How to beat Sandman in Spider-Man 2

Want to know how to beat Sandman? Join us as we go through everything you need to know in order to take down the first boss in Spider-Man 2. We'll also be dropping in tips and tricks you can use in your fight to make it faster and easier for yourself

In terms of the difficulty of the bosses in Spider-Man 2, Sandman is the easiest fight out of them all. This is largely down to the game providing comprehensive tutorials as you progress through the fight. However, there are some sections of the fight that could give you trouble. This guide will give you all the information you need to master the Sandman fight without taking a single hit.

If you're looking for more Spider-Man 2 guides like this, why not check out our walkthrough hub for the game? We've got everything you need to know about Spider-Man 2 there, including guides on how to use web lines and how to unlock ultimate difficulty. We've also got the latest on Insomniac Games teasing a future Venom title if you're already looking to the future.

Credit: Insomniac Games

How do you beat Sandman in Spider-Man 2?

You'll take on Sandman in the mission "Surface Tension", as you swing towards the giant sandstorm buffetting New York City. When you get into the sandstorm's mist, you'll immediately have to start dodging projectiles launched towards you by Sandman. Once you've made it to the Sandman, you'll have to beat several sand minions and rescue a civilian before you can re-engage the boss.

Phase one

In phase one, Sandman has a few moves he can use. One such attack is a two-handed slam, which will deal 20 damage and send you flying back several blocks. This attack can be dodged when your Spidey Senses glow with a red aura.

Another attack Sandman can use is swinging his arms at you. In this fight, Sandman has one arm shaped as a fist, and the other shaped as a sword. This is purely a cosmetic feature, as both arms function the same mechanically. When Sandman swings his arms, you'll again be able to dodge in the same way as you could against his slam attack.

Throughout the battle, you'll have the opportunity to deal damage to Sandman by using your web shooter on his face and interacting to deal a devastating finishing move. This is the only way to deal significant damage, and the fight is supposed to serve as a tutorial to boss fights in the game. You are able to throw debris back at Sandman using L1+R1, however, this doesn't deal very much damage to him. Still, it's a useful move to practice for future boss fights.

Credit: Insomniac Games

Phase two

Halfway through the fight, Sandman will grab hold of you and throw you far across the map. This marks the start of phase two of the fight. You'll still be damaging Sandman using quick-time button presses, but his attacks will come in more rapidly and you'll have to dodge a lot more.

Unfortunately, once you've depleted his health bar the fight still won't be over. You'll now have to complete a section that consists of wall-running up a skyscraper. After reaching the top and having some dialogue with Sandman, you'll have to dispatch another wave of sand minions like before.

After disposing of the sand minions, you'll need to complete a platforming segment to get to the top of the building. This section is fully tutorialised by the game, so follow the quest markers and press the buttons that are prompted to you by the game. You'll have to fight quite a few more sand minions throughout this section, but they shouldn't provide much of a challenge.

Then, once you've almost reached the top, you'll have to swing over to the water tank in Sandman's hands. Doing so will trigger a cutscene, and open up the third phase of the fight. You'll also enter the tutorial for the web glider at this point during the fight.

Credit: Insomniac Games

Phase three

Now, with your web glider equipped, you'll have to chase Sandman across the river to continue the fight. You'll have to dodge a load of debris as you fly over, which can be done by doing the quick-time button presses shown on your screen.

Once you're back with Sandman, you'll have to fight and defeat yet another wave of sand minions. You can speed this up by using your surroundings to your advantage: pressing L1+R1 will enable you to smash the sand minions with flying concrete, or pull water towers down over several minions at once.

After clearing this final wave of minions, you'll make your way back over to Sandman. Here, you'll have two button presses that you'll have to complete that are displayed on the screen. Doing so will trigger the final cutscene to play, and spell the end of Sandman's fight.

That's all there is to know about how to beat Sandman in Spider-Man 2! For more guides like this, why not check out how to solve Dr Connors' house door puzzle, or how to save your game? We've also got a guide on how to skip puzzles if you're trying to get through the game as fast as possible.