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I find nothing as therapeutic in games as free-swinging in Marvel’s Spider-Man or Miles Morales. Wandering aimlessly between buildings is very relaxing for me. Over the past year or two, I’ve often felt the need to reinstall one of those games, just to get some swinging. However, I stopped myself. I didn’t want to overload Spider-Man before the sequel came out.

2023 is a gaming year filled with behemoths, including Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. But secretly, I’ve been looking forward to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 all year, just because I wanted to swing. I had a hard time not starting an old Spider-Man game, but I relented. Three days before I finally arrived in Spidey’s New York, my relationship with my live-in partner ended.

Do I still want to swing?

Escape par excellence

It is very difficult to be passionate about the game when you are separated from your partner. In fact, I was afraid this would ruin the game for me. Furthermore, my ex moved here from Switzerland last year. She could not leave the house to go to her parents. So she was still at home, around me, albeit in a cold atmosphere. This made my house one of the worst places to live. I decided to isolate myself with my PS5 and headphones. I barely played the games. I mostly looked at the screen in confusion.

Then Spider-Man 2 turned out to be a saving grace. Swinging also had a therapeutic effect after a breakup. It was exactly the game I needed at that moment. I didn’t do anything else on Friday evening. I immersed myself in New York and went through the game like a train. I received angry reactions from the rest of the editors when I told them the following Monday that I had already finished the game. “Isn’t that a shame?” I was asked.

An understandable reaction, considering that besides sleeping, I’ve only played Spider-Man 2. It was my gateway to relaxation amidst all the emotional baggage.

Amazing yet compact

It was three days of side quests, story, flying under bridges, and other crazy shenanigans. It feels quite familiar for the first few hours, as Spider-Man 2 doesn’t offer much new compared to its predecessors. But the swing is now perfect. The new suit is so well balanced that you’re still essentially swinging instead of flying. Whether this is enough for innovation is a difficult question. The fighting actually remained unchanged. There are fewer tools than before.

In some ways, it was actually nice that the game wasn’t overly broad in scope. The accessible fun was actually exactly what I needed, given my emotional state. It helps that the game is very recognizable, so I already had a collection of over 70 in the tutorial. Additionally, side activities are manageable – if a bit uninspiring – allowing you to do things in the game without much thought.

However, the game is mainly about the story. Everything went crazy, especially in the last act. At times like this I forgot I was playing a game. It was like watching a crazy Marvel movie. All characters introduced in previous games also received additional attention. By the end of the game, I even missed them. What a well-built world. This story could have been longer.

through

After I finished the game two days later, I still wasn’t done with the game. Of course, as a platinum fighter, I still have to get that trophy. However, I spent most of my time in photo mode. Thanks to Spidey’s sharp outfit, it’s fun to take close-up photos. With three light sources to play with, you can take some really great photos. I spent at least five hours in photo mode alone.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is not Game of the Year. It’s a safe sequel to a game with a solid foundation. This sequel really can’t go wrong. However, it was the timing that made this game perfect for a temporary escape from the real world. But yes, Spider-Man 2 has come to an end as well. The escape is temporary. However, this temporary joy made the dreary time a little more bearable. For three days after that.