New explorable areas confirmed
The map of New York we see in Kraven’s tablet also confirms that players will be able to explore two new boroughs of New York, which are Brooklyn and Queens. This is further supported by the fact we see Spider-Man fight outside Dr. Connor’s house, and Insomniac Games themselves confirmed this scene takes place in the East River of Queens. It remains to be seen if Staten Island or The Bronx will also make an appearance, but it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to assume that could be the case.
Yuri Watanabe’s death?
We know Kraven is looking to hunt super-powered individuals in New York and both Spider-Men are trying to stop him because that’s what heroes do. However, it appears Kraven’s downfall is personal for Peter, as we repeatedly hear him say things like “He’s gonna wish he never came to New York!” and “I’ve warned you about going after Connors. Now this is on you!”. Peter is angry, and not just because he’s wearing the symbiote.
In fact, he could have started using the black suit because he was already defeated by Kraven and failed to stop his hunt without it. That’s backed up by the fact we hear one of Kraven’s henchmen say “Your new strength will not save you, Spider”, meaning they already fought Spidey without the symbiote, and now they’re doing it again after Peter got his hands on it. So what exactly happened the first time they went face to face? What could’ve been so tragic it led to Peter wanting to take Kraven down once and for all and even going as far as using the symbiote to do so?
Well, the obvious answer would be to assume Kraven killed someone important in Peter’s life, so let’s check on all the different options of who it could have been. Miles Morales is safe, as we see him fight alongside Peter in the gameplay reveal. Harry Osborn is also alive, even if he’s still sick (something that was revealed at the end of the first game). This can be confirmed thanks to one of Peter’s dialogs that says “Can’t lose Connors. Harry’s dying and he’s the only one who could help”. Aunt May unfortunately died in Marvel’s Spider-Man for PS4, and that only leaves us with two options: Mary Jane, and Yuri Watanabe (Spidey’s cop friend from the first game).
In the map of super-powered individuals that Kraven sees as potential victims, we see an image of Wraith and, wouldn’t you know it, that’s the anti-hero persona that Yuri adopts after deciding that being a police officer isn’t enough to save the city. She was a big part of Marvel’s Spider-Man for PS4, and players spent a lot of time watching her relationship with Peter slowly evolve over time. Killing her would not only be a devastating blow for Peter forcing him to seek revenge, but it will also mean he would have the perfect reason to wear the symbiote.
Think about it. If Peter already lost someone he loves because he failed to stop Kraven, he wouldn’t want to risk that happening again. Kraven’s after Doctor Connors and without him Harry could meet his end. So in order to prevent another loved one from dying, Peter could make the decision to use the symbiote and its powers to stop Kraven’s hunt once and for all.
Insomniac already confirmed Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 would be darker than previous entries in the saga, and what better way to prove it than by killing one of Peter’s closest friends? This theory could also apply to Black Cat as well, as we also see she is one of Kraven’s potential targets. Whatever the case may be, it’s clear Kraven’s hunt will have big and personal implications for the wall crawler’s life.