Marvelâs Spider-Man 2 released October 20 with fanfare worthy of the vibrant New York City where itâs set, becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation exclusive and igniting pertinent conversations about its protagonistsâ asses. Below the surface, the direct sequel to developer Insomniac Gamesâ 2018 game is even more impressive, with missable, but immersive, environmental design and, as Kotaku senior writer Ethan Gach puts it in his review, an âunexpectedly impactfulâ approach to the love and friendship central to its plot. Spider-Man 2âs release week interviews can provide you a more detailed look under the hood, so I rounded up some of them.
Order Marvelâs Spider-Man 2: Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop
Senior creative director Bryan Intihar recently spoke to PlayStation mostly about Spider-Man 2âs accessibility features and tutorial, but also noted that the gameâs take on friendship meant a lot to him and the Marvel franchise at large.
âItâs like the least Spider-Man thing,â he said, âbut⊠the thing I always said early on was like, âHey, we want to deliver the fantasy of being these heroes, whether itâs the web-swinging, the suits, the combat. We wanted to live the superhero fantasy, but I think the thing that can really help our game stand out is how we show their lives outside the mask. If we show their journeys, their needs, their wants, their problems? How do we show them outside the mask?ââ
Narrative director Ben Arfmann and advanced writer Brittney Morris shared similar behind-the-scenes observations with Gizmodo.âWhenever we tell a Spider-Man story, we always come back to, âThe man underneath the mask is just as, if not more important, than the mask,ââ Arfmann said.
This ethos was particularly important in constructing gooey alien symbiote Venom, who drives much of Spider-Man 2âs blockbuster drama. âI think we collectively understood that if we have a Venom game, we need to be able to play as him,â Morris said. âItâd be such a missed opportunity otherwise. Weâre game developers, but weâre also fans, and so we knew what we wanted, and that players would probably agree thatâd be the right move.â
Making that happen required attentive design. âWhen weâre doing animations, things have to look snappy,â senior art director Jacinda Chew told Marvelâs official news site. âThe tentacles have to look like theyâre almost sentient and they have a purpose. But then, when they snap back, thereâs a little liquidy, kind of semi-liquid feel to them as well. So, a huge component of nailing Venom was not just the visuals, but also how we animated him.â
Keep reading for more details about the art and story behind Spider-Man 2.
Senior Creative Director Bryan Intihar, on the gameâs opening section:
We knew very early on [Spider-Man 2] was going to be on the PS5 console. We knew enough about the console, its capabilities and how we wanted to push it. And we obviously knew it was going to be two Spider-Men. So, you say: new console. Big sequel. Two heroes. What is deserving of an opening for that? I think Sandman was our thing.
We worked on that mission for a long time. A long, long, long time. Hereâs the thing: itâs not just like, obviously, heâs a big character in the opening. But technically itâs a challenge, whether itâs moving in and out of buildings and seamlessly switching heroes, just the amount of tech and art that goes into making Sandman look good. We wanted to go big. We wanted people to understand right awayâand I always joke itâs called Marvelâs Spider-Man 2 for a reason, because thereâs two of themâbut for us, it was like, how within that first 20, 30 minutes, can we show people that everything is being leveled up.
Director of core technology, Mike Fitzgerald, on ray-tracing and performance:
It has always pained me, whenever I see a screenshot of the first couple of Spider-Man games, or if I see [Ratchet & Clank] with ray tracing turned off. And I always know immediately, when I see that screenshot and it always bums me out. And so it was always an aspiration for this one: wouldnât it be great if we didnât have to have that real big compromise in there, if we got back to a pure performance and resolution trade-off. And I donât think we committed to it until earlier this year, but I think basically, we saw the way performance was trending and we said, âyou know, itâll be work, but letâs go for itâ. I feel like we got there with the last games, but we always got there, like, a week after launch. Or, right at the deadline, and weâre never quite confident enough. And so this time, it just took a bit of âNo, weâre gonna do it and we can get to where it needs to be.â
Read More: Spider-Man 2: The Kotaku Review
Design director Josue Benavidez, on gameplay
Thatâs one of the things we love to do as much as we canâlet players control, and actually use the Spider-powers themselves, and figure out interesting ways they can combine things. As much as we can, weâd like to let players have fun. [We] create games that are a toolbox of toys to play with.
Venom actor Tony Todd, on the character:
I think, when people play this game, thereâs going to be different sidesâof course people are rooting for Spider-Man and Miles, but I think thereâs going to be a whole section of people that are saying, âWell, what can Venom do, and why do I like him?â Because heâs just doing it with abandon!
Advanced writer Brittney Morris, on second Spider-Man Miles Morales:
At the beginning of the game, we see [Miles] struggling to figure out what he wants to do with his life. By the end, we had Miles carrying the burden of saving the city, and also carrying Pete when Pete wasnât strong enough to carry himself at various points.
Thatâs whatâs been so cool about writing a story about two Spider-Men: theyâre both strong, and one of them can be strong when the other is not. By the end, Miles is more confident and heâs like, âYeah, I got this. How much worse can things get after what we just went through?â
Mr. Negative actor Stephen Oyoung, on film and video games
Thereâs greater freedom of movement with video games. There are less intricate props and sets of course, so itâs all in your imagination, but I really enjoy that process. Itâs very intimate, with much smaller crews, but thereâs also very little downtime since youâre not waiting for camera or lighting setups. And as far as your performance, what you do in the moment is what theyâre going to use. Itâs immediate. There are no cutaways, no reverse shots. So when youâre having a conversation, thatâs what it is. Itâs like real life. After a fashion.
Experience Spider-Man 2‘s own brand of movie magic now, on PS5.
Order Marvelâs Spider-Man 2: Amazon | Best Buy | GameStop
