Summary
After a couple of years of anticipation,Marvel’s Spider-Man 2is almost here. Players will soon be able to jump back into the shoes of its titular characters once more, but this time it will be doing things a bit differently. Since it is a sequel, it will of course include many new features including a larger open-world and new traversal mechanics. But perhaps one of the coolest additions comes in the form of seamless character switching, which feels like a modern version of one ofGrand Theft Auto 5’s best features.
Currently, there are two heroes donning the Spider-Man costume within Insomniac’s Marvel universe.Marvel’s Spider-Man 2will be putting both heroes at the forefront, and that means the studio needed to come up with a way for players to control both. While it could have just fully forced players to use them at pre-determined points in the story, it decided to give players the choice instead, at least in free roam. This seems like a fantastic addition to the formula, so hopefully it works well.
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Spider-Man 2’s Character Switching Looks Like GTA 5
UnlikeMarvel’s Spider-ManandMiles Morales,Marvel’s Spider-Man 2will see Peter Parker and Miles Morales team up to take down Kraven the Hunter. Somehow, Venom will also get involved, and many other classic Spider-Man villains will likely appear throughout the story. This should lead to a wild, fast-paced, and high-stakes adventure that Marvel fans will surely love. And it will likely be made even better by the brand-new character-switching mechanic Insomniac is introducing.
DuringMarvel’s Spider-Man 2’s story, players will be forced to take control of a specific Spider-Man depending upon what is happening. When they are not engaging in story content, players seem to have full control over who they want to be within the open world. With a simple button press, they will be able to switch between the two as they explore New York City. On top of that, players may even encounter the other Spider-Man as they complete activities across the city.
While this feature may sound unique, it actually feels like it was taken fromRockstar’sGrand Theft Auto 5, which is not a bad thing. In that game, players were able to seamlessly switch between the three protagonists on a whim. The camera would zoom out, search for that character, and then zoom back in. Players would be able to see whatever that character was doing and then take control of them for classicGrand Theft Autoshenanigans. It was a fantastic feature that helped giveGTA 5more life, yet almost no games have tried replicating it since.
Thatall seems to be changing withMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, and so far, it looks spectacular. The seamless switching helps breathe new life into the city while also giving the studio more flexibility in how it tells its story. It also gives players a ton of freedom to play the game how they want to play it, which is always great to see. If it works out well here, then hopefully more open-world games take notes, especially those that want to tell similar multi-protagonist stories.
Giving players this much control over who they play reallysetsMarvel’s Spider-Man 2apartfrom the rest of the series. Its inclusion also helps make the game feel more alive as both Spider-Men actually exist within the same world rather than one disappearing into the void until players have use of them. While it remains to be seen if the feature is as seamless as it sounds, so far, it seems like a fantastic addition. And ifGrand Theft Auto 5can do it in 2013, then there is no reasonMarvel’s Spider-Man 2cannot do it better in 2023.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2launches on October 20, exclusively for PS5.
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