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Spider-Man 2 Spoiler Talk: Venom, new suit, that ending

Plus easter eggs and wishlists

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As of writing, it’s been well over a week since Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 went out into the world. Gameplay videos, Photo mode shots, and opinions on the game are widespread online. We’ve shared our non-spoiler thoughts, but it’s time to discuss nitty gritty details of the game. Or at least, the ones that really stuck with us.

This article is specifically for everyone who has at least 100% the game, so naturally… 

SPOILERS AHEAD.

19 minutes as Venom

Venom | Spider-Man 2

Venom

Game time is longer but couldn’t help but make the 19-thing reference. But the point stands. Everyone wanted it and Insomniac Games delivered. We got to play as the menacing Venom going on a rampage against Oscorp henchmen and squaring off against Kraven. 

This whole sequence was exhilarating. And while we wanted more, we felt that keeping the Venom gameplay to a single mission is perfect relative to the game’s overall length. 

Harry as Agent Venom with Spider-Man

Slightly related, Harry first showed up looking like Agent Venom from the comic books (originally Flash Thompson) to team up with Peter in a Mission. I like this Twitter user’s suggestion.


Perhaps we’ll get a DLC as Venom? Fingers crossed. 

Let there be Carnage? 

The Flame | Spider-Man 2

The Flame

Speaking of DLC, I’m almost certain we’re getting a taste of Carnage in a future DLC if not in the inevitable follow-up games. Yes, games. I think we’ll get a Spider-Man: Miles Morales sequel before we dive straight into Spider-Man 3. I digress. 

In The Flame side content, we’re reunited with Yuri Watanabe. Her arc in The City that Never Sleeps DLC is paid off as she shows up as the deadly vigilante Wraith. But more than that, we eventually tussle against the cult leader of The Flame who, in the end of the quest line, gets his hands on his very own symbiote. This essentially teases another popular symbiote character — Carnage.

More Marvel characters coming?

Miles, Wong, Dr. Strange | Spider-Man 2

The Avengers tower has been there since Insomniac’s Spidey’s early days (as seen on the Midtown Mission with Harry). But it’s not until Spider-Man 2 that we get some ‘cameo’ of another Marvel character. In the Black Cat mission, Wong leaves a note for Miles as he snatches away the Wand of Watoomb that lets its user portal their way to a new location. He also mentions Dr. Strange in the note. 

While we’re at it, that can’t be it for Black Cat right? We’re crossing our fingers that we see more of Felicia, and even Wraith, in a DLC for Spider-Man 2. 

Other Easter Eggs include the Baxter Building replacing what used to be the Fisk Tower in the first game. And when you go to the rooftop, you’ll see the logo of the Fantastic Four but it’s unfinished. It denotes, perhaps, that it’s a work in progress. 

Lastly, in IGN’s Beyond podcast, they mentioned that the Nelson and Murdock sign can no longer be found. Insomniac Games Creative Director who was present for the podcast only said, “Stay tuned.” Daredevil is coming??? 

Miles and his suits

We’re all excited for Wolverine

Many of Miles’ suits are easter eggs and nods to other Marvel heroes. The most obvious one is the ‘Best There Is’ suit which is a dead ringer for Wolverine. As we know Wolverine is the next Marvel hero that will get a game c/o Insomniac. 

Meanwhile, he also has the ‘Forever Suit’ which is clearly a nod to Black Panther. You don’t have to, but wear this and take Miles to the Wakanda Embassy for an easter egg that might just put a tear in your eye. 

Peter with the Anti-Venom suit and Miles with the Evolved suit | Spider-Man 2

Peter with the Anti-Venom suit and Miles with the Evolved suit

Lastly, the ‘Evolved Suit’. This is the 1-of-1 suit that Miles comes up for himself as you play the final act of the game. The design and its role in the narrative certainly has the fanbase divided. We’re unsure how to feel about it ourselves. It just doesn’t hit the way Peter’s Advanced Suit did in the first game. It’s fine as an alternate, but as a main suit… we have our reservations.

On more Miles related things, will the Spider-verse movies factor into a DLC as well? The Spider-Bots collectibles can’t be just that little scene, right?

The Final Chapter

The game’s ending and post credit scenes present a couple more teases in the same vein as the The Flame side content did. But these two being presented towards the end of the main story gives me the feeling that the pay-off will come in standalone games instead of DLC.

First off, Norman Osborn visits Otto Octavious in prison asking the real identities of the Spider-Men. While Otto doesn’t answer Norman outright, he does mention the words “final chapter.” A direct tease to Spider-Man 3 where we could see Doc Ock team-up with the Green Goblin. 

