Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a sequel to both 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man and 2020’s Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, so many people expected its first trailer in 2023 to provide insight into more significant elements. However, it provided no new narrative or gameplay for the title. Given the action-oriented nature of the title’s announcement, this second trailer makes for a strange way to kick-off the game’s release year.
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Spider-Man 2’s First Trailer Set The Bar High
The announcement trailer for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 debuted during Sony’s September 2021 State of Play, providing fans with their first glimpse of both Peter Parker and Miles Morales fighting crime side-by-side - a moment they had looked forward to since the two met in the first Spider-Man game. However, the biggest moment came at the trailer’s closing when a monstrous voice spoke to them from the shadows. The camera zoomed into the darkness, revealing that Venom will play a part in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Spider-Man 2’s first trailer was surprising for multiple reasons. Insomniac Games had just released another anticipated title, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, in June 2021, so many expected some time to pass before its next big announcement. However, Insomniac revealed Marvel’s Wolverine and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 almost back-to-back during Sony’s presentation. Both provided a thrilling sneak peek at their respective games, but when 2022 provided no updates, that hype became a quiet anticipation of the next big reveal.
Spider-Man 2’s Second Trailer Features No Game Footage
A new trailer for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 released on ESPN this week, presenting a live-action news bulletin titled “Live from PS5” where a gang of criminals are caught in a large web between buildings in New York City. The reporter describes it as a gift from New York’s favorite hero before both Peter and Miles swing past the screen. The lower-third under the reporter reads “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Coming Spring 2023,” despite Sony’s confirmation of a fall release in 2022.
The second trailer for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is an unusual choice for such a highly anticipated title. The only additional hint players have received since its announcement was a plot detail revealed by a Spider-Man 2 action figure. Following up this period of silence with such a brief trailer does little to build anticipation. Combine that with a total lack of gameplay or cutscene footage, and the trailer serves no real purpose aside from reminding fans that the title is releasing this year. The overall style of the trailer comes off as something which would be released after a game has launched, or just before, once players have an idea of what the narrative entails.
What’s more unusual is the trailer’s new release window. Spider-Man 2 is one of the most anticipated games of the year, and if it is truly releasing in spring 2023, the lack of information thus far is even more perplexing. Marvel’s Spider-Man and Miles Morales had significant story and gameplay trailers leading up to their respective launches, but so far Spider-Man 2 has received neither. Players have been patient for a long time, and until a more significant trailer is released, that patience is slowly being tested.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is releasing in 2023 exclusively on Playstation 5.
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