Swing into Spider Man 2 with the Best Controller Settings and New Features
Spider-Man 2 released today on PlayStation 5 and swinging through the iconic streets of New York City as Spider-Man feels more exhilarating and immersive than ever. Whether you played the first game, Miles Morales, both games, or neither, there’s a lot you should know before jumping into this amazing adventure. Today we’re going to cover the best controller and gameplay settings to get you started and we’ll also fill you in on several spoiler-free new features to this game that you should know about early.
KONTROLFREEK ACTION ADVENTURE THUMBSTICKS
Before we jump into the game and look at the settings, you want to make sure your controller is fully upgraded and prepared for the action ahead of you. Performance Thumbsticks are the best gadget to enhance your immersion and gaming experience in Action-Adventure games like Spider Man 2! Upgrade your controller with a pair of KontrolFreek’s mid-rise Action Adventure thumbsticks and you’ll feel fully in control of your character’s in game movement. Additionally, all the added grip and accuracy will improve the accuracy of your abilities, attacks, making it easier to reach those high combos taking on hordes of enemies!
The brand-new lotus design enhances the style and grip of any controller while providing superior Aim and Control in Action-Adventure Games. Spider Man 2 fans know that style is sometimes half the battle, well Lotus has you covered on both halves. This stunning teal flower design on a clear stem will make any controller stand out and the level of grip and control these provide will make you feel like your thumbsticks are connected to your thumbs for full immersion in Action-Adventure games.
The classic minimalist CQC grip upgrades any controller’s thumbsticks to enhance your Aim and Control while playing Action-Adventure games. These thumbsticks look good with any controller, and while they may look simple, they provide top-of-the line reliable grip! With all the amazing new suits in Spider Man 2, sometimes classic is just the way to go!
SETTINGS TO BE AWARE OF
It’s been three years since Miles Morales came out, so if you don’t remember your settings or you never played the first two games, we’ve got you covered with our settings recommendations to get your started on your adventure in New York City.
First up, we recommend playing on Amazing Difficulty, as we always do for Action/Adventure games, but feel free to turn this down or up based on your preferences for story or combat. We didn’t change any of the Challenge Modifiers but these are all really nice to be aware of, if you are someone who, for example, hates stealth, you can turn the stealth difficulty down making it easier to remain undetected.
We turn Vibration Off as it offers no real advantage in this game. Underneath Vibration there are several controller accessibility options, such as changing repeated press actions to a single press or turning on the ability to continuously dodge or continuously attack. We left all of these options set to default you should know about them if you are having any pain points while playing.
In the Camera Settings, we increased Look Sensitivity and Aim Sensitivity to 7, but play around with this to find what feels right for you.
We have Camera Shake turned off and Swing Camera Motion at 0.
If your TV or Monitor can accommodate, we recommend turning on the 120 Hz Display Mode, for reduced input lag.
At the bottom of the settings page, you’ll see a row for Shortcut 1 and Shortcut 2. Shortcut 1 is mapped to Left on the D-Pad, and we recommend setting this to Launch Photo Mode, which is what it has been set to in previous games. For Shortcut 2, mapped to Right on the D-Pad, pick whichever works best for you, but our personal favorite has been Game Speed 30%, which you can use to slow down time for some epic photos and cinematic moments.
WHAT’S NEW IN SPIDERMAN 2
Gamers who played the first game and Miles Morales will notice that a lot has changed in the gameplay, map, UI, skills, abilities, gadgets, and more. Without spoiling any story details, we want to share a few new features to Spider Man 2 that you should be aware of on your adventure.
First, and hopefully this doesn’t come as too much of a shock to you, but Miles Morales and Peter Parker are both playable Spider Men in this game. You can switch between Peter or Miles at most times by opening your phone and holding square, but you will be locked in as one or the other for some story missions. Peter and Miles both have specific strengths so you should level up and practice with both even if you prefer one. For example, Miles is more adept at Stealth due to his camouflage abilities.
When leveling up, you will notice three separate skill trees: one for Miles, one for Peter, and one for both. Early on, you should prioritize unlocking skills that will enable you to fill up your ability wheels for both characters and then the shared skill tree as you will be switching back and forth quite a bit and the skills in this tree will benefit both characters.
Abilities and Gadgets work a lot differently from the last two games. Now each Spider Man has a shared gadget set, which are activated by holding R1 and pressing any of the four face buttons (circle, square, triangle, x) as well as a character specific ability set which is activated by holding L1 and pressing any of the four face buttons (circle, square, triangle, x). These abilities will save your life and turn the tides of battles, so unlock them early and use them often in combat.
Speaking of combat, one of the biggest additions to the combat system is the ability to parry attacks by pressing L1. The visual cues above the attacking enemy help you time your parries. If you parry right when the cue turns red, you will not only block the attack but counter with a powerful attack of your own. There are some enemy melee attacks that can only be parried, so familiarize yourself with this new mechanic early.
Our personal favorite addition to Spider Man 2 has to be the Web Wings. Holding Triangle in the air will activate a glide suit that Spider Man can use to literally fly around the city. This ability is super helpful for crossing all of the waterways and open space on the new map, but most importantly, it’s a lot of fun. It’s also worth noting that if you do hit the water while gliding, don’t worry, Peter and Miles are both expert barefoot surfers!
All of the different Spider Man suits are now purely cosmetic. To add abilities to your suit, you’ll need to keep an eye out for chest containing tech parts, which are often found on rooftops. You can use these tech parts to purchase Suit Tech Upgrades which provide Peter and Miles with a variety of buffs to help you on your journey.
Lastly, we want to share what we’ve learned about fast travel in this game, as it is quite different from the previous games. To unlock fast travel, you will have to reach rank 2 of 3 in a district by completing activities in that district. Once you reach rank 2 in a district however, you will be able to pinpoint your fast travel location to any spot in that district. While this might seem like a nerf at first, once you unlock fast travel in a district, this becomes incredibly useful for traversing the map and hunting collectibles.
Spider-Man 2 on the PS5 offers a thrilling gaming experience, especially when you master swinging through the city and battling foes. Being aware of these settings and new gameplay features will help you get the most out of this amazing web-slinging adventure. Check out our other KontrolFreek Blogs for more controller tips to upgrade your play in your favorite games! Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to stay up to date on the latest gaming content and join our Twitch streams for opportunities to win free KontrolFreek and SteelSeries products!