The post credits scene, meanwhile, teases Cindy Moon, known to webheads around the world as Silk. Another Spider-powered person. It’s nice to see Insomniac digging a little deeper into Spider-lore and foregoing Gwen Stacy (Ghost Spider) in favor of a different Spider-Woman. 

Peter retiring?

Spider-Man 2 Collector’s Edition

At the end of the game, we see Peter effectively hanging up the suit to focus on rebuilding the Emily May Foundation. It’s likely Peter will be sidelined only for a little bit but will inevitably pick-up the mantle again once Spider-Man 3 rolls around. 

He is, after all, still playable in the pretty barren end game. That lackluster end game gives us hope that more Spider-Man 2 content is on the horizon for all of us. Insomniac, for its part, has already promised New Game Plus as well as replaying missions in a future update. Two features that, we argue, should’ve been available immediately. 

We want more 

We’re probably not alone in wishing there was more content for Spider-Man 2. History suggests DLC is on the horizon and we can’t wait. Insomniac Games knocked it out of the park with this sequel, improving on many criticisms from previous games. 

As good as it is, though, there’s surprisingly plenty that can be built upon and added to both in DLC form and in future games. The future is bright for PlayStation Spider-Man and we’ll be here swinging through it all.

SEE ALSO: Spider-Man 2 review: Twice the Spidey, twice the fun

Gaming

Genshin Impact, Duolingo partner for limited-time quest

Win various rewards by going on a 3-day streak

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Genshin Impact has partnered with Duolingo for a limited-time 3-Day Streak Quest in the Duolingo app.

The collaboration between the popular open-world RPG and the educational app features Teyvat’s travel companion Paimon.

Genshin Impact characters Tighnari and Cyno also make an appearance, as well as Duolingo’s beloved green owl Duo.

From December 8 to 27, players and learners from select regions can unlock the “Genshin Impact Quest” in any course on the Duolingo app.

Users who complete learning exercises for three straight days with receive the following in-game rewards:

  • Custom avatar “Diligent Study”
  • Themed namecard “Celebration: Dream Reader”
  • Unique Sumeru-style dish “Spiced Fried Chicken” and recipe
  • Collectible in-app statue of Paimon and Duo
  • Primogems

The reward redemption code can be claimed from the “Shop” page in the Duolingo app before December 30 and redeemed on the title before January 31.

To make the challenges more exciting, all four characters will show up on each quest to cheer on learners.

The collaboration follows the recently released Genshin Impact Version Luna III, which introduced Durin, a new 5-Star Pyro character with dual battle forms. There is also a new story chapter set in Nod-Krai.

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Razer Raiju V3 Pro review

Competitive controller that knows exactly who it’s built for

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Raiju V3 Pro

When I first unboxed the Razer Raiju V3 Pro, my brain immediately went: okay, this is exciting. It had that wow factor — that feeling of holding a piece of tech that’s meant to do something special. It’s the kind of controller that makes you want to jump straight into a game just to see what all the fuss is about.

Build and feel — familiar, but also very not

Razer Raiju V3 Pro

Coming from the DualSense, the first surprise is the weight. The Raiju V3 Pro is definitely lighter, but not in a cheap way. Holding it felt different, wider even, and my hands were a little more relaxed because of that added space.

Razer Raiju V3 Pro

The grip texture is great — no fear of slipping, and it feels particularly good on the bottom of your palm.

The face buttons? Smaller surface area, longer travel. Premium-feeling overall, though I’ll be honest: I’m not entirely convinced the Raiju V3 Pro’s feel matches its price tag. That’s mostly because I’ve tried some GameSir controllers that felt surprisingly similar for a fraction of the price. But still — this feels like a product built with intent.

Gameplay experience — where it actually comes alive

 

Most of my testing happened on NBA 2K26 because… well… that’s the game I always end up playing. And this was the moment the TMR thumbsticks flexed. I found myself doing more dribble combos and experimenting with shot styles using the right stick simply because I had zero fear of drift.

I also jumped into a few fighting games — TEKKEN 8 and My Hero One’s Justice 2 — then humbled myself in several Death Match sessions on Call of Duty Black Ops 7. I even swung through Spider-Man Remastered for a bit. Across all of these, the controller felt responsive, fast, and ready for whatever chaos I threw at it.

