Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Gameplay Trailer Unveils Kraven The Hunter, Symbiote Suit
Today's 2023 PlayStation Showcase was full of reveals from "Metal Gear" and "Marathon" remakes and re-imaginings to "Dragon's Dogma" and "Spider-Man" sequels. The latter showcased quite a bit in terms of new characters, gameplay, and even spider suits. Of course a follow-up game needs a follow-up story, and "Spider-Man 2" puts one of its spotlights on Vladimir Kravinoff — a.k.a., Kraven the Hunter. It's not just Kraven who Peter and Miles (yes, New York is now under the protection of two different Spider-People) will have to contend with, however. Kraven has brought his own personal army to NYC as he begins his Great Hunt. Because what better prey than one with superpowers, right?
Kraven's Hunters act as a new enemy faction, complete with their own unique tools and weapons. Including a variety of vehicles, an unsurprising arsenal of firearms, but also bird- and dog-like robotic drones. These Hunters also don't appear to worry much about collateral damage, so it may be necessary to keep an eye out for any nearby civilians if a fight breaks out.
What we learned from the PlayStation Showcase
The trailer shows a bit of Kraven's frustration at his (or rather his team's) inability to find "worthy" prey at the start, but mostly it highlights a gameplay set piece where Kraven pursues Dr. Curt Connors (a.k.a., The Lizard) with other villains — and possibly heroes — likely to show up on his itinerary as well. Outside of the inclusion of The Lizard — who appears to have become even bigger and toothier after molting — and Kraven, the trailer also shows off some fairly smooth transitions between controlling Peter and Miles, with each bringing their own spider powers to the action. But perhaps even bigger than Kraven is Peter's new suit making an appearance.
The black suit will definitely be in "Spider-Man 2," and its nuances are apparent fairly quickly. Peter uses the symbiote in a fashion not unlike Cletus Kasady (Carnage), often ignoring his usual webbing in favor of inky tendrils — oftentimes shooting out several at once. And of course, being under the influence of the alien symbiote, this Peter displays some rather uncharacteristic aggression toward, well, everyone.
It's difficult to tell where the gameplay video takes place in the story, so the black suit (and maybe even Venom?) may appear early on, toward the midpoint, or not until the end. We won't have a clear picture until "Spider-Man 2" releases in the fall of 2023, but it's probably safe to assume Kraven, Connors, and the symbiote aren't the only new threats.