The main story from Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is exhilarating, no question about it. However, a number of side missions on the map offer some of the most wholesome quests you’ll experience as the web-slinger, and some even deserve an entire game of their own.
Dotted over New York City are a number of side missions for Peter Parker and Miles Morales to partake in, some more substantial than others, but all of them have substance to complement the main story. Here are 10 of the best side missions in Spider-Man 2.
Warning: This post contains SPOILERS for Spider-Man 2.
10 Senior Prank
Playing as Miles, there will be five side missions on offer that take place around the Brooklyn Visions campus in Williamsburg and involve several of the attending students. Senior Prank requires Miles to solve puzzles involving light beams and mirrors in order to find the basketball team mascot Lance who’s been kidnapped by an opposing team.
This was a refreshing break from fighting criminals and symbiotes by helping out the students and the perfect side mission to kick off our list. Who doesn’t want to show a group of bullies who’s boss?
9 Homecoming
Sticking with Miles on the Brooklyn Visions campus, Vijay needs Spider-Man’s help to get a generator running because he wants to ask his boyfriend to homecoming in a creative way. Miles has to kickstart the generator and help Vijay’s plans unravel along the way.
This mission really brought a sense of community to the game, showing that Miles is not just a superhero but a caring student too, and being able to aid this romantic gesture was very fulfilling and deserves a place on the list.
8 Bebop
The first of a two-part side mission for Miles involves you tracking down a stolen saxophone from the museum inventory, shown prior in the Funky side mission that saw the robbery going down much to Rio Morales and her associates’ disappointment.
One of the main points in Miles’ side story is to get the museum back up and running again by putting criminals in their place and being able to help Miles’ cultural community is a rewarding experience and a good entry in the low ranks.
7 Hard Bop
The conclusion to the Bebop story is Hard Bop, which sees Miles come face to face with the man behind the museum robbery. It also allows you to walk around the museum and interact with several items and people attending the launch party.
Not only do you get a healthy dose of culture during this mission, but you also get the chance to see Rio Morales’ dance moves, while she discreetly suggests suiting up with Miles next time a crime goes down, which is worth a place on this list for that alone.
6 Monster In Queens
Switching to Peter, a blind woman residing in Queens reports a monster is on the loose. A quick investigation reveals that it’s actually one of Kraven the Hunter’s robotic beasts being targeted by Talon Drones.
The Hunter Beast is really a big softy at heart, and it’s a fulfilling mission to be able to help the beast by removing an arrow caught in its torso and introducing it to the blind woman so that it can become her guide dog. People really make New York.
5 Howard
Howard is the name of a bird watcher and protector who has been keeping a flock of pigeons safe on the harbor in the Financial District and this FNSM App Request requires Spider-Man to relocate the pigeons to a new home as Howard nears the end of his life.
This side mission should come with a warning because this request will pull on your heartstrings. The fact that you are relocating the pigeons instead of chasing them around the city in the first game is reason enough to give this mission a higher place on the list.
4 Photo Help
Set in the style of a main story mission that involves a flashback between Peter and Harry Osborn, Photo Help also takes place in flashback and sees a younger Peter cycling through the city, stopping bullies, and meeting J. Jonah Jameson for the first time.
Switching to cycling is a satisfactory experience amplified by the top-tier haptic feedback that Insomniac has integrated into the game, and this mission also features a newspaper photo referencing the comic-book cover of Spider-Man’s first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15, which is a worthy fourth-place entry.
3 The Flame
Taking third place is The Flame which is full to the brim with action and surprising cameos. The new vigilante Wraith shows up, revealed to be Yuri Watanabe from the first game, in order to tackle The Flame cult before their apocalyptic “Crimson Hour” comes about.
Not only does Peter get to team up with Wraith, and briefly fight her, but he also comes face to face with Cletus Kasady, the cult leader and the host of the symbiote Carnage from the comics. While the Carnage symbiote is shown, we don’t get to see the Venom offspring in all its glory, but this is a fantastic side mission nonetheless.
2 Graffiti Trouble
The first and only side mission not featuring either of the Spider-Men is Graffiti Trouble following deaf student and Miles’ love interest Hailey, who covers unfinished artwork near a frustrated business owner and tracks down the troubled artist too.
This side mission is brilliantly executed, a no-brainer for second place, and also inclusive, as the entire side mission is done in near silence to match Hailey’s experience. There’s a cute run-in with a cat, plenty of puzzles, and a satisfactory experience spray-painting with the PS5 controller.
1 Grand Finale
Taking first place and beating some of these fantastic entries by a hair is Mysterio’s Grand Finale. After being introduced to the secondary antagonist at the Coney Island fair, Miles has to save several people trapped in the villain’s Mysteriums across the city by entering into simulations and defeating hordes of skeletal enemies.
After completing every Mysterium, the Grand Finale takes place back at Coney Island and the illusionist is in Miles’ crosshairs this time. The visuals in this boss battle are as trippy as they are wonderful, as Miles shrinks down inside a snow globe, and an out-of-this-world experience for a street-level game. When you’re trapped in the never-ending corridor, just stop and turn back. You’ll thank me later.