wanted longer with Peter’s day to day activities.

"harry venom works" LMFAOOOOOOO

I do prefer Spider-Man ps4's story a bit more but this is by far the most fun I think I've had in a game. The story too, I loved I just think they could've handled some things differently. Peter and Harry's relationship really resonated with me because that's literally what me and my best friend would do if we found out one of us had this cool black suit, it was just really wholesome and I really didn't want Harry to fall from grace like he did.

I lost my grandfather to Alzheimer 4 years ago, needless to say, that scene in the park, broke me on so many levels, because it truly felt so real, however I wasn’t “sad” per se, in a weird way, it felt like the conversation I could never have, and it honestly baffles me how that form of emotional connection, happened in a game about my favorite super hero since I was a child, which gave me a moment, so to speak, with my real life, fallen hero, so yeah, I’ll always remember this game very very fondly

Not only do I think this story was extremely rushed but also I think I’m tired of insomniac telling the most incredibly safe spidermen stories possible. Nothing they’ve done so far feels like a big risk

I love this video. This ending Alex...you get it. The strongest feelings and greatest storytelling in those smaller moments actually had me crying a bit. And the Harry thing genuinely was crushing. I was so happy when Miles did what he could to save Harry, even though they've only formally met one time. Knowing it means the world to Pete to save him was all the reason he needed to try. Beautiful. Love you Alex. Hope you're doing well too.❤

Easily the best take I've seen on the game. You've managed to express my exact thoughts and feelings better than i ever could. The black suit story has a very strong place in my heart after my battle with addiction I hope Insomniac makes the third game a more grounded and even more personal story, with New york feeling more like its own character. Until then, it's going to be a long wait.

The thing with the symbiote has always seemed like a missed opportunity to me. The symbiote story usually ends with Peter apologising for how he mistreated the people around him when he had the suit on and at the end of the day, the symbiote is labelled the evil thing and should be destroyed. When rather, it was only amplifying emotions that were already stored within Peter. I think it could have been an opportunity to take a look at Peter's mental state and health. Bcos, now matter how much we don't want to talk abt it, Pete has a difficult life which he doesn't deserve. Losing loved ones, living in poverty most of the them, being surrounded by violence, death and psychopathic villains who want to hurt him every single day. He doesn't have an outlet for his emotions and just buries it within. If Pete is busy saving everyone else then who saves Pete. Instead of Pete getting something or someone to give him the little happiness he deserves, he rather gets Mary Jane telling him of how selfish he is and blaming him for his heroism. I wouldn't have expected to hear a worse joke. Peter Parker, the boy who basically threw away happiness and peace for the sake of others is selfish. For all the many years of spiderman what does he have to show for it. Broken bones, bruises and dead loved ones and Mary Jane. Idealise "with great power comes great respect" all you want but to me, the greatest mistake Pete made was to put on the mask No good deed goes unpunished thwy say. Ultimately, I think the symbiote could have been rather tamed than thrown away. Just like with people, you need to incorporate your darkside into your life. Not totally disregard it. To me the game wasn't anything groundbreaking but I think it's good for what it is but the story and how it's handled was one of the worst parts.

Bully Lowenthal and Tony Todd Venom are the best thing to ever happen to an audiovisual Spiderman piece of work. I still get chills at moments like the Miles vs Peter fight, the Venom "birth" and so on. And the MJ mission escaping from Peter... simply masterful.

Peter becoming antivenom is a third act power up that stands in the way of his development and what the character is about. Spiderman can get those power ups throughout the story and the plot can use them just enough until it's satisfied, but when it comes down to his most important battles, he must overcome that obstacle by his own strength. The mister negative and miles conclusion would had been a waste not to had been used on antivenom, but it did stand in the way of something probably more important.

It’s a genuine miracle they did get all these things packed into this story. Peter: this game with all the shit going on just shows how beat down Peter is after being Spider-Man. Then getting the symbiote he feels like he can be everything he’s supposed to be and it’s hard to watch him deal with all of that. While in the end he finally realizes it’s ok to take time on himself and be better for his friends and family. Miles: miles accepting his fathers deaths and not letting revenge consume hims is just incredible. It brought me to tears when li is in his head and bringing up all the visions of his friends and family and it’s sad because it show miles is feeling like it’s all from his head and then his dad telling him he’s disappointed in him just shows how afraid miles is of letting everyone down. Then for him to rise above it all and pick himself back up and show Martin li mercy and set li on a path to trying to be better is just peak Spider-Man. It’s an actual miracle they got this story to work.

