Spider-Man 2 includes several long-awaited showdowns with our favorite villains. These fights with them can range from absolutely breathtaking to simple one-off fights that aren’t really memorable. With that in mind, it’s time to break down our ranking of all the boss fights in the game.
PSA: There will be major spoilers regarding all the game’s bosses. If you have yet to play it, please do so before reading on in case you want to avoid spoilers.
9. Mysterio
Kicking off the list is one of the side mission bosses you face as Miles, Mysterio.
Throughout the various side missions, you’ll encounter Mysterio a few times in his Mysterium events, but he can be defeated like any other enemy with a few hits. However, once you reach the “Grand Finale” of his Mysterium missions, that’s when you’ll be able to face him head on.
However, his boss fight isn’t all that threatening. In terms of design, the fight itself was terrific, and it really captured the Mysterio vibe, especially when you reach phase two of the fight. However, his attacks are relatively easy to deal with, and he seems to have less health than the other bosses do.
To give credit where credit is due, it was really cool to see him split himself apart into multiple illusions like he would in old TV shows or games. However, all of the illusions can be dealt with in a few hits, so it’s just a matter of picking them off one by one until you find the original. If the clones had more health and served as more of a threat, then I think the might may have turned out to be more challenging.
Overall, it was a lackluster side mission boss fight compared to the other ones featured on this list.
8. Sandman
The opening boss fight of Spider-Man 2 was simply breathtaking against the Sandman, but also not without its issues.
In terms of sheer size and spectacle, the game perfectly nailed down everything we’ve ever wanted in a giant Sandman fight. The animations were jaw-dropping and some of the best moments in the game, period. Prime examples include Miles and Peter getting tossed around the city, or when they scale one of the buildings to reach the water tank. Spider-Man games keep the majority of their fights down to earth and really don’t utilize the giant city they’re in. Sandman is one of the few exceptions where since he can make himself bigger, it finally gives the devs an opportunity to really put the giant city of NY to use for a boss fight such as this.
That said, there are some blemishes for the fight. Mainly, it all comes down to the fact that this boss battle is more so an introduction for the player to learn the controls and learn how to fight, swing, and so forth, essentially keeping you in “baby mode” all the way through.
Again, in terms of size, spectacle, and animations, the Sandman fight is almost second to none, but the baby mode really takes away from the “boss fight” factor since you’re mainly learning how to play.
7. Scream
The second to last boss fight is against a Symbiote-corrupted Mary Jane, otherwise known as Scream.
Scream is a nod to long-time comics fans where the Symbiote possessed Mary Jane, and Insomniac did a fantastic job staying true to her original design. That said, I wasn’t as invested in the fight compared the others. The majority of the boss fight takes place in front of Aunt May’s house and then later on in a nearby construction sight. In terms of cinematics and locations, this was a far cry from the Sandman fight.
However, I will give credit where credit is due and say the jump in the difficulty for Scream is insane. Insomniac did an excellent job giving her some deadly moves that kept you on your toes throughout the entire fight, and one wrong move could mean fatal damage.
It is a simple fight when it comes to animations and backdrop, but dangerous due to her sheer power.
6. Lizard
The Lizard is the first “real” boss fight you’ll have after the Sandman, and this is where the first real jump in difficulty is shown.
At this point in the game, you have been fighting wave after wave of regular enemies, but nothing truly prepared you for the fight against the Lizard. Whether you’re playing on Friendly, Amazing, or Spectacular difficulty, his sheer size makes him challenging to parry and difficult to dodge. That said, since he’s so big, he’s also pretty easy to hit, giving you a fair advantage.
Lizard fights in previous Spider-Man games don’t really live up to what Insomniac did, as in older games, the Lizard would only be a little bit bigger than Spider-Man, whereas here, the Lizard is monstrously massive, giving you a real sense of dread fighting such a beast.
The best parts of the fight definitely include Peter’s trash talk under the influence of the Symbiote, and man, is he brutal! This is where we really see Peter succumb to the influence of the Symbiote, and it only gets worse from here; not only in how he talks, but also in how he nearly kills the Lizard on accident in his attempt to “cure” him.
It was a very satisfying boss fight when all is said and done, especially considering how long the gap is between the Sandman fight and this one. It’ll be tough to recreate a Lizard fight such as this in future Spider-Man games.
5. Wraith
Our fated reunion with Captain Yuri Watanabe was an emotional and dangerous one for the books.
During “The Flame” side missions, you’ll eventually encounter Yuri, now donning the title of “Wraith’ when investigating a Flame hideout. Further down the line, when you meet the leader of The Flame, Yuri attempts to kill him, but Peter steps in before she deals the finishing blow; which, much to Peter’s anguish, leads to a boss fight against his former friend.
Compared to Mysterio, Wraith is far more dangerous, as her chain scythes allow her to deal damage from up close or far distances while also allowing her to leap toward you if you try and back away. In phase two, things get dangerous, as she uses a smokescreen to turn invisible and attack you at the last second. Her quick attacks make it nearly impossible to dodge, and you’ll have to preemptively spin the camera to find and dodge ahead of time before she fires off her attacks.
