What Parents Need to Know About Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Time to put on your spider suit and swing back into New York City with Peter Parker and Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Whether you and your children are veterans of previous Spider-Man games, or you’re new to this version of the Spider-Verse, read on to find out if Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is appropriate for your kids.

Is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Appropriate for your Kids?

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is rated T for Teen, with Content Descriptors for Blood, Drug Reference, Mild Language, and Violence. There is also an Interactive Element assigned for In-Game Purchases.

According to the assigned Rating Summary, players will enter the spider-shoes of Peter Parker and Miles Morales as they “attempt to save New York City from a new threat.” You can also expect characters that “punch, kick, and throw each other during fights,” with main characters using special abilities to battle criminals, villains, and other bad guys. Keep in mind that there are instances of blood, as well as references to drugs, and some mild language.

Where Can You Play Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and How Much Does it Cost?

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is available on the PlayStation 5 and costs $69.99 for the Standard Edition and $79.99 for the Digital Deluxe Edition that includes the game, unique spider suits for both Peter and Miles, and two skill points.

There is also a Collector’s Edition available for $229 that includes the game, a statue, and other physical and in-game items. You can find all of those details here.

As previously mentioned, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 also includes a label for In-Game Purchases. This means the game may offer the ability to purchase additional content directly within the game.

What is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 About?

Following the events of 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man and 2020’s Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales players can once again swing into the webbed shoes of both Peter Parker and Miles Morales. This iteration sees Peter and Miles join forces to protect Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn from various villains, including Kraven the Hunter, who sees the Spider-Men as his ultimate hunt. Also making appearances are classic Spider-Man villains like the Lizard, Venom, and more.

Like the previous Spider-Games, the spider-men’s secret identities play a big role in the sequel. When not webbing around the city, players will experience moments as Peter and Miles as they try to navigate their double-lives, while keeping their loved ones safe. Miles, for example, is now old enough to be considering his future education, along with all the pressure that comes along with that. Meanwhile, Peter’s best friend, Harry Osborne, is plagued by a serious illness, making Peter desperate to help.

How Does Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Play?

The first thing that comes to mind when someone thinks of Spider-Man is swinging around New York City. This is a huge part of Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2, which gives players all of the tools to gracefully swing, wall-run, and catapult around a massive city at breakneck speeds. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 also introduces the “Web Wings”, which allow the player to glide through wind tunnels to speed up travel and create variety in how the player can get from point A to point B.

But what would Spider-Man be without being able to save some citizens and beat up some bad guys. Combat is another pillar of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Peter and Miles have the ability to punch, kick, and pummel, all while leveraging their Spidey-sense (which appears as a colored wave above the characters’ heads) to dodge and parry enemy attacks. These standard fisticuffs can be further augmented with the use of gadgets, like little web grenades that grab multiple enemies to one point, and abilities, like Miles’ electricity powers (which he calls Venom powers… not to be confused with the bad guy named Venom) for additional options.

If you and your family are more into a stealthy approach, both Peter and Miles also have many opportunities to deal with situations quietly. The Spider-Men can use many of their abilities quietly to web up or knock out bad guys without getting into an all-out brawl.

Lastly, there are also some light puzzles that you and your kids may help Peter and Miles solve. After all… they’re scientists as well as superheroes, and sometimes the best way to solve a problem is with your brain!

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a single-player, open-world, action-adventure game. While only one person can play at a time, the game is cinematic and visually varied, making it fun to take turns and share with the whole family.

Managing Your Kids’ Superhero Adventures

Even when your kids are itching to save New York City it’s important to manage how they do so. Fortunately, there are a bevy of tools and tips to help you set reasonable limits on your kids’ video game experiences.

It’s always great to start by checking the ESRB-assigned rating information to make sure it’s appropriate for your children. If possible, we also recommend that you try the game out before giving your kids permission to play.

That said, virtually every video game device has parental controls that allow you to manage what your kids play (based on the ESRB-assigned rating information), when and for how long, with whom, and whether they can spend money on new games or in-game purchases. You can find step-by-step parental control guides at ParentalTools.org.

If you’re looking for more tips about video games and online safety, visit ESRB’s Family Gaming Guide.