My only problem is how miles was written in this game… don’t get me wrong he’s my boy and I love him but it’s annoying how he’s had no flaws in this game and always saving Peter. He never actually struggled like he did in him own game. An example of this was Peter vs miles battle it was too easy not In terms of gameplay but how easily miles over powers Peter without any struggle. I get that they want to make him the main spiderman man but it just feels too forced, up until now miles haven’t lost/sacrificed the level Peter has… what I’m trying to get at is make miles his own spiderman make him struggle like Peter and make him over come that and become the hero he can be

i’m glad i’m not the only one who thought the story was messy. the first one was so tightly held together in comparison. i loved the game, i loved a lot of the moments, set pieces, quieter moments, & improvements to the gameplay. i’m ready for new game plus, but the story did feel as i was playing it a bit all over the place

I hated how miles was the one to save peter from the suit, the boss battle was amazing but i wish it woukd have ended with peter removing it himself to show his willpower

Only thing I don’t like was how Peter almost died like 5 times lol. Also, Guy legit went out of commission when he had been through worse. It just felt strange how it was told. It’s like the executives said “make Peter almost die a few times, idc how” to the writers.

Completely random but the anti venom suit having Todd mcfarland eyes was such a nostalgia high

I’m glad you enjoyed it and felt it meshed despite being a mess. I didn’t, i felt Miles story was empty and had no real connective tissue to the main story. I also think Venom is way over done that said the connection with Harry was great, just wish the game didn’t feel like a rush to get to these beats in the story. That said many of the side quest were great, wasn’t exactly feeling the specific community ones but loved the overall NY and individual ones.

this is something that i feel like most people ignore when it comes to any story. you can have a interesting story, but it wont meat its peak if it doesn't have emotion. people tend to criticize the game for having a messy story, but also failed to consider if they connect. this is a game that has a lot of hart and soul put into it and its annoying hearing people call it garbage for mostly no reason. ive seen alot of movies and betten alot of games, but i never played a game that had this much care put into it. this is such a brilliant game that people don't seem to trully understand

I want to thank you Hitop for not only your content and you sharing your love of good stories but inspiring me to be a storyteller myself. Thank you for sharing your love man.

I love how you speak with pure genuine with no shame or regard of people meme-ing your sincerity. I love that so much.

One think I love about these games is the fact that the characters are growing but so is their supporting cast which is just so refreshing in superhero media

something i really, and i mean REALLY liked that you didn't mention here was Scream. I know that Scream itself feels a bit forced in, but the fact that it's MJ in the symbiote is what made me feel. Or rather, the things she said to Peter while under the symbiote's influence. It reminded me of some of the arguments I've had with my own partner. It felt real. It might just be me, because I have a messy relationship, but it really felt like the people talking weren't super powered spider mutants and alien hosts, but real people. Which is what Spider-Man is all about in the first place

your videos, your words make my heart warm. you make my eyes dry, thank you. thank you for make me feel, allow me to feel, empathize and understand. i have watched you since this spring; the video which tells the batman villian who shape his face got feelings on me, the video which tells the raimi's spider-man movies got feelings on me, many had got feelings on me but this one, literally made me cry. thank you.

let’s be real. miles should have had standalone games. to allow the other parts of peter’s story to breathe. could’ve invested more time in the symbiote gameplay(ex: web of shadows) and more time as Venom. Also Kraven could’ve actually been hunting you. using your villains to learn how you fight to then try and kill you later on. a lot of missed opportunities like @HiTopFilms said. disappointing really. also, before i forget; they nerfed peter. he gets saved like 3 or 4 times. bro, he’s spider-man. i can’t fathom the amount of disrespect this character got 😂. i hope they correct course because this is definitely downhill story wise from the first game. if not, guess i’m not buying from them anymore.

