Spider-Man 2 Creative Director Discusses Sandman Opening

Key things

The launch of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 with Sandman is a real treat for PS5 owners as it showcases the technological advancement of the game as well as the game systems.
As it turns out, the Sandman fight was decided from the very beginning as a way to showcase the game's big jump.
In a new interview with PlayStation, Inomniac Games shared more about how the combat came about and gave fans an insight into the creative decisions that went into the games development.

One of the best moments of Marvel's Spider-Man 2, the sequel to the original 2023 Marvel's Spider-Man Insomniac, comes right at the beginning. The Sandman is wreaking havoc all over New York, and it's up to Peter, as well as Miles, to bring him under control before the Empire State is completely covered in, well, sand.

It's as packed an opening as a game systems manual. In the first half hour or so, you'll learn how to web swing, launch combos, deploy widgets, dodge, and implement finishers. It was also a great showcase of how much Spider-Man 2 has grown, both graphically and technologically, thanks to the PS5.

As it turns out, according to Senior Creative Director Bryan Intihar, the decision to open Sandman was made from the start. A wise decision, we must say.

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Sandman was one of the best parts of Spidey 2

In an interview with PlayStation Blog as part of the larger reveal of Spider-Man 2 for PC, Intihar discussed a number of details related to the game, including that memorable opening. “Sandman was one of the first things we decided on, like really early on,” Intihar said. “…Big sequel. Two heroes. What does it deserve to open? I think Sandman was our thing.”

Given the number of villains used in the first game, along with the semi-sequel of Miles Morales, Sandman certainly makes the most sense as an enemy with enough power and size to kick off the game.

“We wanted to go big,” Intihar added. “We wanted people to understand right away – and I always make fun of what it's called Marvel's Spider-Man 2 for some reason, because there are two of them — but for us, it was like, in those first 20, 30 minutes, we can show people that everything compares.”

Insomniac did this because Sandman quickly proved that this game was not going to be a regular sequel. Because in addition to showcasing the game's technology, Sandman had lingering effects on the world itself, with many remnants of the battle existing throughout its run. Let's hope Intihar has some ideas in his head to kick off the inevitable Spider-Man 3, because Sandman really set the bar high.