Spider-Man 2 differentiates itself from its predecessors with new villains, new movement mechanics, and a new black suit for your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. The symbiote suit, which is unlocked during the 15th mainline mission in Spider-Man 2, gives this game’s Peter a new outlook on life and a few extra abilities to pull from in combat.
The strongest of these new abilities is called Symbiote Surge, which enhances Peter’s attacks and offers a handful of extra buffs the further you level Peter up in the Skills menu. Mastering all the symbiote suit’s abilities can take time, but Symbiote Surge offers you an immediate buff that is as easy to understand as it is to take advantage of. Keep reading to find out how to take advantage of the defensive and offensive buffs that make Symbiote Surge such an overpowered mechanic in Spider-Man 2.
How To Unlock & Activate Symbiote Surge
Before you can activate Symbiote Surge and unleash the full potential of Peter Parker’s Spider-Man, you will have to complete 15 mainline story missions to unlock the Symbiote Suit. Upon unlocking the suit you will be immediately entered into a combat challenge with Symbiote Surge activated. Moving forward you will have to patiently build up your surge meter and unleash the full power of the symbiote by clicking both analog sticks in at the same time. To activate Symbiote Surge, click L3 and R3 at the same time.
Offensive Capabilities
Before upgrading your Symbiote Surge in the Skills Menu the offensive capabilities of this enhancement mechanic are simple, yet effective. Regardless of the difficulty you chose at the beginning of the game, any combo performed after activating Symbiote Surge will end in a finisher, making the majority of basic enemy types one-shot. This is especially powerful when you consider that you can’t be staggered while Symbiote Surge is activated.
Defensive Capabilities
Due to the sheer number of unique enemy types present in Spider-Man 2, it is easy to get overwhelmed by all the potential threats during an intense combat challenge. Thankfully, Symbiote Surge drastically reduces the damage done by incoming attacks and completely removes the stagger effect that interrupts your combos.
With Symbiote Surge activated you are free to throw hands without worrying about whether the incoming volley of bullets is going to end your combo short. This is especially handy when facing enemies who can only be attacked after a successful parry.
Symbiote Surge Skill Tree
Once the symbiote suit is unlocked, Peter’s skill tree will expand to include two new paths that enhance his symbiote abilities. One of these new paths will enhance your Symbiote Surge, reducing your abilities’ refresh rate and lengthening your time within the rage-fueled buff.
Symbiote Surge is one of the most powerful abilities in Spider-Man 2. In its original state, it expands your offensive and defensive capabilities in exchange for a fraction of your field of vision. As it grows it turns you into an unstoppable beast with free access to your symbiote abilities.