*SPOILERS* (My thoughts on Kraven) Kraven is good, but I feel like he would have wanted the symbiote for himself. If only he knew it could prolong his life *AND* make him *THE* apex predator. Kraven pulled the same move on Peter as he did on Scorpion, so I feel like he would’ve figured out that the black suit was the reason he lived. If I found out that I was terminally ill and knew about the symbiote, I’d want to take it for myself. I wish Kraven was a version of venom in this game. It would’ve been different and awesome because it lines up with him wanting to be the greatest hunter. Going from wanting to be worthy enough to die at the hand of his greatest hunt to becoming the greatest hunt. Harry would probably die, but it would still set up Norman hating Spider-Man. (This was my comment on Jermey Jahns’ review)

I think Venom was done a massive disservice. He was reduced to assimilationist alien and hulking brute, his relationship with Eddie Brock is what makes him special as a character. The entire third act felt extremely rushed too.

They are KINDA forcing Miles and websuit too much when it was about Peter and swinging from the begging. However they had to leave something for the 3rd game which will obviously be grand finale.

You don't know how long I've been waiting for your video about this man. Your video about the original Spider-Man lives rent free in my head and I love you felt the same way I did about this sequel

This might be one of the most emotional ones I've ever watched you did such a good job with this one I'm very proud of you for doing this

18:40 HiTop cut out the part where peter said, "but it's gunna hurt first" lmao 🤣

Ngl, and this is an unpopular take, but I think Spider-Man 2 is better than the first game in every way. This was as close to the perfect Spider-Man game as I think we're likely to ever get.

"Peter loses people close to him no matter how hard he tries to save everyone." Paraphrased you a bit there. But that line right there describes Spider-man to a tee. That is why I hated the Across the Spiderverse movie (I really enjoyed the first film). What poisoned my feelings about the sequel was the whole CANON mentality between everyone in the Spider society. The whole 'someone close to Spider-man is fated to die to solidify them being Spider-man/woman/Person, or Pig. And so they have to let that particular close person die (and that every single spider-person in that multiversal group believed in and supported in that idea). And that crossed the line for me and poisoned my experience with the film, because there is no way in hell that the character (no matter what universe they are from) going along with it and then letting a Gwen, Captain Stacy, MJ, Jameson, Aunt May etc then die just to please some canonical balance. They were would try to save everyone, even if they would then fail to save someone during the attempt. Spider-man. Will. Always. Try. To. Save. People. No. Matter. Whom they. Were. Also, the whole there should be no Miles in any Universe. Did the makers forget that Insomniac's Spider universe naturally has a Miles, because they put the game's Peter in the film too. And 616 has Miles as well. I dont know. O.o

This game absolutely NAILED side stories. I'll probably always prefer the main story of the first game and remember it more fondly because it felt a lot more focused, but the side stories in this one will stick with me even more than that because they just felt like they embodied the "friendly neighborhood" aspect of this character FLAWLESSLY. The side stories often feel like if you replaced Spidey with a normal, non-powered person just trying to do the right thing, they would make just as much sense.

Props to them for making the Peter/Harry relationship so wholesome you practically dread the moment Peter inevitably dons the symbiote and sends Harry spiraling back into sickness. And even the excitement of using symbiote powers gets sobered up the moment Peter nearly kills MJ and lashes out at Harry. And wholesome enough to make me wanna do the Emily-May side missions even after things go bad.

Interactive media like video games are so special because they can do what movies can’t, the emotions that well up inside when you’re heralding the pidgeons away while in the back of your mind you’re worried for what Howard might be insinuating is an experinace like no other for me. The screaming of the symbiote when you use the surge for the first time coming from the controller itself, even something as simple as the small taps across your controller as the character takes a step is so fantastic.

Peter's "I love you" was such a genuine brotherly love, that you're right, we don't get to see all that often. My feelings after that moment were just, Yeah of course peter would say that to his best friend and of course he would mean it with every inch of his heart. I loved it.

This story hit emotionally hardest out of anything, the layered themes in story tie everything together so nicely with Yuri Lowenthal's performance being the rock solid core of the game, I don't think there is a venom story out there that connects more for me, at least not as a Origin. Instead of being this bitter revenge seeking monster, it's this desperate warped obsessions made of Harry's love for Peter, and symbiote desire and pain from rejection from Peter. And having that not only juxtaposed to Peter's guilt for his actions in the suit but his desire to save Harry? It's incredible not to mention all the other various moments in the game. But that scene of going into the subway without Miles because Peter is so desperate to Save Harry will stick with me forever. Lowenthal's acting there along with Tony Todd's is so strong.

