There’s more to the Skull symbiote suit in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 than what’s shown.

A large part of the story in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 involves Venom. One of the hero’s most famous adversaries, the villain usually appears after Peter Parker uses – and later releases – the alien symbiote that enhances his powers. It’s a very well-documented series of events in the comics and movies, and Insomniac Games is planning its own interpretation in the sequel.

A big part of the appeal with Venom is Spidey’s black, symbiote-infused suit. Usually minimal, with a white spider logo on solid black, the outfit is a fan favorite. However, the developer has created its own version, and as we saw in the gameplay demo, it’s a bit of a looker. It has a thin sheen to it, and is clearly not made of ordinary materials. In fact, it’s organic, which is why we see inky tendrils growing out of Peter’s arms.

Speaking to IGN, creative director Brian Intihar talks about the design of the suit. He teases that the origin of the outfit “will tie into why it looks a certain way”. In other words, there are explainable reasons why this version of the suit doesn’t look like the symbiote costumes we’re used to. Intihar adds that “there’s more to that suite than what we’ve shown visually,” so we can expect to discover them. He says Insomniac’s design aims to keep some familiarity but also add new elements – just like the team did with other suits in previous games.

The new suit isn’t just for show, though. Playing as Peter Parker, you will be able to use his symbiote abilities, which makes the character play more aggressively and with more power. Intihar called his new finishers, some of which we saw in gameplay, “borderline brutal”.

Are you excited to get your hands on the black suit in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2? Go dark in the comments section below.