Summary
- Marvel's Spider-Man 2 should avoid using the overused trope of the multiverse, as it would complicate the story and risk derailing the themes explored in the game.
- The game can stand apart from other Spider-Man media by not following the recent trend of featuring the multiverse, allowing it to establish its own unique narrative and create a change of pace from the rest of the franchise.
- The first two games of Marvel's Spider-Man were successful without the use of the multiverse, and adding it into the sequel would feel like backtracking, considering the concept has already been well-covered in other Spider-Man projects.
The surge in superhero stories has led to the birth of many tropes, but there is one particularly overused trope that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has to avoid. With so many superhero-related media released constantly, avoiding at least some form of overlap has undoubtedly become challenging. This is especially difficult with several Spider-Man-centered storylines running simultaneously. Of course, some tropes are characteristic of Spider-Man stories, so it would probably be odd if the game didn’t use them somehow. However, one concept has gained too much traction and would only complicate Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 gameplay and story if it were employed.
The expectations for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 are high, especially after the massively successful release of Marvel’s Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales. These games told terrific stories that used Spider-Man tropes effectively. For example, they perfectly captured the theme that Peter Parker often loses when Spider-Man wins, and vice versa. Miles Morales also shows the beginning of this type of journey for Miles. This kind of character conflict exemplifies a trope with nearly infinite potential. However, there is a slight possibility that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2's story could play into a different trope that would put the game on a path away from its outstanding beginnings: the multiverse.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Doesn’t Need The Multiverse
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 doesn’t need to use the multiverse to tell a great story. Insomniac’s Peter Parker had a fun cameo in Across The Spider-Verse, which prompts the concern that it may somehow tie into the larger Spider-Verse Sony is playing around with. This concept is already covered superbly in the Into The Spider-Verse series, and No Way Home also showed its take on it. The first two games of Marvel’s Spider-Man did perfectly well without any hints of the multiverse, so adding the concept into the sequel risks derailing the story and the themes they are exploring.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Can Stand Apart From The Spider-Verse
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 can stand apart from other Spider-Man media by bucking the recent trend of featuring the multiverse. It’s great to be seeing so much of the web-slinger, but it’s pretty exhausting when the different projects are all doing the same thing. Marvel’s Spider-Man accomplished some intriguing stuff with Peter and Miles’ stories, taking risks that the film side of the IP would perhaps be allergic to, particularly when handling characters like Aunt May. In some ways, the games have broke new ground that the films later explored. It would feel like backtracking if Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 jumped on the multiverse bandwagon.
Allowing Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and any sequels beyond it, to stay in its own sector of the Spider-Verse without crossing over into other universes would best serve the narrative that Insomniac Games has done so well to establish. Moreover, it would help create a much-needed change of pace from the rest of the Spider-Man franchise.
Source: PlayStation/YouTube