Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 swung big at San Diego Comic-Con this week and hit hard.
Insomniac’s sequel to the critically-acclaimed Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales had a panel at the convention on Thursday. The voice cast (Yuri Lowenthal, Nadji Peter, Laura Bailey, and Tony Todd) and members of the development team were in attendance. Attendees got to see exclusive artwork and information revolving around the game’s story. Luckily, some of that information was officially revealed to the public, including the highly-anticipated story trailer. So, let’s discuss it and dive into the trailer and the panel!
SPOILER WARNING
There are spoilers for the stories of Marvel’s Spider-Man and Miles Morales, as well as potential spoilers for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Venom + Harry
One of the biggest selling points for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the inclusion of the famed symbiotic menace, Venom. The development team has been secretive about how Venom comes into the series and Peter Parker/Spider-Man. However, the new trailer sheds some light on who might be the villain.
In the trailer, Harry Osbourne, the son of the mayor of New York City, makes his first real appearance. In Marvel’s Spider-Man, his voice guides Peter on missions regarding various environmental issues in the city. The game says he is on vacation, but as things progress, that isn’t the case. Near the end game, it’s revealed that Harry never left and is being treated for an unknown disease. His father, Norman Osbourne tried to create a cure for his deceased wife, who also had the disease, which turned into Devil’s Breath. The chemical was later used as a bioweapon for Doctor Octopus and Mister Negative (seen in prison garb in the trailer), who was given it as a kid in a human trial. Therefore, for Harry Osbourne to look as normal as he does in the trailer is a red flag.
The biggest one, however, is the post-credit scenes from both of the games. In them, we see a motionless Harry in a stasis chamber and a certain black substance floating with him. It also doesn’t help that both Harry and Venom say the line “We’re going to heal the world” in the trailer. While it may be enough evidence to certify Harry as the host for Venom, it would be interesting to see if this isn’t the case or goes deeper than what we know.
Story Details
The story, as confirmed in the panel, will take place 9-10 months after the events of Miles Morales. The characters will be in different places in their lives. Not everything is working for them, though, as life has been tough in many aspects. For example, Mary Jane Watson, Peter’s on/off girlfriend, is at risk of losing her reporter job at The Daily Bugle, as podcast host and Spider-Man despiser J. Jonah Jameson has returned to run the company. With Miles struggling with college essays and Peter losing Aunt May’s house, the introduction of both Venom and Kraven the Hunter will be less than welcome.
Gameplay
For gameplay, Peter Parker has symbiotic powers due to the Venom symbiote infection. While we don’t know how he comes into contact, its hold on him affects his personality and attacks, as seen in the PlayStation Showcase trailer from May (which I covered in my “E3” 2023 article here). Web wings are also on the suits, which lets players swing and fly across the New York skylines.
PS5 Bundle
Also announced at the panel was a Spider-Man-themed PlayStation 5. The design includes the signature signal and a looming Venom symbiote on both the controller and console. The bundle includes a digital voucher for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, so those who purchase it will get the entire package. Pre-orders launch on June 28th at an unknown price.
That’s all the information from SDCC and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. What did you think of the new trailer? Do you think Harry Osbourne is Venom? Let me know in the comments and leave a like if you enjoyed this. Until next time, webheads!