HyperTriggers and extra inputs — surprisingly useful

Razer Raiju V3 Pro

The triggers were most noticeable during my Call of Duty matches. I still sucked at it — let’s be real — but I can totally see how better players would squeeze more value out of the locked fast-trigger mode. The surprise twist was how useful the triggers were for fighting games. Having minimal travel made reaction-based inputs feel snappier and more controlled.

As for the back paddles and claw bumpers: I thought about taking some of them out, but ended up keeping everything on. Eventually, they became little fidget points that didn’t interfere with gameplay.

Mapped the extra trigger to Square to make it easier to hit the Triangle + Square combo for self alley-oops.

In practice, I rarely used them because I’m such a muscle-memory player… except in NBA 2K26. I mapped self alley-oops and flashy passing to the extra triggers, which helped because 2K moved those combos around this year.

Thumbsticks — the star of the show

Razer Raiju V3 Pro

The TMR sticks? Excellent. Smooth, accurate, fluid — all of it. I had fun abusing them without worrying about drift, and NBA 2K26 really let me push them to their limit. COD: Black Ops 7 was harder, but I think that’s more on me than the controller. Maybe a sensitivity tweak or two will fix that over time.

Customization — only what I needed

I’m not the type who loves deep tweaking, so I mostly skipped Synapse. I only used the mobile Razer Controller app to remap the extra triggers. And honestly? That was enough. The controller already felt good out of the box.

Wireless performance — HyperSpeed does its job

No lag. No hiccups. No difference between wired and wireless — seriously. HyperSpeed Wireless worked wonders and felt as reliable as any cable-connected controller I’ve used.

Pain points — minor, but noticeable

Razer Raiju V3 Pro

There are a couple of things worth noting.

The big one: no haptic feedback. The DualSense’s signature feature simply doesn’t exist here. Razer says this controller was designed with real pro players, and removing rumble seems to be one of those “it’s not needed in esports” decisions.

Honestly? After a while — especially during fast-paced games — I didn’t miss it. Haptics matter more in story-driven titles, and this controller isn’t really meant for those anyway.

One more thing: I couldn’t turn on the PlayStation with the Raiju V3 Pro. I still needed a DualSense for that.

Who is this for?

This controller is for people who play fast-paced, competitive games. Plain and simple.

But it’s also for players who want a controller built to take a beating — the kind that survives long sessions, intense button-mashing, and weekend-long gaming marathons. Its battery life is impressive, too, making it a great backup for when your DualSense suddenly taps out mid-game.

If you want a premium esports controller designed specifically for PS5, this is one of the best — if not the best — option right now.

If you want rumble, adaptive triggers, or a cinematic gaming experience? This isn’t it.

Is the Razer Raiju V3 Pro your GamingMatch?

If I had to describe the whole experience in one line: I’m swiping right because the Razer Raiju V3 Pro is an excellent piece of tech.

But it’s not for everyone, especially not for its asking price (EUR 209.99 / PHP 12,990). You can argue there are cheaper options — absolutely — but most of those lean heavily toward PC.

In the PS5 space, especially for competitive players, this is probably the strongest contender you can buy today.

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Helldivers 2 reduces gigantic file size by 85 percent

From 154GB, you only need 23GB now.

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The problem with games today is how big they are. Try installing Call of Duty today and see how much of your hard drive it obliterates. This problem is most apparent with live-service games. Unfortunately, one unlikely suspect of this is the critically acclaimed Helldivers 2, which currently clocks in at around a whopping 154GB. Thankfully, Arrowhead Game Studios has done some cleaning to reduce the game’s phenomenal file size by an impressive 85 percent.

Released last year, Helldivers 2 presents an enjoyable third-person shooter which pits players, solo or in a group, against hordes of hostile aliens or rogue robots. Despite being difficult, the game wants players to have fun. However, because of new content getting added constantly, the file size can get to big for modern machines.

Today, in a new update currently in beta, Arrowhead, with the help of PlayStation port specialists at Nixxes, has reduced the required file size of Helldivers 2 to only around 23GB. That’s a gigantic reduction, swirling around 131GB of savings.

Despite the huge reduction, Arrowhead says that performance does not take a backseat. At most, the new file system can cause only a few seconds of more loading times, and that’s only for the few who still use HDDs.

Currently, the new file size is an opt-in beta update. Players will need to change their settings a bit, as guided by Arrowhead’s blog post. They also advise anyone who uses mods to take caution since the new files might break compatibility.

Ultimately, the main goal is to make the new file size the default state of the game. If you don’t want to opt into a beta, hang tight for the more definite update.

SEE ALSO: Helldivers 2 review: SIP ON SOME LIBER-TEA!

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