Summary
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2is a game that aims to fulfill the Spider-Man fantasy and, for the most part, it succeeds. However, the game isn’t perfect in this regard, with fans pointing out issues like theSpider-Men’s complete disregardfor their secret identities as being humorously immersion-breaking.
There is another, less-discussed element of the game that can hurt the sense of plausibility and immersion, and this issue can be observed in a number of different superhero titles, like theBatman: Arkhamgames. In most superhero titles, the gameplay is heavily centered on combat encounters, and many of them, theMarvel’s Spider-Manfranchise included, have a tendency toward offering up large arena-style battles with a number of smaller, “fodder” enemies. This is a good way to allow players to exercise their skills with a combat system and serve up a power fantasy, but in games likeMarvel’sSpider-Man 2, it presents some issues, which are especially present in the minutia.
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Fodder-Style Enemies in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Don’t Make Much Sense
IconicSpider-Manvillains like the Lizardor the Green Goblin, as chemically enhanced and psychologically disturbed individuals, have a number of reasons why they choose to face off with Spider-Man. Of course, Spider-Man almost always emerges victorious, but it at least makes sense that these fellow super humans would believe they stood a chance against the titular hero. However, the foot soldiers inSpider-Man 2, like in its predecessors, don’t have the right to be so confident.
When Spider-Man faces off against a crowd of average criminals in-game, they will often display a boastful air and rush at him with bare fists, a simple melee weapon, or, very occasionally, a firearm. While this may make sense when facingSpider-Man’s grounded companions, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense when they come face to face with the hero himself. In this universe, Spider-Man has been active for quite some time, so these criminals must be aware of the fact that he has taken down a number of superpowered threats in the past; it seems hard to believe that so many of these NPCs would have no qualms about rushing into battle against such a formidable foe with, at most, a rifle.
This issue permeates the world-building of Insomniac’sSpider-Mangames as well. It’s strange thatcriminals who fight Spider-Manare so unfazed by his power, but the analysis could be taken even further than the battles themselves: it can be argued that street-level crime in general would not be so prevalent in a world with Spider-Man in it. In theMarvel’s Spider-Mangames, criminals will form large groups, go into crowded areas in broad daylight, and attempt to commit a robbery, carjacking, or some other criminal act, which seems unrealistic. Again, superpowered individuals or villains with a very particular psychology and set of skills can do these sorts of things, but everyday criminals would probably want to stay as far away from Spider-Man’s reach as possible. It should be noted that these issues are exacerbated by the new Venom and Symbiote powers, which make the heroes even more inhuman and terrifying in their abilities.
The foot soldiers inSpider-Man 2, like in its predecessors, don’t have the right to be so confident.
OtherSpider-Manmedia focuses more on individualvillains and the threats they pose, which helps them avoid this issue entirely. Combat plays a major role in the gameplay experience ofMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, which leads to this focus on fighting against large groups of humanoid enemies. To the game’s credit, these encounters are slightly more believable when the combatants are Kraven’s henchmen or Symbiote creatures, as their fearlessness is explained in the game. Ultimately, it’s easy to shrug off or hand-wave the street-level criminals' easygoing attitude toward Spider-Man, but their inclusion doesn’t do much to help the plausibility ofMarvel’s Spider-Man 2.