Yeah your video really summed up my thoughts, where each individual part was really good but became less than the sum of its parts because it was juggling so much while not dedicating more time to alot more things. But the things that lingered were the side quests, spiderman talk with the dying man, Howard, and just little interactions on the street really felt incredible and balanced the darkness of being spiderman in the main story with the joy and community of the side quests

Honestly, a small moment that will stick with me forever is when young Peter punches a hole in the wall and tries to hide it. May comes upstairs and sees the hole, and teaches him about finding balance. That it's a journey, not a destination. It just really struck a chord with me.

why do your videos always put a lump in my throat or make me cry. your passion is insane man

Thank you for uploading in 4k and this aspect ratio, looks phenomenal

Sadly I do disagree The best way I can describe this game is like this - you go to a Michelin star restaurant and order their finest wagyu stake, and that’s all they give you, just the stake on a plate, granted the stake is good, but there’s no garnish, no side, no wine, no presentation, a lot of what you would normally take for granted, the small stuff is missing, and god did I feel it in this game For example, you get nothing in this game that ties Miles or Peter to the people of NYC - in the last game, there was that social feed on the map? God I spent an embarrassing amount of time reading through all of it, and seeing it update as I did the small crime events? Brilliant - again very small, but went a long way in feeling grounded Another example, Feast. Feast did a great thing having Peter be Peter while caring for the downtrodden folks of NYC, seeing them have real issues, seeing them cope, what happened in SM2? Danica and Jameson are hardly enough to convince me as to the state of NYC’s public, and I was hoping the EMF was going to be something along those lines, but it lasted for only a moment it felt like - it would be nice to just have gotten a day in the life of Peter working at EMF, but not even a day - it felt disconnected from all of NYC To add further, what happened to NYC’s public offices? Did they get lobotomized from the last game? Where are the fire fighters and police when the cultists are burning stuff down?! Where are the ambulances?? Why does everything seem to only function when spidey is around? Now I know we carry citizens to ambulances and that’s great that we have that interaction with them, but again, why does that come at the lobotomy of the emergency services in nyc? Cops should be trying to stop car chases, and cultists, fire fighters should be on lockdown with the whacky cultists trying to burn down buildings and gas tankers - it just seems like NYC all of a sudden can’t do anything for itself without Spider-Man anymore There is more, like, why does it feel like that hunters are only Spidey’s problem, like I don’t feel like the hunters bother anyone other than Pete, Miles, and their own entourage - why did we not see more of Kraven - why are the Hunters the ONLY faction we contend with, symbiotes don’t count - and one big thing, WHY WAS SANDMAN ONLY A MINOR INTRO??? WHY DID HIS SIDE WUEST JUST… END? So unceremoniously, like “here’s a little statuete little keemia, bye now” - that’s it? - why was there no Kingpin payoff to Miles’ side quest from his spinoff? Further about miles, why am I running around his school doing chores? Like come on I KNOW he has more cooking in his story than glorified school chores There is likely more I can delve into, but this has to end somewhere, so I will end it here - it simply feels like in trying to do so much, they of course, had to trim away a lot of the fat, but in the process cut away slivers of meat too TLDR - Game Good, Story Rushed, Too Little Time With Everything (Alien, Friends, and NYC)

writers more focused on pushing their "look at me, i'm holier than thou" agenda than on writing a good spidah dude story

Tbh, this is THE BEST game I’ve ever played!⚡️ The visuals, the action, the gameplay, the traversal, the villains, the story and everything else was just top notch. For me, this game’s story was more epic, while the first game’s story was a bit more emotional. So, I’m actually divided as to which story I like more. But, both of these games are absolute masterpieces imo. Overall, this game topped the first one for me.

Yeah that miles suit at the end was trash

Man, I ADORE your videos dude. Every video I watch you just hit the nail on the head. You just get it. Art is supposed to make you feel that’s what it is that’s what it’s supposed to be. When people like the geniuses at insomniac get to tell a story that they’re clearly just as passionate about as we are amazing things happen. This game made me feel and that’s why I love it

I'm really glad you touched upon two of the most important parts of this game for me. Firstly, male friendship and love. I really like how mature and vulnerable we saw Pete with both Miles and Harry and it struck a cord with me because that's what I want and expect from my friends and to see it depicted here so healthily really touched my heart

They spent too much time trying to make MJ more important.. it took away from the star: which is, supposed to be Spider-Man imo. It was the MJ show a little too often, and I thought her segments were boring as hell!

