Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Sandman Fight Had a Big Hurdle to Overcome

The developers of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 revealed that they struggled to get the Sandman boss fight right due to how fast Spider-Man is. During this year's Game Developers Conference (GDC), associate animation director for Insomniac Stephen Camardella revealed that it was incredibly hard to get the pacing of the fight against Sandman in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 just right. Camardella states that due to Spider-Man's speed, it was a challenge to make sure the fight was fair and fun.

Players are matched up against Sandman very early in the game, making for an incredible introduction to Marvel's Spider-Man 2. The fight challenges them with several large attacks from Sandman. Players will initially feel powerless against the towering Sandman until the option of using a Web Strike against him becomes available. In order to beat Sandman, players will have to be patient and alert.

The discussion arose during a talk about all of the animation work that is involved in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. According to TheGamer, Camardella stated during the discussion that Sandman and Spider-Man are fundamentally different in their action and movements, with Peter Parker being a quick and nimble hero and Sandman being a hulking and sluggish figure. This was a major problem that had to be addressed in the animation itself, with Camardella stating they did not want to allow Spider-Man to «swing circles around» Sandman.

In order to address these concerns, the Insomniac team of developers and animators used a technique called «focus tracking,» meaning Sandman readjusts his attacks mid-swing to better target the player. Instead of committing to one animation all the way through, Sandman is able to target the player during the actual swing, meaning players must think quickly and doge when necessary. A successful dodge essentially turns off this motion tracking, allowing the player to avoid damage. This solution allows Sandman to feel slow and powerful without turning the fight into an easy win for