With so many teases, a full sequel to Marvel’s Spider-Man is all but guaranteed. Set to properly introduce Venom as well as other villains for Peter and Miles to face, the sequel seems set to deliver on all fronts. While Spider-Man: Miles Morales delivered another strong story and greatly improved upon Insomniac’s style of open world content, there are always ways to make a game better. In fact, some of the best possible additions that could be made in the sequel can be seen in older Spider-Man releases.
The next entry in the Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise should look at several games to create a perfect collection of Spidey content. From beloved games like Spider-Man 2 and Ultimate Spider-Man to the less successful Spider-Man: Web of Shadows and The Amazing Spider-Man tie-in releases, the hero’s past is ripe with interesting ideas to pull from. With Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions and Spider-Man: Edge of Time telling a story that Insomniac should look at for the third game, pulling from the past to create an even better future would be a wise move.
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Considered by many to be the webslinger’s best game before Insomniac showcased its version of the hero, Spider-Man 2 features a great piece of side content that has yet to make a comeback. While the game’s webswinging was praised endlessly before finally being outdone by Insomniac, one thing it still holds onto is its Warehouse survival. Giving players endless waves of enemies to take on as well as a bonus boss fight with Calypso, Insomniac should bring a proper survival mode back for the Marvel’s Spider-Man sequel. Expanding on the system by allowing players to add in bosses and foes from different factions, players could share the best settings online — giving players an endless source of enemies to fight.
Probably the simplest idea to implement would also be one of the most exciting. While The Amazing Spider-Man tie-in games are mostly remembered for having one of the best Stan Lee cameos ever, they also feature comics as collectibles. Filling the city with some of the friendly neighborhood hero’s most iconic stories, players could collect hundreds of different covers. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 could include this feature, adding a fun touch that sees Spidey getting a special suit once all are obtained. Giving players another reason to swing around the city while not slowing them down at all, comic collecting would be a blast.
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is hardly the best Spider-Man game, but it is one of the webslinger’s more intriguing entries. This is due to both the introduction of the Symbiote and the use of Wolverine. Having a huge role in the storyline, players fought against and with the legendary X-Men member, with Logan and Peter’s clashing personalities making for plenty of memorable moments. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 does not need to bring in Wolverine, but it has heavily acknowledged the greater Marvel universe already. Not only is there a not-so-subtle Avengers reference that can be seen in the first game, but Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum is also seen. Further, Wakanda and Black Panther are referenced in several ways, with nods to Daredevil and Jessica Jones seen as well. With so many characters that could have a cameo in a Spider-Man game, at least one should show up in the sequel.
While the Spider-Man title Friend or Foe featured alternate playable characters, no Spidey game did this better than Ultimate Spider-Man. Venom had a deep, fully fleshed-out moveset to go with his significant role in the story. In Ultimate Spider-Man, Venom could grab enemies, cars, and consume NPCs to regain health — playing like the monster that he is. Like that game, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 should make Venom playable. Even for a handful of missions, controlling the sequel’s antagonist could make for one of the most memorable sequences in the series thus far. With room to make him a playable character after the story as well, there is plenty to like about the feature. Further, while it does seem likely, Miles Morales is not necessarily confirmed to be playable in the sequel. Playing as the young Spidey will be a must, however.
Finally, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 should open the Spider-Verse. While Spider-Man: Edge of Time was a bit of a letdown, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions was anything but a disappointment. Allowing players to enjoy four vastly different playstyles as they controlled Spider-Man Noir, 2099, Amazing, and Ultimate, the game offered plenty of variety and made good use of the concept. While Marvel's Spider-Man 2’s story already has plenty going on with Miles, Peter, and Venom, its post credits tease should set up some DLC or Spider-Man 3 through a Spider-Verse tease. After all, with Spider-Gwen more popular than ever, it would be great to see what Insomniac could do with all the potential the Spider-Verse provides.
Marvel's Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales are available now on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. A sequel has yet to be officially announced.