Positives:
- Retains all of the fantastic elements that have made Insomniac's previous "Spider-Man" games incredible.
- It's awesome getting to play as Peter and Miles, and both have nice variations of each others' playstyles.
- Mary-Jane has also gotten a huge boost as far as gameplay here: her sections are much better.
- Combat is just as gripping as ever, and the Symbiote powers are awesome.
- Traversal is made even better thanks to the Web Wings.
- New York remains just as beautiful and interesting to explore as ever.
- Storytelling is amazing; you can tell Insomniac truly cares about the "Spider-Man" franchise here.
- Some wonderful emotional moments all throughout; Peter's relationships with Miles, MJ, and Harry are tested in very interesting ways.
- Acting is top-notch: huge credit to Nadji Jeter, Laura Bailey, Graham Phillips, and ESPECIALLY Yuri Lowenthal.
- Great writing on the villains, too.
- Main game is a touch short, but that's a good thing; it doesn't overstay its welcome, and there's plenty to do beyond the main story.
Negatives:
- A few very minuscule bugs that ultimately don't detract from the experience whatsoever.
Consensus: As someone who considers Spider-Man to be his favorite superhero, "Marvel's Spider-Man 2" is everything I could've wanted out of a proper sequel to Insomniac's previous adventure. From both a gameplay and narrative perspective, this had me from the jump and never let me go. I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being my Game of the Year for 2023. Having grown up with Insomniac, it's been incredible to see what they've done over the last two generations, and I can't wait to see what they do with "Wolverine."
Final rating: 10 out of 10 "Fantastic"