I’m glad that you touched on the side missions. THAT is what Spiderman is to me: helping someone ask their bf to prom, or sitting on a bench with a grandfather until his granddaughter finds him. Insomniac absolutely gets Spiderman, and i love this universe they have created. The way they are able to make a story where the climax is a Symbiote invasion feel so human is so good. Even though this game isn’t perfect, i loved it and my only “complaint” is that i wish that i got to spend more time with these characters

They focused on way too much playable side characters instead for the content, like MJ and they made you play a mission as Hailey, like bruhh, why? Smh The only side missions I enjoyed doing were the Flame for Peter and Mysterio’s challenges for Miles 😬👀

That vast emptiness after the platinum is no joke.😂

I really loved spiderman 2. It’s just unfortunate that it feels like a whole chapter is missing. Giving a deeper exploration of Peter, the symbiote, harry, more of the villains, and all the relationships and conflict involved. But in the end it still made me feel so much joy and cry. It’s still an amazing game. Well done, Insomniac

I finished the game last night, and this video sums up my feelings so well. It really was an amazing experience. Also, I haven't seen anyone talk about it, but Mr Negative creating Anti-Venom? That is genius. The best recombination of ideas. It feels like it should have been that way in the first place in the comics, because it works so well. I got hyped when I started to see that they were building toward it and cheered when it was revealed.

Been waiting for this one! ❤ I cried 3 times through out the game, The bench talk, Howard’s mission, and the end of the game.

This video hit the nail on the head, where the game spray falls short as a game it excels as an experience. You’re not just mashing and punching your way through hordes to of enemies to get to some sacred final boss. You’re not only fighting people with their own intentions tho misguided, while also balancing the aspect of just helping the every day person. I love this game.

I get your opinion about the pacing and how concise everything is written may be messy, but I enjoyed how everything was fleshed out. The devs maybe could have expanded aspects of the story like you mentioned but for me, it felt perfect. This year for a Spider-Man fan was a treat with the release of Across the Spider-Verse and this game Best of health my guy

Man These videos always put a tear in my eye. You get it. You truly feel the same way I imagine a lot of us do about spiderman. Thank you Alex

13:20 Amazing Spider-Man Annual 21 happened less than 10 issues before Venom and Amazing Spider-Man 337 came out 37 issues after Venom.

the mission with the grandfather on the bench in the park broke me. I had already finished all the epic set pieces and boss battles in the main story by that point and I thought I had already seen all my favorite moments in the game. Then I started what I assumed to be just a side mission that may be cool but that I'd quickly forget about and would be buried underneath the enormity of the main story's climax. However the second I saw Peter nod to the old man talking. The second I saw him giving this old man talking about love and about losing himself his full attention. The rest of the game melted away and my face was filled with tears. That moment of Spider-Man taking his time to just listen to an old man in the park has stuck with me the most. It is the moment of the entire game that I think of first when reflecting on my time with it. So very glad your video brings such high emphasis on these moments, and the editing in your video was stellar enough to make me cry for these more down to earth and heartfelt scenes all over again. Nobody quite understands Spider-Man like Insomniac. Beautiful video! Was excited to hear what you had to say on it ever since I finished the game myself.

I think its because we have lost our patience That power to take the story slow and absorb each mission is gone

As a venom fan , I hated this game's portrayal of Venom. What makes Venom special is that he doesn't want power or rule the world . He just wants to kill peter parker because he is jealous of him, he blames all of his problems on him . Eddie and Peter are great parallels to each other in the comics because both are technically the same person , but yet they are so different . Peter grew up in a safe environment provided by his uncle Ben, and aunt may that helped mature Peter. Meanwhile, Eddie he had no one his mother died at childbirth, and his father was a dark reflection of Uncle Ben, someone who doesn't care about their own son , some one that twists his child's own belief to benefit his own agenda . Both Peter and Eddie are good people at heart but what differentiates them is that Eddie is more reckless and irresponsible and blames his mistakes on others its like if Peter only blamed uncle Ben's killer only and not himself. That's why Eddie is the perfect antithesis to Peter and his perfect dark reflection

Side note outside of topic at hand, your videos are so satisfying to look at on mobile(I’m specifically on a newer iPhone) idk that aspect ratio just be hitting

