Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a much greater step beyond any superhero game we have played before. If you’ve read your Spider-Man 2 review, you already know what we are talking about. However, besides the grander story, a considerable upgrade has also been made to all enemies and other elements, making things a bit tougher. If you’ve just opened the game and are starting out, you might need a helping hand. After completing our playthrough, we have compiled the 10 best Spider-Man 2 tips and tricks so you may begin your journey right and continue it correctly. So without further ado, let’s begin.
1. Use the Web Wings Often
Spider-Man 2 shakes things up regarding traversal by locking fast travel behind district progress. However, that’s because the game gives players what it calls “Web Wings” super early into the game. True to their name, these wings let our spideys easily fly around the city and gain new heights.
Since you will be doing a lot of swinging throughout your time in NYC, we suggest you use the new Web Wings as often as possible to get to places quickly. All you need to do to use them is gain enough height by swinging and pressing the Triangle button on your controller to open them up. Dynamically manage your web wings and swinging, and you will be at your missions in no time.
2. Use Super Slingshot from Anywhere
When I started out with my playthrough, I loved the Super Slingshot skill. The ability to pack tension through webs and pierce the air was amazing. However, I initially thought this was only possible through fixed slingshot locations I found on the map. I quickly discovered that was not the case when I started launching from any building.
If you have the same confusion, then go up to any building or even the road and learn to use Super Slingshot in Spider-Man 2 via the guide linked here. Congratulations, you are now able to slingshot launch from anywhere. Make sure to pair it up with Web Wings for maximum ease of traversal throughout NYC.
3. Invest in the Right Skills and Equally
Spider-Man 2 comes with a plethora of new skills, including a new shared tree for Peter and Miles. Since the game is quite generous at level progression, you gain access to skill points easily. However, if you are as lazy as me sometimes, you might put up getting new skills for later. I would advise thinking the opposite way and being proactive about your choices.
As soon as you have racked up enough points, head on over to the Skills tab and create the right combination that suits you. As a last note, we also suggest investing in Peter and Miles equally so your playthrough of both is as easy as pie.
4. Sometimes Stealth Is Better
In our Spider-Man 2 review, we have specifically mentioned that the AI is tougher this time around. Furthermore, it also tends to surround you if you go fighting it with brute force. While a seasoned player can handle it, newbies just might have trouble. For those cases and more, Insomniac has offered multiple approaches to the same situation, including a nice stealth mechanic.
Thankfully, being stealthy in Spider-Man 2 is easy. Simply stay out of sight and up high and take out enemies through quiet takedowns one by one (much like the 2018 game). You can even use the web line gadget to create routes above the AI. So the next time you think you won’t be able to handle a fight, go the quiet way.
5. Parry Enemies Often
If, at the end of the day, you find yourself facing enemies head-on, then don’t panic. There are multiple foe types in Spider-Man 2, including some that can only be parried or dodged. However, you can only dodge the enemies for so long. To help make parrying easier, Spider-Man 2 displays helpful color rings above the enemy’s heads when it’s time.
Simply wait for the rings to turn red and immediately press “L1.” This will cause Spider-Man 2 to push back the enemy and give you a quick opening to launch your own offensive. Remember to parry as often as possible to keep the tide in your favor and defeat them all.
6. Take out the Guns First
While parrying will get you quite far, something must be said about the pesky enemies atop towers with guns. Spider-Man 1 had the same enemy type, and they were annoying then, too. This is made worse by the RPG firing bad guys that all but eliminate you if you can’t dodge the rockets. However, to avoid that, I suggest going for the gun-wielding enemies first and eliminating them.
This will ensure you can face other AI without any interruptions. To take out the guns first, simply web them up and throw them around or simply snatch the guns from their hands, and you are golden.
7. Get Another Focus Bar
Just like the previous titles, Spider-Man 2 comes with a Focus Bar that can either be used to heal yourself or perform a finisher on an enemy. However, the game only starts us off with a single bar, which results in having to manage between the above choices. However, as you progress through the game, you can make your life easier by unlocking another bar.
Since the game won’t tell you to do it, you must do it yourself. For that, head over to our dedicated Spider-Man 2 suit tech guide and learn how. Once you’re done, it becomes easier to heal and perform finishers at once.
8. Don’t Forget Your Gadgets
It’s easy, especially in the heat of the moment, to forget that besides their skills and abilities, the Spider-Men have some cool gadgets they can use. Innovative as they are, Peter and Miles have created a wide assortment of these gadgets that you can use both from a distance or close-up.
So, while gadgets like web grabbers are good for crowd control, the Sonic Grenade stops pesky enemies in their tracks by stunning them. As such, don’t forget to use the best gadgets in Spider-Man 2 to gain a tactical advantage.
9. There’s No Shame in Lowering Difficulty
I have no qualms about Spider-Man 2’s increased difficulty. However, there is a fine line between challenging and frustrating, and you want to make sure you are on the right side of it. So, if you find yourself often raging at the game, then it’s time to tone down the difficulty.
Head on over to Settings -> Gameplay -> Challenge Level and toggle the difficulty to your desired setting. We recommend “Friendly” if it’s too much and “Amazing” for a balanced experience.
Changing the difficulty won’t affect anything else except how the enemies react to you. So, if you’re worried about the storyline changing because of this somehow, don’t be.
10. Above All, Take it Slow
Besides everything else, Spider-Man 2 is a beautiful and vivid narrative adventure. As such, the game contains a story that slowly weaves and unravels itself. If you rush it, you will most likely miss important events or simply not be able to absorb with the intensity they were meant with. So, while it might be tempting to do a speedrun and gain all the powers, we suggest you take it slow and enjoy the ride to take in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 fully.
We hope the above Spider-Man 2 tips and tricks help you make the most of this game. Do remember that depending on how you play it, your mileage may vary. Nonetheless, we found it quite an amazing ride. Have you already finished the game and got any tips we should add? Drop them in the comments below!
Sanmay Chakrabarti
