Insomniac Games has returned with a new Spider-Man adventure built for the PlayStation 5. Spider-Man 2 uses advanced Insomniac Games tech for a much bigger game with a fresh storyline.
At first glance from trailers, some might have thought Spider-Man 2 didn’t outdo the first game much. But, careful analysis by Digital Foundry debunks this notion, highlighting various improvements.
Why it matters: The leap in graphics and technology in Spider-Man 2 indicates that the game is more than just a spiced-up PS4 release.
New York in Spider-Man 2 boasts a heightened level of detail, featuring more intricate geometry, diverse materials, advanced lighting techniques, and the integration of ray tracing across all modes.
The level of detail is greatly improved, making the world feel more crowded and bustling. Traffic flows naturally, and more cars and people create a lively, inhabited city. You can watch these enhancements in the first hour of leaked gameplay.
Furthermore, this installment takes ray tracing to new heights with higher-fidelity reflections, nuanced secondary reflections, and more. In previous Spider-Man games, cube maps mimicked 3D spaces indoors. However, Insomniac Games has employed ray tracing for authentic virtual interiors.
Such effort to rely on ray tracing has led to a lot of praise for Spider-Man 2. Many experts have dubbed it the best use of ray tracing on consoles. Apart from visuals, the game uses new tech for faster traversal.
The shift to SSD development also eliminates loading screens, leading to instant loading and switching between the two playable characters.
Spider-Man 2 not only dazzles visually but also maintains an impressive level of performance.
Unlike some recent titles that grapple with resolution cutbacks, Spider-Man 2 strikes a balance. The game is set to offer different performance modes with variable FPS targets.
In Fidelity mode, the resolution dynamically ranges from 1440p to 4K, holding steady at its 30FPS target or even reaching 40FPS on a 120Hz screen, with only occasional frame drops during intense sequences.
Performance mode, with its native resolution fluctuating between 1008p to 1440p, ensures a consistently smooth 60FPS experience. However, Spider-Man 2 also introduces a range of VRR options.
This facilitates uncapped frame rates, allowing the game to reach around 80FPS in performance mode with a slight hit to resolution, which can drop to 936p.
Spider-Man 2 is Insomniac’s fourth game for PS5, and the team’s experience with the PS5 console is clearly visible in the technological leaps of the game.
The review embargo has been lifted, and reviewers have called it the studio’s best game yet. One reviewer has even claimed that it beats Batman Arkham City to become the best superhero game.
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