Let’s be real for a second. Most modern open-world games feel like a second job. You open the map, see four thousand icons, and immediately want to close the game. But Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is different. Insomniac Games actually respected our time. If you’re looking at the Spider-Man 2 trophies list, you’ve probably noticed something: it’s actually fun. It isn’t a grueling 100-hour slog through repetitive fetch quests. It’s a love letter to the characters.
I spent a massive chunk of time swinging through Queens and Brooklyn to see if the Platinum was as easy as everyone said. It is. But there are a few spots that'll trip you up if you aren't paying attention. You can’t just mash square and hope for the best. Well, you can, but you won't get that shiny digital trophy that way.
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The Trophy List is Actually a Tour of New York
Most people start a game and ignore the trophies until the credits roll. Don't do that here. The Spider-Man 2 trophies are designed to make you explore the expanded map. Remember how the first game was basically just Manhattan? Now we’ve got Little Coney, Williamsburg, and Downtown Brooklyn.
The "Visit Aunt May's Grave" trophy is a classic Insomniac move. It’s called "Dedicated." You have to head to the cemetery in the far northwest corner of Harlem. It’s quiet there. No enemies. Just Peter standing by a headstone. It’s a heavy moment that feels earned. Honestly, it’s these tiny, quiet beats that make the list feel less like a checklist and more like a story.
Then there’s "Soar." You have to glide from the Financial District all the way to Astoria using only the Web Wings. Wind tunnels are your best friend here. If you touch the ground or use a web-swing, you're done. Start over. I failed this four times because I got impatient and tried to "correct" my flight path with a swing. Just stay in the tunnels. Let the air do the work.
Finding the Science Trophy
One specific trophy, "Just Let Go," is a direct callback to Spider-Man: Miles Morales. You need to find the science trophy that Miles and Phin won together. It’s sitting on the roof of Trinity Church in the Financial District. If you played the previous game, finding this feels like a punch in the gut. In a good way. It’s hidden on the back of the steeple area. It doesn't glow or ping your radar. You just have to know it's there.
Combat Trophies and the Power of Evolution
You’ve got two protagonists now. That means the combat trophies are split. Peter has his Symbiote and Spider-Arm abilities. Miles has his Evolved Venom bio-electricity. To get the Platinum, you’ve got to master both.
The "Armed and Dangerous" trophy requires 100 takedowns with Spider-Arm abilities. This is Peter’s bread and butter before he gets the black suit. "Evolved" is the Miles equivalent, requiring 100 kills with Evolved Venom abilities. My advice? Don't wait for the endgame to do these. Use your abilities every single time they're off cooldown. If you play "optimally" and just use basic punches, you’re going to be grinding random street crimes for three hours after the story ends. Nobody wants that.
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The Stealth Problem
Stealth in this game is way easier thanks to the Web Line. The "Slack Line" trophy asks you to perform 25 stealth takedowns from the Web Line. It’s almost too easy. You can create your own tightropes anywhere. I found a construction site in Upper East Side that was perfect for this. Just perch up high, shoot a line across the room, and pluck enemies off the floor like a literal spider. It's satisfying. Kinda creepy, but satisfying.
Why Some Players Get Stuck at 98%
There’s always one. That one trophy that stops the ding. In this game, it’s usually "Maxed Out." You have to purchase all Gadget upgrades. This sounds simple until you realize how many Rare Tech Parts you need.
Rare Tech Parts are annoying. You get them from Prowler Stashes and EMF Experiments. If you skip these side activities during your main playthrough, you’ll find yourself short on resources right when you’re ready to finish. The Hunter Blinds and Bases also give a decent amount of Hero Tokens. You need those for the final suit upgrades too.
Speaking of suits, the "Kitted Out" trophy requires you to purchase all available suits. Here’s a tip: you don’t need the Deluxe Edition suits for this. The game doesn’t penalize you for not spending extra real-world money. You just need the ones earnable in the base game. Some unlock via level progression, others through specific side missions like the "The Flame" questline or the "Cultural Museum" missions.
