As the story progresses, an epic showdown pits two Spider-Men against each other. After a fierce battle with Kraven in the main mission, “Anything Can Be Broken,” Peter Parker finds himself under the sinister influence of the Black Suit’s Symbiote. It’s up to the new Spider-Man, Miles Morales, to free Peter from the Symbiote’s control. This battle between the Spider-Men offers one of the most exciting boss fights in the game. Here, we’ll break down the strategies you need to overcome Symbiote Peter and save your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Phase One
The showdown begins as Peter submerges the Kraven arena in the Black Suit’s Symbiote goo. When the fight commences, Peter attempts a Web Strike attack by lunging at Miles with the Triangle button. To counter this, you can either parry or dodge the attack to avoid getting hit.
Juggling Peter in the air is tricky because he tends to leap back. It’s best to keep the battle grounded. If you’re not cautious, Peter might summon a large tendril, marked by a yellow circle, which cannot be dodged but can be parried for a counter-attack opportunity.
Peter can execute combos, featuring slow punches with his left and right hand, followed by a powerful Crush attack. Dodge the Crush attack, indicated by a large blue circle, and when Peter winds his arm back to summon a black tendril.
Watch out for a parry-only move where Peter uses a tendril to toss Miles into the air. Your Spider-Sense will give you ample time to parry this attack. If Peter succeeds in connecting, he’ll perform an air combo on Miles.
A smart strategy is to utilize the bell in the center of the arena. This is the same bell Kraven used against Peter earlier. Press L1 + R1 to ring it, stunning both Peter and the Symbiote. This momentary pause allows you to perform combos without interference and build up your focus meter. Peter will web up the bell, rendering it unusable for the rest of this phase. Keep in mind that Miles’ special ability with L3 + R3 delivers a powerful lightning explosion, dealing nearly 25% damage to Peter’s health bar when available. You can also press Up on the D-Pad to enter camouflage to take a breather from Peter’s relentless attacks.
Phase Two
After depleting Peter’s first health bar, a mini-cut scene creates some distance between the Spider-Men. Peter immediately tries to grab Spider-Man with a tendril, known as his whip attack, which you can dodge to evade.
Peter also uses the Symbiote Punch ability, where he tries to grab Miles with a tendril to inflict substantial damage. Dodge these moves and pay close attention to your Spider-Senses for the right timing. There’s a variant of the Symbiote Punch that cannot be countered, marked by a Crush attack above Peter’s head. In this case, simply dodge it.
Another move in Peter’s arsenal is the Symbiote Blast, which sends tendrils in all directions. This is also a Crush attack, so dodge it, especially when Miles is in the air.
You can once again ring the bell to stun Peter, allowing you to build up your Abilities and Focus meter without interference. Peter will eventually web up the bell, but if you see him launch into the air, you can snatch a Symbiote bomb out of his hands by pressing L1 + R1 instead of dodging it. Throw it back at the bell to remove the webbing and reuse it.
The key to defeating Peter in Spider-Man 2 is to make the most of the bell and the various moves you’ve learned throughout the game. Miles’ Venom Powers are particularly effective against the Symbiote, so use them when available. When you reduce Peter’s health to 0% again, he enters the third and final phase, becoming even more aggressive.
Phase Three
The third phase begins as Miles fires an electric blast at Peter, creating some distance between them. As the battle resumes, Peter launches a Symbiote Strike attack, attempting to tackle Miles and launch him upward. This is a Crush attack, so be ready to dodge to the side.
The bell becomes available once more, making it a valuable tactic to stun the Symbiote and make Peter a more manageable opponent. Constantly stunning the Symbiote ensures a fair fight, regardless of your chosen difficulty setting. However, be aware that Peter throws the Symbiote Bomb, which Miles can catch with L1 + R1. Peter will throw it back, requiring you to hit L1 + R1 again, creating a hot potato-like exchange.
In phase three, Peter employs all the moves from the previous phases, with a more aggressive approach. Keep your Focus meter as a backup for healing, and focus on using Abilities and parries to keep Peter at bay. When Peter’s health reaches 0%, a short cutscene plays, and you take control of Peter, desperately trying to remove the Symbiote. Spam the Square button and use the Left Stick and Right Stick in opposing directions to end the fight, free Peter from the Symbiote’s grasp, and reunite the two Spider-Men.
