Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Is Finally Making Up For A 20-Year Old Mistake On PC

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is finally available on PC, much to the delight of non-PlayStation owners or those seeking to double-dip on one of Sony's best games yet. This PC port not only makes the title more accessible to a wider pool of players, but it also introduces a handful of new graphical features that make the game look so much better. While at launch the technical state leaves something to be desired, it is great to see the Marvel's Spider-Man 2 experience ported so faithfully to PC, giving players there the best experience possible.

The porting of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 to PC is a landmark moment, not simply because of the excellent Marvel Rivals tie-in, but because it finally fixes a problem that has been plaguing the franchise for over two decades. While Spider-Man fans have been able to enjoy several incredible video game experiences as of late, this hasn't always been the case. In fact, players couldn't even be sure of whether they were going to have a good or bad Spider-Man experience because of how different game development, especially when regarding movie tie-in games, was.

PC Had A Worse Spider-Man 2 Tie-In Game

It Was Vastly Different From The Console Version

Back in 2004, during the dawn of the superhero movie renaissance, Spider-Man 2, the classic flick starring the titular wall-crawling, web-slinging, octopus-beating hero, got a movie tie-in game. Actually, it got several movie tie-in games, all of which were developed by different studios and played differently. There were multiple handheld versions, including for the GBA, DS, and PSP, all of which were completely unique, as well as console versions - most notably the iconic PS2 version - and, notoriously, the PC version.

Crucially, the PC and console versions ended up becoming a source of contention among fans, with everyone loving the PS2 edition, even going as far as to call it one of the best movie tie-in games of all time, but hating the PC one. This is because the PC version was a fundamentally worse game in practically every aspect. Its open world was smaller and more restrictive due to Spider-Man only being able to swing via set swing points. Conversely, the PS2 version let players swing from wherever they pleased and had a far more lively and interactive open world.

The story of the PC version was more nonsensical, at least for a movie tie-in, as it often had little to do with the film it was supposedly adapting. Once again, the PS2 version did a better job while also fleshing out the runtime with interesting villain inclusions. The console versions, in a surprise twist, also looked better than the PC one, although lacked its vibrancy and color. Of course, when both are compared to the critically acclaimed Marvel's Spider-Man 2, they hardly hold up. However, compared solely to each other, the PC version feels like a discounted shovelware rip-off.

PC & Console Used To Be More Separate Niches

Different Versions Were Developed For Each Platform

Harry Potter standing at the bottom of a staircase in Hogwarts next to Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone PC game.

This wasn't an isolated incident either, as releasing a different version per platform was commonplace among video games in the early 2000s, especially when it concerned movie tie-ins. One of the most notable examples was the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone game, which had a drastically different PC and console version. While in this case, they both proved to be enjoyable experiences and are even considered as being some of the best Harry Potter games of all time, all too often was one version substantially worse than the other.

Typically, the handheld editions of these games were severely truncated, reducing the story to a handful of text boxes and completely shifting genre. In this case, it was to work around those consoles' limitations, as, naturally, the GBA was significantly less powerful than a PC or PS2. The Sims is another good example of this. For example, the DS versions of The Simscompletely ditched the mainline series' gameplay formula for a more narrative experience in a specific setting. It had important characters, bizarre plotlines, and significantly less freedom, all of which made it feel like an entirely different series.

However, when it comes to the differences between PC and console versions, it's a little more complicated. Porting games verbatim wasn't as popular or nearly as technically feasible. This is because consoles were just built differently to how they are now, with far more unique specifications, which meant that games couldn't simply be copied across all platforms. Each one would need to be specifically tailored to each console, which would take an inordinate amount of effort. In most cases, it was simply easier to hire another developer to make a different version of the game.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 On PC Comes Full Circle

It Finally Offers The Same Experience Across All Platforms

Maskless Peter Parker and Miles Morales, leaning on a railing on the top of a building in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

Fortunately, those restrictions and limitations are a thing of the past. PC and console ports of games are now perfect replicas of one another, outside of perhaps some graphical enhancements, additional skins or items, and a control scheme. Importantly, this applies to Marvel's Spider-Man 2's PC and console versions, which are identical to one another. This finally ends the tainted legacy of the original divisive Spider-Man 2 and its multiple versions that have lasted in the memory of disappointed fans for decades.

While to some it may seem trivial, it is important to reflect on how far the games industry has come in such a short space of time. The fact that 20 years ago people had to deal with whatever version their platform of choice got, rather than expecting there to be consistency across all versions, seems outlandish. It can be easy to take ports and cross-platform releases for granted these days, especially for those who didn't grow up playing Spider-Man 2 on PC and not realizing a far superior version was being enjoyed by millions of others on another platform.

Luckily, especially with the likes of the Switch 2 bringing all platforms closer in specs and performance than ever before, players can rest assured that no matter how or where they play games, they're going to have an enjoyable time and can share stories with their friends and not sound utterly bizarre. While Spider-Man 2's PC port may go down in history as one of the worst movie tie-in games of all time, and deservedly so, it also serves as a perfect demonstration of just how much games have improved.

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