Highlights
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will feature water traversal mechanics inspired by Sunset Overdrive, offering players the ability to glide across bodies of water without the need for web use.
- The game will have multiple frame rate options with ray-tracing and an expanded selection of suits compared to its predecessor.
- The map in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is nearly double the size of the previous game, with more bodies of water. Both Peter Parker and Miles Morales will have web wings for gliding, and the game includes a seamless fast travel system.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 takes a page out of Sunset Overdrive’s playbook in regard to its water traversal mechanics, an Insomniac Games official has confirmed. The upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive was treated to yet another trailer during the September 14 State of Play livestream, which gave way for an influx of new developer insight into the game.
Since then, Insomniac revealed that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will offer multiple frame rate options without sacrificing ray-tracing, on top of confirming that Gwen Stacy won’t be making an appearance in the game. The studio also said that its next title will expand on its predecessor’s selection of suit, in addition to sharing its full map for the first time ever.
Circling back to the recent State of Play trailer that offered another look at Spider-Man’s new water gliding ability, Insomniac Senior Community Manager Aaron Jason Espinoza highlighted how that system is similar to the water dashing mechanics from Sunset Overdrive. Elaborating on that point, the studio official shared some gameplay footage from the company’s first and only Xbox console exclusive, demonstrating how traversing water in Sunset Overdrive indeed looks similar to the way players will be able to glide across the Hudson River and other bodies of water in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
The mechanic itself was first confirmed as part of the Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 gameplay reveal back in May, which included a linear section wherein Peter Parker was dashing between some moving boats during an action-packed set piece. And while that particular trailer showed Spider-Man essentially surfing on water while hanging onto a web stuck to a speedboat, Espinoza has now confirmed that this was a purely stylistic choice; responding to a fan question on Twitter, the Insomniac official said that water gliding in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 won’t actually require any web use whatsoever.
The extra mobility provided by this water traversal mechanic will likely see plenty of use among the fandom, not least because the map of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is nearly double the size of its predecessor and includes even more bodies of water. Additionally, both Peter Parker and Miles Morales will have access to web wings on their Spider-Man costumes, allowing them to glide through the air and hence cover great distances as soon as they find a spot to slingshot themselves from. The game’s latest trailer also showcased a fairly seamless fast travel system, which will transport the player to a previously discovered location near-instantaneously, with no obvious loading times.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 launches October 20 for PS5.