Fans defend Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 from those who say 30 hours is “too short”
Insomniac GamesWith Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 releasing this month, fans are debating whether the game’s supposed 30-hour length is enough for the web-slinger’s next adventure.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is set to swing onto PlayStation 5 in just a matter of weeks. The game is set to expand Insomniac’s series of web-slinging open-world action titles with its darker story, new villains, the option to switch between Peter Parker and Miles Morales, and much more.
However, despite all the hype surrounding the game, fans seem to be split on one thing: its supposed length.
Reports the game is around 15-20 hours for the main campaign and 30 hours to complete in full have caused some to worry that Spider-Man 2 will be too short. This in turn has led to other fans defending the game’s runtime, a conversation that ties into a larger debate about whether modern games have become too big.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 may only take 30 hours to Platinum
While Insomniac has already said Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will about as long as the first game, which runs about 17 hours for the main story and 35 for a completionist run, the conversation was sparked by a now-deleted tweet from a player who claims they Platinumed the game in 30 hours.
Whether their claim is accurate or not, it has caused quite the discussion. In one Reddit thread, a user asked, “will the game end up being too short after this 5 year wait?”
In response, another user started a separate thread criticizing those who say 30 hours is a “short game.”
In the wake of this year’s massive RPG releases like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield, which have longer main stories and will easily take over 100 hours for completionists, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 does seem much shorter.
Still, as fans have pointed out, a longer game isn’t necessarily a better one, and having hundreds of hours of content doesn’t inherently mean you’re getting more bang for your buck. As an example, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is much shorter than its 2018 predecessor, but it garnered praise for being a more focused experience that’s not padded out with filler.
As one commenter put it, “Better to honestly have a 30 hour but high quality game than a 200 hour, artificially stalled out game.” They also pointed to recent Assassin’s Creed games as examples of the latter.
With AAA games overall getting longer (and more expensive), it’s easy to assume a 100-hour game is a better value than a 30-hour one. However, fan reactions to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 make it clear that, for most players, a shorter but well-crafted game is far better than a game that’s long for the sake of being long.
For more on Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, check out more of our pre-release coverage below:
Every Spider-Man comic, movie & game in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 timeline | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: All confirmed suits for Peter Parker & Miles Morales | Spider-Man 2 story: When does the game take place? | Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 editions | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 platforms | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 switch characters in open world | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 gameplay trailer | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Release date