The joy of completing a game is unparalleled. One of the features that has become increasingly popular in recent years is the opportunity to do it twice with a New Game Plus mode. This mode allows players to restart a game with a handful of if not all the perks, abilities, and cosmetic items they unlocked during their initial playthrough. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is on the radar of many who are curious to know if it will offer this feature.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, set to release exclusively on PlayStation 5 on October 20, continues the narrative of Peter Parker and Miles Morales from Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales while bringing additional layers of gameplay dynamics and characters like Venom, Kraven the Hunter, and the Sandman, among others, joining the foray. The journey of these two iconic Spider-Man characters, combined with new elements like the black suit, ensures that the game will be packed to the brim with content right from day one. But will players have the opportunity to swing through New York with their acquired skills in a NG+ mode?
Insomniac Games, the studio behind Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, has a history of incorporating the New Game Plus feature. The original game, its spin-off and another recent title from the studio, Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, had NG+ modes. A bunch of other popular PS5 exclusive titles, like God of War Ragnarok and the commendable Final Fantasy 16, also boast similar modes.
No – we’re working on an update for those features but they won’t be in Day 1
— James Stevenson (@JamesStevenson) October 17, 2023
However, the specifics for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 paint a slightly different picture. Insomniac has indicated that a NG+ mode is in the pipeline, but it won’t be available at launch. James Stevenson, Insomniac’s community manager, revealed that while they are working on introducing the NG+ feature, it won’t be ready in time for the game’s release. This implies that players might have to wait for an update post-launch to enjoy this mode.
Our money is on the wait lasting around a month or so. Not just the NG+, but additional content, potentially including new suits, might also be introduced to enhance Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s gameplay and maintain online traction post-launch.
As for the features that the NG+ mode may entail, if it follows the pattern of the first two Marvel’s Spider-Man games, players can expect to carry over suits, gadgets, skills, and in-game currency. However, open-world activity progression might not be part of the carry-over, meaning players may have to revisit certain tasks and challenges.
Hopefully, a future patch adds the replayability of enemy bases and hideouts in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Surprisingly, at the endgame, apart from a specific mission type related to Miles, the map seems barren, devoid of these bases and hideouts. It isn’t uncommon for players to have their fill of fun just swinging around New York, replaying the enemy basis and hideouts in the previous games.
In addition to NG+, Insomniac Games has also acknowledged their work on a feature to replay missions in Spider-Man 2. Given that the current setup doesn’t allow players to revisit completed missions without restarting the game, the introduction of this feature would significantly enhance the game’s replay value.
It’s evident that Insomniac Games has prioritized perfecting the core game, possibly at the expense of having an NG+ mode on October 20. This dedication has been fruitful, with Spider-Man 2 receiving a stellar Metacritic score of 91, the highest for any game in Insomniac’s licensed franchise. This universal acclaim ensures its nomination in December at The Game Awards, placing it in fierce competition with titles like Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Unfortunately, while a future update will add new features to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, no DLC is expected to come to the game. Insomniac is off to the races as it puts all its efforts to work on Marvel’s Wolverine, which is believed to be slated for a late 2024 launch. But, many are hoping that Insomniac has a surprise “expansion” up its sleeve, similar to Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which arrived two years after the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man.
