boss

How to beat Sandman in the Spider-Man 2 opening

The giant Sandman boss is the first thing the game throws at you. Three phases, all telegraph, here's the trick.

How to beat Sandman in the Spider-Man 2 opening

Sandman is the prologue boss — basically the game's combat tutorial dressed up as a Times-Square-scale set-piece. Three phases, all telegraphed, no fail state if you read the prompts.

Phase 1 — the head

  1. Sandman pummels the streets with his arms. Web-swing between buildings; never stay on ground level.
  2. When his arm slams a building, he leaves it stuck for 2 seconds. Web-zip up to the head and mash square for free hits.
  3. The wind funnels start spawning. Stand inside them to launch up — that's how you reach the head when he's standing tall.

Phase 2 — the chase

  1. He becomes a moving sand wall. Use Web Wings (you get them granted for this fight) to outrun him.
  2. Dodge red projectiles by holding the dodge button before they hit, then triangle to throw them back.
  3. The arrows on the HUD point to wind currents — follow them.

Phase 3 — the QTE finish

  1. Glove punches at his face. A QTE appears — tap square in rhythm.
  2. Press triangle when prompted to throw the symbiote at the core.

If stuck: if you can't reach Sandman's head, you're skipping the wind currents — they're the entire mechanic of phase 1.