‘i platinum trophy, got that 100% and then felt the vast emptiness inside my soul’ yep third times the charm

man just say if it was good or bad, "masterful mess" jesus

I'm glad there are people like you who know what a good story is. I have the feeling that people these days in particular find "crazy" things good. The standards for "good" stories have fallen extremely. A lot of people don't understand that a simple story can be a thousand times better than an action story where something happens every second. There is no calm point and no extreme points. Its so annoying to see that they want to top everything in the next sec. Give us time to breath. Symbiote Peter, Kraven, Lizard, Negative, Scream, Venom, and then King of Black Venom with Web of Shadows in that short time? That's just too many things at once. A story needs development. Spider-Man 1 was about a virus that hit NYC. Suddenly, out of nowhere, it's about saving the whole world. Either Venom should be weaker or Venom should have come in part 3 but then in part 2 it has to be a threat to all of America so that Venom can try to save the whole world. Sometimes simple things are the best. 12 Angry Men is just about men sitting in a room having a discussion and it's unbelievable good. No action or attempts to top it. It has its highlights and quiet points. Spider-Man 2 was a complete disaster when it came to the story and that's a real shame because I saw how good Spider-Man 1 was with the story. I think it's a shame that Insomniac Spider-Man fans in particular hardly allow any criticism. For them, everything is a 10/10 no matter how bad something is. The gameplay is a 9/10. I always thought that the story of a game can't change the feel of a game because the gameplay is the most important thing, however Spider-Man 2 showed how important the story is in a solo game.

I have been waiting for this video from you , ever since I saw part 1 video. Thank you.

This is the review i most vibe with out of all the analysis videos. Thank you for putting perfectly into words what was in my brain. Great video. 👍

In my personal opinion, I found the game's story to be somewhat bloated and lacking a strong emotional impact. However, when it comes to the technical and game development aspects, it's clear that the game has achieved a new high for superhero games, surpassing expectations and reaching impressive heights. The team at Insomniac should be commended for their outstanding work. Unlike the previous game, I believe that focusing on one primary villain and taking creative liberties with Venom could have made the story more interesting and impactful. While the third act with the Venom invasion had its cool moments, it left much to be desired. I think game developers often aim to diversify enemy types and thwart Venom's invasion to "heal the world" tagline scheme, which I understand. However, I felt that the game could have benefited from a more personal story that delves into the inner demons of its characters. For instance, when Harry turned into Venom, I didn't feel a strong emotional connection. Although the game provided flashbacks and a narrative basis to help us care about Harry as a character, his transformation didn't evoke much emotion in me. In my opinion, Norman would have been a better candidate as Venom, showing his descent into disgrace as a mayor and his desperation to save his loved ones. This could have created a reflective character arc, with Peter grappling with the loss of Aunt May from the first game and his belief that becoming a better Spider-Man would make him a better person. Exploring the theme of individuals going to great lengths to save their loved ones and prevent them from suffering could have been a compelling character study, shedding light on the inner pain and struggles of broken individuals. These are just my thoughts on the matter. Overall, while the game's technical aspects shine, the story didn't have the same impact as its predecessor in my opinion.

This game was a masterpiece as far as I’m concerned, there was just as much emotion & depth as the first game, i disagree with those that say the black suit story felt rushed, we had it long enough to suit the stories purpose, I would love the insomniac spider-man games to get a live action movie franchise cause these stories are perfect spider-man stories

When i saw spiderman and venom fight at midtown highs football field i felt like a child again playing ultimate spiderman

I did feel while playing that things might have been a big too big on the scale. Compare the beginning of spider-man 1 to 2 for example. I feel like they brought venom in way too late and i think they jumped the shark going into knull and the symbiotes taking over the city. I honestly thought Kraven was gonna gonna turn out to be venom, the symbiote healing him and making him the apex predator, Leaving Harry to take the goblin formula. Hell im thinking they maybe should have kept venom to the third game. Looking back though i kinda wish the main focus was kraven with him turning into venom and then maybe at the end of the story it going back to harry, taking what it learned from kraven and turning harry with his resentment into venom. It's a ramble but i do feel like a lot of the game just fell apart at the end

Can you make a video about the ways AVI ARAD ruined Marvel movies? And how he's gonna ruin KRAVEN, VENOM 3 and BORDERLANDS?

Another HiTop Films banger, the man does not miss. Also, love the suit choices you went with.

In a game where Side content includes Cletus Kasady, Chameleon and a Spider-Verse Easter egg, my favorite mission turned out to be the Grandpa Earl side mission with how down to earth and human it felt