With the second half of 2023 creeping closer with each passing day, anticipation forMarvel’s Spider-Man 2is continuing to grow. Insomniac’s sequel to the hitMarvel’s Spider-Manhas been at the front of many gamers' minds since it was revealed in 2021, and the minimal amount of content shown since then has created more questions than answers. What little info was shared in the reveal demonstrated howMarvel’s Spider-Man 2will be expanding on the foundation built by the first game, but there’s one mechanic in particular that leaves Insomniac with a very important decision to make.
Marvel’s Spider-Manfeatured a wide range of gadgets for Peter Parker to take down enemies with. From his standard web shooters to web trip mines, these unlockable gadgets diversified gameplay and helped provide a tangible sense of progression. It’s unclear howMarvel’s Spider-Man 2will approach the wall-crawler’s gadgets, but it’s essential that Insomniac handles the mechanic in a way that doesn’t make Peter or Miles feel weaker than they did in previous games. to accomplish this, Insomniac should look tothe recently releasedStar Wars Jedi: Survivorfor inspiration.
RELATED:If Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Plot Leak is True, The First Game’s DLC Is Must-Play
How Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Handles Abilities Across Sequels
In franchises that rely on unlockable abilities to convey progression, it’s typical for a sequel in that franchise to start gamers off from square one. TheMetroidfranchise is one of the strongest examples of this, asSamus Aran’s Power Suitloses all of its abilities at the start of each game. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with this mechanic if it’s implemented well,Star Wars Jedi: Survivortook a different approach that allowed for a continued sense of progression. It also did so without compromising the established narrative, ensuring the importance ofFallen Order’s story wasn’t diminished in any way.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s core gameplay mechanics revolve aroundCal Kestis' Force abilities.Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Ordersaw Cal relearning many Force abilities while recovering from the trauma of Order 66, making these abilities a part of the narrative as much as they were a part of gameplay.Jedi: Survivorwisely allowed Cal to keep these abilities, as doing otherwise would trivialize the core ofFallen Order’s narrative. It also helps Cal actually feel like a trained Jedi Knight when going fromSurvivortoFallen Order, instead of making him weaker for the sake of giving players something to unlock again.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Should Let the Spider-Men Keep Most of Their Gadgets
When it comes toMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, it would likely be best if Insomniac took a similar approach toJedi: Survivor. Gamers already know thatPeter Parker has been Spider-Man for years, and at this point, Miles Morales has been Spider-Man for some time as well. While the game could justify a gadget reset through narrative means, allowing Peter and Miles to keep most of the ones fromMarvel’s Spider-ManandMiles Moraleswould ensure they still feel like the capable heroes they are. It would also prevent the sequel from feeling like it’s treading old ground just to give players something to work toward.
Balancing the innovation of a sequel with the established mechanics of a franchise is tricky business for every developer, and that’s arguably most true when it comes to diversifying gameplay. While theMetroidway of doing things has proven reliable for decades,Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s handling of abilitiesensures a feeling of progression across games.Marvel’s Spider-Man 2could very well clean the slate on Peter and Miles' gadgets and still provide a stellar experience, but giving them at least a few from the first game could help the sequel feel like a true step forward for the franchise.
