Spider-Man has one of the best rogues galleries in all of comic history, and Insomniac’s first twoSpider-Mangames have really knocked it out the park when it comes to villains. 2018’sMarvel’s Spider-Mansaw players face off against iconic foes likeKingpin, Doctor Octopus, and the rest of the Sinister Six, alongside spotlighting some of the hero’s more underrated adversaries like Screwball and Tombstone. WhileSpider-Man: Miles Moralesdidn’t have quite as many villains on display, the few it did have were well fleshed-out, and fun to fight.Marvel’s Spider-Man 2has quite the legacy to live up to in this department.
Based on what fans have seen so far, it seems as thoughMarvel’s Spider-Man 2is upping the ante in just about every way imaginable. A larger New York City, the Symbiote suit, Web Wings, a deeper combat and ability system, and grander set pieces are all just the tip of the iceberg when it comes toSpider-Man 2’s new features, and a host of new villains come alongside them. Currently, justVenom, Kraven the Hunter, and The Lizardhave been confirmed forMarvel’s Spider-Man 2so far, but more are assuredly on the way, and one returning villain could have a tough time adapting to some of the sequel’s changes.
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Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Taskmaster Could Struggle to Stand Out
A villain that debuted in the comics all the way back in 1980, Taskmaster has been a relatively popular B-list villain for a whole host of Marvel characters, ranging from the Avengers to Ant-Man to Spidey himself.Taskmaster’s whole gimmickis the ability to remember and perfectly mimic the physical fighting styles of anyone he faces off against, making him an equal match for many Marvel superheroes that rely on pure strength and tenacity. Because of this often overpowered ability, Taskmaster can be a tough villain to adapt, especially in a video game, butMarvel’s Spider-Manpulled it off well.
Taskmaster appears a minor antagonist inMarvel’s Spider-Man. Much likeBatman: Arkham’s Azrael, Taskmaster can be spotted across New York City during free-roam, observing Spidey as he swings through the city and takes down bad guys. Eventually, Taskmaster will confront Spider-Man, and tell him that he needs to complete a series of challenges so he can collect data on the hero. After completing the challenges, Taskmaster will attempt to fight Spider-Man, mimicking his web attacks by using laser-powered restraints, and imitating his same style of aerial-focused combat. Spider-Man eventually gets the edge over Taskmaster, and he retreats, saying that he needs to collect more data on the Wall-Crawler before their next battle.
Taskmaster’s appearance inMarvel’s Spider-Manis a great entry-level introduction to the character, detailing his motivations, and showcasing his abilities in a straightforward way. But there’s still plenty of room for improvement, andMarvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Taskmaster could end up being one of the best bosses in the entire game, as long as Insomniac plays its cards right. Currently, Taskmaster hasn’t been confirmed to appear inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, but his profile is shown clearly during the latest trailer when Kraven is looking at New York City on his datapad, potentially teasing the villain’s return in the sequel.
Taskmaster has a few challenges ahead of himself if he’s going to appear inMarvel’s Spider-Man 2. The first big challenge is that his appearance needs to stand out from the first game in a big way, which could be achieved through a new set of missions that adopt a completely different structure from the challenges inMarvel’s Spider-Man. Taskmaster also needs to remain a threat for Peter and Miles, both of which have some pretty overpowered new abilities. Insomniac might have a difficult time trying to make Taskmaster compete withPeter’s new Symbiote abilities, and Miles' bio-electricity, as he can’t mimic those powers easily.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2launches this fall, exclusively for PlayStation 5.
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