Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is right to revisit Miles Morales' best open-world feature

The upcoming Marvel's Spider-Man 2 holds a lot of potential and promises to bring joy to both new and returning players. The upcoming game from Insomniac follows in the footsteps of Marvel's Spider-Man from 2018 and its spin-off game Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, combining many elements from these two games, including one of the more minor but integral features of Miles Morales. This is likely to work in favor of Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

Whatever the future holds for Insomniac's Spider-Man franchise, this year's release is eagerly anticipated by both superhero and gaming fans alike. These fans also have good reason to be excited, as the upcoming game appears to reintroduce and improve upon many of the features and mechanics that made the first two games so successful. These include the satisfying web-swinging through the city, the diverse selection of suits, and the dynamic, activity-filled open world of New York City, now including Brooklyn and Queens as well. While both Marvel's Spider-Man and its accompanying Miles Morales game share many important elements, a system introduced in Miles Morales is being revamped for the October release, which can only mean good things.

Bringing Back The Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man App is a Good Idea

When looking at all the amazing features that will be coming in Spider-Man 2, the return of Ganke's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man app may not stand out particularly, but it was one of the unsung heroes of Spider-Man: Miles Morales. This feature enhanced the previous game in terms of gameplay, exploration, and world-building and was overall one of the best additions to the 2018 sequel.

In Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, players could utilize the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man app to check on Manhattan and keep track of side missions. The app could be accessed with a simple swipe gesture on the controller's touchpad, making it an easy and seamless menu to use. Furthermore, it contributed to the immersion of the game, as players didn't have to constantly leave the impressively detailed digital New York of Spider-Man to switch between menus and maps. This kept the gameplay flow strong, allowing players to quickly choose which side content they wanted to pursue without interrupting the action.

The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man app also significantly contributed to the world-building of the game. While superhero stories require a certain willingness to suspend disbelief, it is sometimes hard to imagine that such a large city like New York can effectively be monitored by one person. Sure, Spider-Man can swing through the streets at breathtaking speeds and have a bird's-eye view of the action, but that is not the most efficient way to keep an eye on individual people in need. As a typical superhero, Spider-Man would benefit from a more modern, practical method to guide him in the right direction, and the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man app is an elegant solution.

In a recent preview, Insomniac commented that the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man app will be "upgraded" in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Although it is unclear how exactly the app will be upgraded, the comment is a clear indication that it will be returning and hopefully be even better than before. Insomniac could potentially enhance the feature by adding additional functionalities, but the developers should be careful not to overdo it. The beauty of the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man app as an in-game feature lies in its simplicity, so it should not be drastically changed. If the app can be at least as good as it was in Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, it would certainly help support the other features and systems of Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will be released on October 20th for PlayStation 5.