The atmosphere of the fight is also fantastic, as you throw down in a burning building while listening to Peter desperately try to reconnect to Yuri through some gut-wrenching dialogue. Seeing Yuri, who was once your trusted partner in the first Spider-Man game, now fighting you to the death in a burning building is tragically epic.
However, it’s also good to see Yuri hasn’t completely fallen, as she helps Spider-Man survive in future side missions, and even helps out around the city and appears in crimes like Miles does, solidifying she’s not a true bad guy, but more of an Anti-Hero.
Wraith may not have any super powers, but she doesn’t need them to make quick work of you if you take the fight too lightly.
4. Mister Negative
Throughout the story, we’ve seen Miles tap into his anger multiple times whenever Mister Negative appears. About halfway through the story, the showdown between the two begins when they encounter one another in Kraven’s hideout.
Once again, the jump in difficulty from boss fight to boss fight is ludicrous, and Mister Negative clearly was not taking time off in prison. Right out of the gate, his opening attacks that cover the entire field are devastating, and his insane speed keeps you constantly focused.
While you stay in the same location the whole time through, his multiple phases never let you catch your breath for a moment as he’s able to temporarily become immune while also deactivating your Venom powers for a short period of time, making you extremely vulnerable to his attacks.
However, while traversing through the difficulty spike, we genuinely see Miles battling his inner demons for the first time, as he’s given multiple opportunities to end Mister Negative for good, but instead chooses to save him in the end. These small but important moments remind us how strong and what a great choice Miles is to be Spider-Man, as most men wouldn’t think twice about killing their father’s murderer.
Mister Negative’s boss fight probably doesn’t live up to what we saw in the first game, but it also doesn’t disappoint as him and Miles learn to reconcile with one another in the end.
3. Kraven
Kraven was always one of those one-off Spider-Man villains who always had the potential to be great but never got the opportunity to do so. That was until Insomniac got their hands on him and turned him into one of Spider-Man’s greatest adversaries ever.
You fight Kraven twice throughout the game — first as Peter and then as Venom. In this instance though, we’ll be discussing the fight as Peter since the Venom fight with Kraven doesn’t really count, particularly because Venom’s fight is meant to put him over as the new big bad.
Kraven’s fight was exceptionally well done, giving us multiple phases utilizing all of his tricks as Hunter. Mines, robot dogs, the hammer/axe he throws at you, his sheer strength, a Sniper Rifle, and the bell — Kraven is arguably the most well-equipped and well-rounded boss on this list.
I’m personally a huge fan of his second phase, where he not only utilizes the giant bell to stun you but also jumps into nearby trees and uses a Sniper Rifle that will “almost” one-shot you depending on your health.
Most importantly, though, is that the fight truly makes you feel like you’re the prey, even though you’re Spider-Man. Kraven lives up to his hunter title in more ways than one, and it’s no secret how he bested Spider-Man’s previous villains.
Like Wraith, Kraven may not have any superpowers, but after this game, he has cemented himself as a top-tier Spider-Man antagonist.
2. Symbiote Spider-Man
There probably wasn’t a single player who didn’t want this to happen at some point, and thankfully, Insomniac delivered one of the most highly requested Spider-Man boss fights ever, and it was against none other than Spider-Man himself.
Since acquiring the Symbiote, we have seen Peter slowly but surely lose his mind and control over it, and right after you fight Kraven, Peter finally loses. The Symbiote takes full control, and now Miles has to snap him out of it.
Throughout the three-phase battle, you fight Peter, who uses the same attacks you’ve been using the whole game, almost like a mirror fight. Dodging, webbing you up, and using the Symbiote powers to the fullest, the fight only gets more challenging the longer it goes.
It’s emotional, exhausting, and everything I’ve ever wanted in a boss fight against a Symbiote Spider-Man.
1. Venom
Insomniac knew they had a high bar to break after the fantastic final boss fight against Doctor Octopus in the first Spider-Man game. Thankfully, the final fight against Venom more than meets the bar — it breaks it across its leg.
The first fight against Venom as Anti-Venom Spider-Man is nothing short of emotional. Taking place in the same high school where Harry and Peter grew up in, it’s gut-wrenching listening to Peter try to reach out to Harry the whole time. However, those gut-wrenching emotions are quickly overshadowed by rage as Venom cements himself as the most brutal boss in the game, with virtually all of his attacks landing with devastating force.
This is especially true in phase two, as Venom will gain a massive shield that reduces incoming damage from you except when using your Anti-Venom powers. On top of that, he also summons a bunch of Symbiote minions, making the fight that much more difficult as you take on the hive mind alien’s horde of thralls.
The final cinematics where Peter and Miles team up to take Venom down once and for all are nothing short of breathtaking and sheer awesomeness. Watching Peter nearly re-live his trauma from the first game of having to choose to save his loved one or the entire city was a true punch to the gut; and Miles, as usual, cemented himself as a perfect replacement for Peter by saving Harry before it was too late, rescuing Peter in the process so he doesn’t wallow in despair again like he did with Aunt May.
Insomniac Games’ adaptation of Venom sets an extremely high bar for future Venom appearances both in games and live-action movies. I’m eagerly looking forward to a potential spin-off game of Venom where we get to take control of this terrifying creature more indefinitely.
