How to perform finishers in Spider-Man 2

Looking to end combat with a flourish? The combat animations of Spider-Man 2 are masterfully crafted, and that's doubly true for the stylish finishers. In this guide, you'll learn how to perform finishers in Spider-Man 2.

Finishers are usually best saved for tougher enemies but can be a great tool for getting through combat encounters quickly if you're mostly playing to complete all of the game's missions. There's a great cast of villains to deal with in Spider-Man 2, so you'd be forgiven for wanting to get to them as soon as possible.

Before we get into the guide, you might want to check out our guide to skipping cutscenes if you're more into combat than story. We also have a guide to getting XP fast if you want to boost your abilities. These guides are all included in our one-stop shop for all things Spidey - our Spider-Man 2 hub!

How to do finishers in Spider-Man 2

Finishers will sometimes appear randomly to let you end an enemy's reign of terror early, but there is a way to activate them consistently. To perform a finishing move, the first thing you'll need to do is fill up your focus bar. This is done by successfully dodging attacks while landing plenty of punches, air yanks, and swing kicks of your own. Combos are another great way to build up focus.

When the bar is filled, a prompt to press Circle and Triangle simultaneously will appear above an enemy's head. This will activate the finisher and remove the enemy from combat for good if you haven't already web-thrown them into the Hudson.

You might want to hold off on performing the finisher, however, and use your other combat abilities like webbing enemies to walls. A full focus bar can also let you heal, and damage is increased as your focus goes up, too. This adds an interesting element of risk-and-reward to the game's combat; do you risk the finisher to end combat sooner, or restore your health just in case?

That's ultimately your decision as the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. Before you get back to fighting off the riff-raff, be sure to check out our guide to switching characters and changing the game's difficulty.