Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2 is a narrative beast, a showcase for the talents of the writers and animators within the company. The twists and turns that they took us through should be an example for storytellers in gaming for years to come. One important piece of that story stands out above all else for me, though, and that’s the brotherhood between Peter and Harry.
I’m careful to say brotherhood rather than friendship because what was shown in that narrative goes deeper than calling someone your friend. And it’s something rarely seen in gaming: a truly fleshed-out bond and love between two men.
Brothers in Arms
We’ve seen examples of brotherhood in the rougher, more straightforward sense in gaming. A great example of that is the first three Gears of War games. You see it throughout the games and in their excellent trailers. My favorite of these (Mad World excluded) is the appropriately titled Ashes to Ashes. Dom running from the Locust horde through the ashen remains of Hammer of Dawn victims, only to fall and give himself up, is a powerful enough image given everything he experienced to that point. It’s not until Marcus saves him at the last second that you see the different perspectives of their bond. Marcus comes back, because you never leave a brother behind.
Dom, resigned to the fact that he’ll never escape this nightmare after the loss of his wife, begrudgingly rises to his feet and fires on his enemies with sadness. He understands why Marcus saved him but seems to hope that he would have done him the kindness of letting his misery end. I love the way Marcus and Dom’s relationship played out in the original trilogy, but despite the extended lore of the franchise, that’s a bond that we only get to see in the context of war.
I don’t have a brother in the familial sense. I chose my brother, Kendall. And he’s been my best friend for 25 years (I’m 33 now). It’s genuinely difficult to consider a point in my life that he wasn’t a part of. We’ve been through everything together, and I love him like we came from the same mother. And I’ve told him as much, because it’s important that men tell each other that. These are the types of friendships I’ve always wanted to see more in gaming, and Insomniac delivered in a way that was as true to life as it gets.
Spoilers ahead for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Through Thick and Thin
What we get in Spider-Man 2 is an entire range of natural emotions that can only be experienced when the groundwork is set as it was in the first Insomniac Spider-Man game. Harry was present in all but the physical, with Peter and MJ constantly speaking about him, never letting him stray far from memory.
By the time we get to Harry’s first physical appearance in the sequel, the look of relief and joy on Peter’s face when he sees him feels right. Spending the next few minutes in the game riding bikes with Harry feels like we’re in a flashback to their childhood while operating in the present. We’re brought up to speed story-wise, and it feels like we’re catching up with Harry the same way Peter is.
When it’s revealed what Harry’s treatment is and that Peter is Spider-Man all at the same time, it feels like two brothers in an excited “Dude, why didn’t you tell me?!” situation, which then leads to Harry’s attempt to seek Peter’s approval as a hero while fighting off groups of criminals together, because that’s what brothers do. He’s been gone so long and feels a sense of pride in knowing his best friend is this superhero that he just wants to share that with him. And on Peter’s side, there’s a feeling of needing to make up for lost time that supersedes his need to protect Harry.
All of these things come together when Peter suddenly dies and Harry gives up the symbiote to save him.
What comes next is natural even in the context of brotherhood. Harry feels left out and inadequate because of Peter’s use of the symbiote, and he’s reminded of his sickness as it gradually gets worse. This turns into anger and resentment because Harry doesn’t know Peter is experiencing something with the symbiote that he hasn’t to this point, and that’s the way it takes over the mind. In Harry’s mind, Peter is stealing it from him.
By the time Peter frees himself and understands the dangers of it, it’s too late to reason with Harry about it and Harry becomes Venom. Fueled by his feelings, and warping the concept of healing the world, the symbiote takes hold of Harry. Peter, not wanting to give up on his brother, does everything he can to save him, which eventually results in the destruction of the Venom Symbiote and, ultimately, Harry’s comatose.
This is where the most important moment of their brotherhood is displayed. Peter, crying over what’s happened, tells Harry that he loves him. In this moment, those words seem obvious. Look at everything that preceded that, all of the hell he just went through to save Harry. Of course Peter loves him, but to hear him express it is not just narratively a big deal, but culturally important, too. We have two men who are as close of friends as you can be, sharing a genuine moment of love for each other. That’s a big deal to see in a video game and something to be openly celebrated.
Family You Choose
Of course, another important element in any friendship is the relationship with your friend’s parents. The way Norman speaks to Peter is very much that of someone who believes himself to have a second son. You can feel Peter and Harry’s bond through Norman’s sense of pride and gratitude for Peter’s continued presence in his life even through the worst of things.
This of course also comes to a head at the end of the game when Harry is brought to Norman, comatose, by both Spider-Men. Norman, not knowing who’s behind the mask, immediately erupts in anger.
For us, the pain hits harder because we know who he is yelling at, as well as what Peter just went through to try to save his friend. Knowing that Peter can’t comfort him in the way he would like in that moment is just another gut punch for us. It creates a crack in that brotherhood without damaging the relationship between Harry and Peter. In a lot of ways, through his friendship with Harry, Norman is the father Peter never had, and now he has to move forward knowing that relationship is on shaky ground, even if Norman doesn’t realize it.
Thicker Than Blood
Exploring a deep friendship in a video game narrative should be as complex and beautiful as real-life friendships are. There should be more willingness to dive into these bonds of brotherhood in gaming, and as someone who has experienced that in my own life, I’m glad Insomniac took that approach. (In its final scenes, the game revealed that Miles Morales will be the primary Spider-Man going forward. Given this, I also think there’s a real chance to dig into the friendship between him and Ganke.)
One of the most important things about Spider-Man is how his personal life and superhero life tend to collide with one another. It’s what makes his stories so compelling, and Insomniac deserves all the credit in the world for recognizing that over three games and fully exploring it. I can’t wait to see what they do next. (Hint: They did a great job setting up Green Goblin still as a future threat while establishing Miles as the main next Spidey and teasing the introduction of Silk.)
Tell your friends you love them. If it’s good enough for Peter Parker, it’s good enough for us all.
