Skip to main content

Marvel’s Avengers won’t give Spider-Man his own story missions

After a long wait, Marvel’s Avengers players on PlayStation are finally getting access to Spider-Man this month, just without any story missions. As revealed in IGN’s preview of Spider-Man in the Marvel-based action game, the web slinger’s debut won’t include any story missions.

Marvel's Avengers Expansion: Black Panther - War for Wakanda Cinematic Trailer

For Marvel’s Avengers, that’s a big departure from the norm for new character rollouts. Each character that has been introduced to the game, from Hawkeye to Black Panther, has come with a group of story missions that introduces them and gives players a bit of a backstory. Spider-Man, who PlayStation players have been looking forward to for over a year, will arrive unceremoniously, with no story missions to speak of. At least that means we don’t have to see Uncle Ben die again.

Recommended Videos

In lieu of any proper story missions, Spidey’s backstory will be told in-game through audio logs and illustrated cutscenes. Speaking to IGN about the decision, Marvel’s Avengers gameplay director Philippe Therien explained that the team didn’t want anything to get into the way of the game’s upcoming raid. “We want to spend our efforts on content that everyone can enjoy,” Therien explained, “so we chose to spend a lot of our energy on the Klaw raid that’s coming up at the same time.”

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Unfortunately for PlayStation players, it seems like Marvel’s Avengers version of Spider-Man is the new best example of why console-exclusive content in games aren’t always a great deal. Developers aren’t as likely to put their all into something that only a small portion of players will actually access, ultimately leaving fans with something that may not live up to the hype.

Otto Kratky
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Otto Kratky is a freelance writer with many homes. You can find his work at Digital Trends, GameSpot, and Gamepur. If he's…
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 fixes one of its predecessor’s biggest flaws
Venom perched on a rooftop.

Insomniac Games has always had a penchant for silky smooth controls, and while Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 doesn’t make any drastic changes to gameplay, the new Symbiote and Bioelectric abilities give both heroes (Peter Parker and Miles Morales) more options when taking on groups of enemies. Both Spider-Men are a joy to play as in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Traversal has also seen minor, but helpful improvements, with the addition of web swings and the ability to swing around corners, which ensure that almost no roadblocks to movement exist while playing as a Spider-Man.

That’s why I was surprised that some of the most memorable moments of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for me were moments where I wasn’t in control of Peter or Miles -- and I’m not just referring to the sequences where I controlled a drone or Spider-Bot. Some of the weakest parts of the first Marvel’s Spider-Man were the ones where I wasn't controlling the titular hero. That’s not the case in this sequel, though, making that one place where Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a clear, drastic improvement over its predecessor.

Read more
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 lets its villains evolve in ways comics never could
Mysterio in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2, like the best Spider-Man stories, leaves a lasting impact on its characters. In comics, events like Death of Gwen Stacy, the corruption of Peter with the symbiote, Peter's marriage to MJ, and the reveal of his identity during Civil War left a mark on both the web-slinger and readers because they were character-driven moments that felt like they would change Spider-Man forever. Not all of these moments were actually allowed to do that, though. To maintain a brand identity and accommodate an ever-revolving door of writers, Marvel Comics always tries to get Spider-Man back to a status quo after radical changes.

Most infamously, One More Day undid Peter Parker and Mary Jane’s marriage and the fact that people knew Spider-Man’s identity after Civil War. Although there are still plenty of excellent Spider-Man stories coming out to this day, personal stories with a feeling of permanence are rare unless the comic is set in an alternate universe like the excellent Spider-Man: Life Story.

Read more
What is the code to the Lizard’s lab in Spider-Man 2?
Spider man pressing keys on a tablet.

Dr. Connors, aka The Lizard, is forced back into his reptile state after Kraven injects him with his old serum in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. This would be bad enough, but he's also the only one who knows the truth about the symbiote and how to potentially get it off of Peter. Before that can happen, you need to track him down and inject him with the cure, and your search begins at his home in Queens. While exploring Connors' home, you discover that he had his own laboratory built underneath it for his experiments. Naturally, he wanted to keep this secret and put a passcode on the entrance. There's a small puzzle to uncover the code, and this isn't a puzzle you can skip. Here's how to open the lab.
How to open the Lizard's lab

After exploring Connors' home and finding the panel to the lab, you will see a screen with four colored panels with one to four dots on each in order. Each one plays a tone, so the code is asking you to find the right musical tone. The clue here is the sticker of the barn on the upper right. If you visited the baby's room on the upper floor, you will have heard the Old MacDonald song when interacting with a toy in the room. That's the tone you need to recreate. The correct order to press the keys is 4,4,4,1.

Read more