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Marvel Spider Man 2 | Review Thread

What Scores do you think Spider Man 2 wil get?


  • Total voters
    427
  • Poll closed .
I am trying to figure out what's going on here.

If this is over inflation of scores by media or justified??

If it's gonna be new normal going forward, I will adjust my expectations accordingly.
vZqMlR4.gif
 

Cashon

Banned
It’ll go to 89 just watch
Based on the actual content of most reviews, it should be in the 80s (I predicted 85-90 in the poll), if review standards were consistent. Most of them talk about how it's more of the same. I'm not sure what it does differently to deserve a score that's any higher than the previous two. Obviously my mindset could change once I actually play it (sometime next year), but I have yet to see anything that makes it stand out over Remastered or Miles Morales.
 
Based on the actual content of most reviews, it should be in the 80s (I predicted 85-90 in the poll), if review standards were consistent. Most of them talk about how it's more of the same. I'm not sure what it does differently to deserve a score that's any higher than the previous two. Obviously my mindset could change once I actually play it (sometime next year), but I have yet to see anything that makes it stand out over Remastered or Miles Morales.
You gave gaming journalist a colorful irreverent polished superhero game featuring their childhood favorite superhero Spider-Man complete with the token superfluous accessibility options, the token 60fps mode, the token ugly female lead and wow you get to play as her even! It’s tailor fucking made for gaming journalist to eat up so yeah there may be some bias present to explain what you’re saying.

It’s still got like ~25 ish more reviews to come in by my count. Could very well dip under 90
 

Topher

Gold Member
You gave gaming journalist a colorful irreverent polished superhero game featuring their childhood favorite superhero Spider-Man complete with the token superfluous accessibility options, the token 60fps mode, the token ugly female lead and wow you get to play as her even! It’s tailor fucking made for gaming journalist to eat up so yeah there may be some bias present to explain what you’re saying.

It’s still got like ~25 ish more reviews to come in by my count. Could very well dip under 90

Or it could go back up to 91 or even 92


Awkward John Krasinski GIF by Saturday Night Live
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
Based on the actual content of most reviews, it should be in the 80s (I predicted 85-90 in the poll), if review standards were consistent. Most of them talk about how it's more of the same. I'm not sure what it does differently to deserve a score that's any higher than the previous two. Obviously my mindset could change once I actually play it (sometime next year), but I have yet to see anything that makes it stand out over Remastered or Miles Morales.
Sequels are more of the same and many of them scored as good, or even better, than their predecessors. The game doesn't need to be docked points for doing something that it did well before, but even better now. That's .....silly.

It got its high marks for a reason, and based on everything they've shown, and those who've played it that aren't writing numbers for a publication, it deserves those accolades.
 

Varteras

Gold Member
I know some people are clenching for the Stevivor review. Just wanted to point out, that website gave both Spider-Man and Miles Morales a 9.5. Not a guarantee that it won't give a low score, but historically that site loves Insomniac's games. Gave Rift Apart a 9 as well.
 
Why are review threads the end all be all around here but also, every single time reviews don't align with every individual posters tastes or expectations, every review is a paid shill, not being honest, hates this console or loves that console. etc.? So why the fuck do these people care what the actual scores are? Just tell us about your bias instead of attaching it to every reviewer who doesn't think the same exact thing as you do.

Are we not old and mature enough to acknowledge that different tastes exist? It's so fucking petty and obtuse to call something 'bad' if you personally don't like it. Expand your horizons, you are not the arbiter of good taste, you have your own preferences which are perfectly valid to you, you don't need to try to topple the entire gaming landscape because people who happen to get their opinions put on Metacritic have slightly differing tastes than you.

If you are constantly tying yourself in knots to justify how a review score did not align with you perfectly, maybe Occam's Razor that shit instead of going deeper down the conspiracy rabbit hole.
 
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Cashon

Banned
Sequels are more of the same and many of them scored as good, or even better, than their predecessors. The game doesn't need to be docked points for doing something that it did well before, but even better now. That's .....silly.

It got its high marks for a reason, and based on everything they've shown, and those who've played it that aren't writing numbers for a publication, it deserves those accolades.
That's why I said, if review standards were consistent. In the past, if a game we're largely derivative/too similar to its immediate predecessor, it would frequently garner a score that is lower than it equal to that predecessor.

This was also the case with a lot of Nintendo games that were ported from the Wii U to the Switch. Super Mario 3D World, for example, has a 93 metacritic on Wii U, but an 89 on Switch. Despite being the same main game and including a whole new separate game (Bowser's Fury).

Obviously reviewers change and one person might feel differently about a game than another, but that's why there needs to be an actual set of review standards in the review industry. Otherwise they are completely arbitrary without something by which to measure.
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
That's why I said, if review standards were consistent. In the past, if a game we're largely derivative/too similar to its immediate predecessor, it would frequently garner a score that is lower than it equal to that predecessor.

