Spider-Man 2 Continues One Confusing Trend for PlayStation…

Summary

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has received positive reviews for its unique take on the comic book mythos and engaging setpieces, delivering some of the best superhero action in gaming.
The game will receive updates in the future, including new suits, features, and potentially paid DLC. One confirmed update is a New Game Plus mode, which is supposedly coming before the end of 2023.
Like other PlayStation exclusives, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will add New Game Plus and mission replays in the coming months, following a trend of releasing this feature after the initial launch. PlayStation should consider launching games with New Game Plus if they intend to have it.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 recently released to glowing praise from fans and critics alike. The sequel continues the adventures of Peter Parker and Miles Morales, with both Spider-Men coexisting in a unique take on the old comic book mythos. Concerning itself with the invasion of Kraven the Hunter's forces and the emergence of Venom and Peter's symbiote suit, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 has kept players' attention with plenty of twists and interesting setpieces. Once again, it seems that Sony and Insomniac Games have delivered on some of the best superhero action in the gaming industry.

Even for those who have already rushed through Marvel's Spider-Man 2, the fun isn't over yet. Like its predecessors, Spider-Man 2 will receive updates over time, adding suits, features, and potentially some paid DLC. Investigative fans are currently theorizing that Daredevil could be a prominent DLC character, though nothing official has been said on the matter yet. Regardless, there is more for Spider-Man to do in New York City, although some players will have to wait before new adventures become available. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will be getting some major features like New Game Plus and mission replays in the coming months, repeating a trend that is becoming more common in first-party PlayStation titles.

First-Party PlayStation Games Often Add New Game Plus Later

playstation studios first party developer banner death stranding kojima productions — Image of Sony's first-party PlayStation Studios banner.

Across the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 generations, New Game Plus has become fairly common. Whether it boasts entirely new content or just keeps the players stats, upgrades, and inventory intact, those who intend to replay a beloved title often appreciate a good New Game Plus. Strangely, however, for every PlayStation 4 or 5 exclusive that releases with New Game Plus, it seems that another receives it months after launch. Games in the latter camp include:

Days Gone
Death Stranding (via Death Stranding Director’s Cut)
Ghost of Tsushima
God of War (2018)
God of War Ragnarok
Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Forbidden West
Marvel’s Spider-Man
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is just the latest in a long line of PlayStation titles to have New Game Plus confirmed, but not available at launch. It's better than most, as an Insomniac developer tweet claims the mode should arrive by the end of 2023, but some games like 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn have made players wait half a year for just the announcement of a New Game Plus. Except for Death Stranding, which only got a dedicated New Game Plus as part of its Director's Cut, many of the biggest PlayStation games from 2017 onward seem to be deliberately shipping without this feature.

PlayStation Exclusives Should Launch With New Game Plus If They Intend To Have It

spider-man miles morales and peter parker

In some cases, this is understandable, as God of War Ragnarok's New Game Plus update came with a significant amount of new content that surprised and delighted fans. Few New Game Plus modes are that involved, however, and there's been plenty of examples of first-party games able to launch with their New Game Plus modes available.

Bloodborne
Demon’s Souls
Knack
Knack 2
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Ratchet & Clank (2016)
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Shadow of the Colossus (2018)
The Last of Us Part 1
The Last of Us Past 2

Bloodborne and Demon's Souls both benefit from FromSoftware's standard approach to consecutive runs, and series like The Last of Us and Ratchet & Clank have their own histories of New Game Plus modes. However, Ratchet & Clank is also an Insomniac property like Spider-Man, and the interquel game Miles Morales actually launched with New Game Plus. If the feature was always intended to be present, it makes little sense to ship without it, especially considering how few changes a New Game Plus mode needs to justify itself. After Marvel's Spider-Man 2, PlayStation should handle this increasingly common feature in a more efficient way.