Insomniac Games, the developers of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for the PS5, recently confirmed that the gameplay footage shown at the PlayStation Showcase was not the final build. Despite this statement, the game found itself at the center of a heated debate among fans on social media and gaming forums about its “next-gen graphics.”
Many followers compared Spider-Man 2 with the previous installment, Spider-Man Remastered, expressing disappointment that they appeared graphically similar. Concerned fans reached out to Insomniac community manager James Stevenson on Twitter, asking about the footage.
This chatter about graphics caught the attention of Insomniac Games, causing some developers to retweet Digital Foundry’s John Linneman. The retweet pointed out that Spider-Man 2 has visibly improved ray tracing, more details, and larger set pieces.
Insomniac Games has been in this position before. Their original title was slammed by some for “downgrading” the in-game puddles’ quality in the final release. This time, debates started on social media about the water graphics.
Insomniac did not indicate whether or not they would execute a graphics overhaul before Spider-Man 2’s release in fall 2023. However, the game will undoubtedly go through a polishing phase and looks great regardless of dubious critiques.