This was also the case with a lot of Nintendo games that were ported from the Wii U to the Switch. Super Mario 3D World, for example, has a 93 metacritic on Wii U, but an 89 on Switch. Despite being the same main game and including a whole new separate game (Bowser's Fury).

Obviously reviewers change and one person might feel differently about a game than another, but that's why there needs to be an actual set of review standards in the review industry. Otherwise they are completely arbitrary without something by which to measure.
Then it's a pointless thing to take issue with. The one consistency that counts is "is Spider-Man 2 better than the games that came before it". Reviewers seem to think it is, so that's what matters. Individual numbers are only a major deal to people who focus on that and not what a game does better than it did before to warrant additional praise.
 

DrFigs

Member
That's why I said, if review standards were consistent. In the past, if a game we're largely derivative/too similar to its immediate predecessor, it would frequently garner a score that is lower than it equal to that predecessor.

This was also the case with a lot of Nintendo games that were ported from the Wii U to the Switch. Super Mario 3D World, for example, has a 93 metacritic on Wii U, but an 89 on Switch. Despite being the same main game and including a whole new separate game (Bowser's Fury).

Obviously reviewers change and one person might feel differently about a game than another, but that's why there needs to be an actual set of review standards in the review industry. Otherwise they are completely arbitrary without something by which to measure.
I get this... but also there's something to be said about a review which mentions a game is bigger and better than its predecessor and then giving it a lower score. At that point... it's not clear what the sequel is intended to do? completely switch direction?
 
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Game looks freaking great! I voted 85-89, but it looks like it landed better than expected. Basically everything the first two games were, but even more polished and all new mechanics landed perfectly. Love that Insomniac polish.
 

Cashon

Banned
Then it's a pointless thing to take issue with. The one consistency that counts is "is Spider-Man 2 better than the games that came before it". Reviewers seem to think it is, so that's what matters. Individual numbers are only a major deal to people who focus on that and not what a game does better than it did before to warrant additional praise.
That's why I mentioned the actual content of the reviews. Most of the ones that I've read do not go into any real detail about what makes it any better. They generally describe the gameplay as mostly being the same. And Miles Morales/Remastered already had the graphics and loading improvements, so what's actually better?
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
I get this... but also there's something to be said about a review which mentions a game is bigger and better than its predecessor and then giving it a lower score. At that point... it's not clear what the sequel is intended to do? completely switch direction?
And plenty of reviews have done this to sequels.
 

DrFigs

Member
That's why I mentioned the actual content of the reviews. Most of the ones that I've read do not go into any real detail about what makes it any better. They generally describe the gameplay as mostly being the same. And Miles Morales/Remastered already had the graphics and loading improvements, so what's actually better?
Ign specifically mentions that it "refines the combat". that's the one quote that sticks out, i'm sure they mentioned more specific things, but i'm not going to look at their review again.
 

Cashon

Banned
Ign specifically mentions that it "refines the combat". that's the one quote that sticks out, i'm sure they mentioned more specific things, but i'm not going to look at their review again.
IGN is one of the ones that's actually following what I'm talking about. They gave the previous two a 9, and they gave this one an 8 for being largely the same.
 

GymWolf

Member
Thank god we still have people asking the important questions:

So I don't know if this has been asked or answered before but: do any of the reviews go into detail on how Spider-Man 2 deals with its protagonists' relationship with the cops?

I just watched Across the Spider-Verse (amazing movie, just as the first one) and fell in love with the character of Miles Morales again. I remembered that Miles had a DLC-turned standalone title of Insomniac's Spider-Man and I started reading reviews from back then. And both Spider-Man 1's and Miles Morales' reception back then was heavily influenced by how they both portrayed their relationship to the police.

Of course, this was at the height of BLM and police brutality was on everyone's mind. A global pandemic, a war of aggression by Russia, a global recession with heavy inflation and now a heating up of the longbrewing tensions in the Levant later, the discussion about police brutality and Black life in the US (and everywhere, really) has almost come to a halt.

But again, both of Insomniac's Spider-Man games before where heavily brought in relation with that discussion when they released. It was a whole thing! But the few reviews I read about the sequel did not mention its policing politics at all. Which makes me wonder: did any review go into that? Or more to the point: what is Spider-Man 2's relationship with the police, police brutality and race politics?



:LOL::LOL:
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
IGN is one of the ones that's actually following what I'm talking about. They gave the previous two a 9, and they gave this one an 8 for being largely the same.
You talk about consistency yet miss IGN's inconsistencies. The majority of that review praises it, yet docked an additional point mainly because "the world is bigger, but not better". But, they acknowledge the technical love, better combat, better swinging, better story, and increased fun factor.

That sounds like a largely improved sequel, not a step backwards.
 
