Spider-Man 2: All difficulty settings explained

Whether you’re looking for a tough challenge or want to enjoy a great story, there are multiple difficulty settings in Spider-Man 2 to select. But what is different about them?

There is a total of five difficulty options that you can select from when playing through Spider-Man 2. Each has specific aspects that make the game easier or more challenging, depending on what you’re looking for, and can be changed at any time from the menu.

Here are all the difficulty settings of Spider-Man 2 explained and what you should expect from them.

Complete list of difficulty settings in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has five difficulty settings in total. In order, they are as listed:

• Friendly Neighborhood
• Friendly
• Amazing
• Spectacular
• Ultimate (you must beat the game to unlock)

What is Friendly Neighborhood difficulty in Spider-Man 2?

The easiest difficulty setting in the game is Friendly Neighbor. As the name implies, It’s an easy setting for those who want a very simple mode. This is the best way to play if you don’t want a harsh challenge in any combat section of the game and want to follow the main story.

Friendly difficulty in Spider-Man 2

The Friendly setting is an easy difficulty mode but with a bit more challenge than the Friendly Neighborhood setting. The focus is still on experiencing the story overall, with a very low level of challenge. You can still easily defeat all enemies, and you won’t take much damage.

How tough is Amazing difficulty in Spider-Man 2?

The default difficulty setting for the game is Amazing. This is the most balanced and standard level of challenge for anyone playing Spider-Man 2. Every battle you encounter is not easy but not overly challenging to face. If you want to play through the game the way Insomniac Games intended, this is the setting you’ll want to select.

Spectacular Difficulty in Spider-Man 2

If you’re craving a stricter challenge, then Spectacular is the setting. Things start to get more challenging here, with enemies that deal more significant damage and take more hits to bring down. If you have a good grasp of the combat of Spider-Man 2 or have already finished the game once, this will be a good setting for a second or third playthrough.

What is Ultimate Difficulty in Spider-Man 2?

If you want a true challenge to test your skills and reactions in Spider-Man 2, you can’t get any more complicated than Ultimate. As the name implies, this is a challenging mode. However, you cannot choose to play through the game in Ultimate difficulty from the start: You need to have beaten Spider-Man 2 at least once on any difficulty before you can select Ultimate difficulty.

All enemies and bosses have increased health and deal more damage with their attacks. In addition, enemies will be much more aggressive against you when in combat, so you’ll have to be fast with your reactions and aware of your surroundings. If you’re not careful, you’ll get killed very quickly in Ultimate difficulty by incoming attacks.

Are there trophies for difficulty settings in Spider-Man 2?

For trophy hunters, you won’t have to worry about earning trophies based on difficulty. The game doesn’t force you to play at specific settings to obtain every primary trophy and make the Platinum trophy for completion. So, you can play through Spider-Man 2 on any difficulty setting and get everything that it has to offer.

Difficulty settings in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, summarized

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 contains four difficulty settings, with a fifth unlocked upon completion.

• Friendly Neighborhood
  • Friendly neighborhood is the easiest setting meant for newcomers or people who struggle with combat segments. This mode will produce the least amount of challenge and be catered to those wanting to experience the story.
• Friendly
  • The Friendly setting is a lot like Friendly Neighborhood but offers just a bit more in terms of combat. You will encounter more combat segments and take a little more damage.
• Amazing
  • Amazing is Insomniac’s recommended setting. Amazing produces high-level combat encounters at a good clip but allows for minor errors here and there. If you want a balanced experience, Amazing is the way to go.
• Spectacular
  • If you’re itching for a tough challenge, you’ll want to go for Spectacular. While not the most challenging difficulty the game has to offer, it is the most brutal setting when beginning, so if you crave the best, Spectacular is the way to go.
• Ultimate (you must beat the game to unlock this)
  • Ultimate only unlocks after beating the game, so you know this isn’t for the light of heart. When in combat, you better not mess up because you’ll take massive amounts of damage, and it could lead to Peter or Miles’ ragdoll demise.

There you have it. Every one of the five difficulty settings in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Whether you want to skate by and experience the story, get tested to the limit, or experience the vision as intended, Insomniac’s sequel title has you covered.