There are plenty of games releasing in 2023 that warrant high expectations from fans, from the medieval-inspiredFinal Fantasy 16to the vast expanses ofThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Nestled among them isMarvel’sSpider-Man 2, Insomniac’s follow-up to the 2018 game and its2020 Miles Morales side story. It’s one of Sony’s heavy-hitting franchises alongsideGod of War, Horizon, andThe Last of Us. Insomniac has proven to be one of the most consistent developers around, and while it started something truly great in 2018, the potential for Peter Parker’s next adventure is as high as the Empire State Building, thanks in part to villains like Kingpin.
To achieve such lofty heights,Marvel’s Spider-Man 2has to do something different.Spider-Manwas a sublime experience, but much of the story felt thoroughly in-keeping with what players expect of a Spidey adventure. It did well to present re-imaginings of iconic characters like Aunt May, Otto Octavius, and Mary Jane, but there’s one character it didn’t fully capture the full force of. Using Kingpin more in the sequel could do wonders for the second mainline game in the Insomniac-developed Marvel series, and even if he isn’t featured in person, having the city’s identity feel forged by the devilish deeds of Wilson Fisk could be the key to improving on an already winning formula.
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Kingpin Is Underutilized in Spider-Man
2018’sSpider-Manpresents Mr. Negativeas a villain for the majority of the story, and Peter Parker’s close connection to Martin Li makes the twist that he is a main adversary feel all the more personal. The arrival of the Sinister Six and Dr. Octopus madeSpider-Man’s quest far grander than the opening hours would indicate. The opening few minutes has the seasoned wall-crawler foil Kingpin’s plans and see him shipped off to jail, and while he is well voice acted by Travis Willingham and beautifully designed, it was a shame to see him take such a limited role.
Kingpin is a villain not just to Spider-Man, but also to Daredevil and Marvel heroes at large. He’s always seen as a major player in New York’s criminal underworld, and naturally has a major impact on the way the setting is shaped in the comics.Spider-Man 2may not need more villains since Venom andKraven the Hunterare confirmed to feature, but dropping breadcrumbs on the trail that allude to Kingpin’s power could make Spider-Man’s fight to maintain control feel even more desperate.
Kingpin’s Influence Can Make the Open World Feel Special
New York in the firstSpider-Mangameis a beautiful recreation of an iconic city, and it did well to implement classic Marvel structures like The Daily Bugle and Avengers Tower. However, architecture and level design are important to a game’s setting, but it’s of equal importance to ensure it is layered with a tone that contributes to the narrative of the game. Settings like Aperture Science can be made far more compelling because of the story being told, andSpider-Man 2emphasizing Kingpin’s tight grip on the city could make it feel like more than a faithful adaptation of a real-world place.
Spider-Man 2already promises plenty of things that fans want.The emergence of Venom, the flourishing relationship of Pete and Mary Jane, and the development of Miles Morales as a fully-fledged web-slinger are all expectations of the 2023 game. If Insomniac delivers on these expectations it has a real chance to be one of the best experiences released in a year that has already proven to be great. Kingpin’s power could be the cherry atop the cake forSpider-Man 2.