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Chuck Berry

Gold Member
Thank god we still have people asking the important questions:

So I don't know if this has been asked or answered before but: do any of the reviews go into detail on how Spider-Man 2 deals with its protagonists' relationship with the cops?

I just watched Across the Spider-Verse (amazing movie, just as the first one) and fell in love with the character of Miles Morales again. I remembered that Miles had a DLC-turned standalone title of Insomniac's Spider-Man and I started reading reviews from back then. And both Spider-Man 1's and Miles Morales' reception back then was heavily influenced by how they both portrayed their relationship to the police.

Of course, this was at the height of BLM and police brutality was on everyone's mind. A global pandemic, a war of aggression by Russia, a global recession with heavy inflation and now a heating up of the longbrewing tensions in the Levant later, the discussion about police brutality and Black life in the US (and everywhere, really) has almost come to a halt.

But again, both of Insomniac's Spider-Man games before where heavily brought in relation with that discussion when they released. It was a whole thing! But the few reviews I read about the sequel did not mention its policing politics at all. Which makes me wonder: did any review go into that? Or more to the point: what is Spider-Man 2's relationship with the police, police brutality and race politics?



:LOL::LOL:

Amazing. Has this been cleared up yet?

I seriously doubt they brought Spider-Cop back :messenger_confused:
 

graywolf323

Member
Something wrong with the indiwire review because they don’t give it a score in the article and the words don’t match the score on metacritic, which is the exact same score Miles Morales got and there you can see how the words would match a B+.
according to Metacritic this is the first game Indiewire has reviewed since Metroid Dread and only the 12th game they’ve reviewed overall? that seems very strange, why it’s not listed as unscored given there doesn’t seem to be any sort of rating now on Spider-Man 2 is the strangest part (comparatively Metroid Dread was given a B which somehow Metacritic says is equivalent to a 75 🤨)

the only games they’ve given better than an a B+ to is Demon’s Souls Remake (which got an A- which Metacritic turned into a 91) and Returnal (which got an A which Metacritic turned into a 100)

 
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Thirty7ven

Banned
according to Metacritic this is the first game Indiewire has reviewed since Metroid Dread and only the 12th game they’ve reviewed overall? that seems very strange, why it’s not listed as unscored given there doesn’t seem to be any sort of rating now on Spider-Man 2 is the strangest part (comparatively Metroid Dread was given a B which somehow Metacritic says is equivalent to a 75 🤨)

the only games they’ve given better than an a B+ to is Demon’s Souls Remake (which got an A- which Metacritic turned into a 91) and Returnal (which got an A which Metacritic turned into a 100)


It makes no sense.
 

Cashon

Banned
You talk about consistency yet miss IGN's inconsistencies. The majority of that review praises it, yet docked an additional point mainly because "the world is bigger, but not better". But, they acknowledge the technical love, better combat, better swinging, better story, and increased fun factor.

That sounds like a largely improved sequel, not a step backwards.
The IGN review literally begins with this:

With Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Insomniac has the unenviable task of following up two riveting superhero fantasies full of excitement and heart. While that may sound like a good problem to have, the question becomes where do you go from there? Well, its answer is to double down. Double down on Spider-Men. Double down on the size of the map. Double down on explosive action sequences. In doing so, the studio has crafted another consistently exciting rollercoaster ride and the best story of the series yet – but stand the original alongside this sequel in other ways, and it can look a bit like two Spider-Man games pointing at each other. The excellent combat hasn’t gotten old, but it is largely the same fun as before, and despite that larger map, most of the open-world activities found within it are in desperate need of evolution. The result is a blockbuster in the most modern sense of the word: undeniably thrilling for long stretches, but by the numbers for others. Despite a couple of new tricks up its sleeve, Spider-Man 2’s combat is very familiar – it doesn’t have that new suit smell anymore, but it still feels incredibly comfy to slip back into.
Reading through the review, the only thing I've noticed that they explicitly say is outright better is the story. If the argument is that "everything is mostly the same, but the story is better, therefore the score should be the same or slightly higher," I'm on board with that (which would leave Spider-Man 2 right about at an 89, given that the other two are 87 and 85 respectively). But that would have to carry over throughout all reviews of all games, meaning that no game should have a much lower review score than another game that is largely the same. Which goes back to my argument about consistency of reviews.
 

GymWolf

Member
Amazing. Has this been cleared up yet?

I seriously doubt they brought Spider-Cop back :messenger_confused:
Ask, and it will be given to you (matthew 7,7)

From reeee


In the first game, Peter was in frequent communication with the police force, and most of the missions were bookended by the faithful boys in blue keeping the city clean. That, and the fact Peter labelled low-level street drug deals his least favourite crime, plus the repair and use of police snooping tech, gave the game a very specific political outlook. Spider-Man 2 stops (way, way) short of calling the NYPD pigs, but most interactions Peter and Miles have with the emergency services is through the fire department. Spider-Cop, or any reference to helping the police, is gone.


Predictable really.
 
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