‘Spider-Man 2’: Balance and Responsibility of Power
A tightrope act with no webs to swing on …
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It is always a happy day when an amazing video game correlates with the Gen Z experience, and today is that day. Last month, the PlayStation 5 exclusive game, “Spider-Man 2,” was released. The game is developed by Insomniac Games which also created the “Ratchet and Clank” and “Spyro the Dragon” series.
Overall, for a quick review, the game is amazing, spectacular and dare I say, superior. This is due to an amazing story dealing with the infamous symbiote, excellent gameplay with fluid web swinging and combat, wonderful characters like Peter Parker, Miles Morales and Mary Jane Watson, and turning up everything that made the original game fun up by 11. A perfect score of 10 out of 10 radioactive spiders.
Although, a review is not what we are here for. This is an analysis of the story in how it pertains to balance and the Gen Z experience. Through the game, we see the story of both Peter and Miles struggling to balance their day-to-day lives with being Spider-Man. While Peter is trying to find a new job to pay off his staggering mortgage, Miles is struggling to write his college acceptance essay. Both of these issues are paramount to all Gen Z people with both the job market, the economy and college admissions. Now, here in real life, no one is Spider-Man (as far as we know) but we all have a tightrope act to balance. Our passions vs our responsibilities, needs vs wants, etc.
The moral of this tale is how balance is necessary in our lives and how we can find it. Later on in the game, Peter gets the black symbiote suit and Miles becomes more determined to find Martin Li (aka. Mister Negative), the man who killed the person closest to him. This shows how one side can be thrown off balance and how the purpose of one side can consume you to obsession.
We all need balance in our lives, and even though we may not have super strength or agility, balance is a superpower we all must master.
Zipporah Pruitt, (she/her) is an L.A. homegrown journalist, who covers entertainment and culture. Follow her on X and Instagram: @zippzapps.
Guillermo Guzman (he/him/they) is a Texas-based nerd who loves talking about video games, autism, and entertainment. Follow him on Instagram: @boofy_booferson and X: @Dimpy_Tenders.
Edited by Nykeya Woods