The Secret Trophies You Might Miss
Most of the list is "hidden" to avoid spoilers, but let's be honest, we all look them up. The "Home Run!" trophy is located at the Big Apple Ballers Stadium in Downtown Brooklyn. You just have to run around the bases. It’s silly. It’s got nothing to do with crime-fighting. But it’s a nice break from the heavy Symbiote drama.
Then there’s "Overdrive." You need to complete all of the Photo Ops. There are 23 of them. Robbie Robertson asks you to take pictures of "the real New York." These are actually great because they point out landmarks you’d normally fly right past at 80 miles per hour. Look for the "Hidden" camera icon on your map when you get close to them.
Handling the Difficulty Spikes
The best part about the Spider-Man 2 trophies? There is no difficulty trophy. You can play the entire game on "Friendly Neighborhood" (Easy) and still get the Platinum. Insomniac clearly wanted this to be accessible.
However, if you're playing on "Spectacular" or "Ultimate," some of the combat challenges—specifically the Mysteriums—can be brutal. To get the "Masked Hallucination" trophy, you only need to complete all Mysteriums. You don't actually need the Gold rating on all of them for the Platinum, though Gold helps you get more Hero Tokens faster. If you’re struggling, just focus on finishing them. A Bronze counts just as much toward the trophy as a Gold does.
Combatting the "Grind" Mentality
The trophies for clearing the districts—"Across the Miles" and "Exterminator"—come naturally if you’re a completionist. But if you're just rushing the story, the map will look intimidating.
Break it down by district. Don't try to clear the whole city in one sitting. Spend 20 minutes in Astoria. Do the Prowler Stash. Find the Spider-Bots. Move on. The Spider-Bots are actually the most tedious part because they don't show up on the map until you're right next to them. Listen for the "pinging" sound and look for the large, colorful pulse they emit.
Actionable Steps for Your Platinum Run
If you want that Platinum trophy without turning your gaming session into a chore, follow this specific order. It’s the most efficient way to handle the workload.
- Prioritize Side Content Early: Every time a new icon pops up (EMF, Prowler Stash, Hunter Blind), do it immediately. These provide the Tech Parts and Hero Tokens you need for the "Maxed Out" and "Kitted Out" trophies.
- Abuse Your Abilities: Switch between Peter and Miles often. Use Peter’s Spider-Arms and Miles’s Venom powers constantly. You need 100 kills with each specific set of powers. Waiting until the end makes this a grind.
- Watch the Skies: While swinging between missions, look for the glowing pulses of Spider-Bots. There are 42 of them. Finding them as you go is way better than using a guide for two hours straight at the end.
- Visit the Landmarks: Knock out "Dedicated" (May’s Grave) and "Just Let Go" (Science Trophy) as soon as you have free roam. It takes five minutes and gets the "hidden" requirements out of the way.
- Don't Stress the Mysteriums: If a challenge is too hard, just get the Bronze and move on. You need the completion, not the perfection, for the trophy.
The Spider-Man 2 trophies are a rare breed. They reward you for actually playing the game and seeing the sights rather than forcing you to collect 500 hidden feathers or finish the game on a setting that makes you want to throw your controller. It’s an achievable, satisfying list. Once you see that Platinum pop, you’ll realize it was more about the journey through Insomniac's version of New York than the digital icon itself.
Check your progress in the "Suits" tab frequently. If you see a suit that requires "City Tokens," make sure you're doing the Brooklyn Visions or Cultural Museum missions. Those are finite resources. You can't just farm them indefinitely. Spend them wisely on the suits you need first before worrying about every single color variant.
Get out there. Swing through the city. The Platinum is waiting, and honestly, it’s one of the most rewarding ones you’ll ever earn.
Next Steps for Completion:
Start by clearing all Hunter Blinds in a single district to reveal the Hunter Bases. This provides the largest influx of Tech Parts early on, allowing you to upgrade your traversal speed through the Gadget menu, making every subsequent trophy significantly faster to obtain.