Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales picks up after the events of 2018 released Marvel’s Spider-Man. Miles Morales takes the lead role this time as the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man as he tries to prevent Harlem from being blown to pieces.
New guy
For anybody confused as to who Miles Morales is, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales begins with a recap of what happened in the first game. After the conclusion of its DLC The City That Never Sleeps we found out Miles Morales also got bitten by a spider and underwent the same trials as Peter Parker once did. When Marie Jane Watson leaves New York City to cover the war in Symkaria, Peter decides to spend his free time mentoring Miles into becoming “the other Spider-Man”. The game starts out heavy with Miles and Peter keeping watch on Rhino’s prison convey. As expected, the big guy manages to escape and you as Miles Morales are thrown right in the deep end.
New powers
While Peter Parker tries to contain Rhino, you are left battling other escaped convicts while (re-)learning the ropes. After you webbed a few thugs and punched them into yesterday, you’ll find yourself on the back of Rhino trying to weaken him. This kind of fast-paced frantic action is why I love this series. Eventually, you’ll halt Rhino after which you and Peter try to bring him down. Just as the balance of the fight seems to tip over to Rhino, Miles discovers he can charge his attacks with bio-electricity. This Venom Blast ability, as it’s dubbed, makes a huge difference not only in the fight with Rhino but in the feel of the game. After Peter witnesses your new ability, he deemed you worthy to leave New York City in your hands as he embarks on a (work-related) vacation with MJ.
I felt right at home after being familiar with the previous game. Using combos of webbing, dodges, aerial maneuvers, … were ingrained in my muscle memory. At first, I had the impression Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales would be a walk in the park. Luckily that changed with the opportunities the Venom Blast added. Later on in the game, Miles discovers he also has some cloaking ability to turn him invisible for a brief time. As much as I liked the electricity sparks flying around after Venom Blasting my opponents, the camouflage technique was my personal favorite. With this ability, I could take the stealth route more often and pick off thugs one by one instead of the direct approach.
Be greater, Be yourself
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales feels like coming home with just enough additions to make it interesting. Miles Morales looks up to Spider-Man as his mentor but finds out he’s capable of being greater if he starts to be himself. People in the city are fast enough at pointing out Miles is just “the other Spider-Man” but as Miles’ heroics get known more and more, he starts to earn the recognition he deserves. Miles Morales is at heart just a clumsy kid, which actually translates in the way he moves in-game, but is surely becoming a great Spider-Man. Harlem, Miles’ home base, has a local hero from now on.
Find the perfect suit
New York City is filled with collectibles. These earn you points to spend upgrading your suit and gadgets. Stopping ongoing crimes also helps you unlock more options to add to your arsenal of abilities. Completing side-missions through the handy Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man app gives you additional experience to upgrade your skills. Just like in the first game, you’ll be able to craft different suits and abilities to go along with it. This can help customize your gameplay experience to your personal liking. I liked the “into the Spider-verse” suit the most. Adding the spider-verse ability even altered your moves to match those from the movie. These types of small nods to Marvel’s universe are great to discover.
Flawless integration
I got to test out Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales on the PlayStation 5 which is the recommended way to play this game. The way the game goes seamlessly between in-game footage and cutscenes is awesome on the new hardware. At times, I felt like I was actually in a movie instead of a videogame. The graphics look stunning and the load-times are basically non-existing. The way this game uses the new hardware bodes well for the future of gaming. Those unfortunate of not having a PlayStation 5 will be happy to know you can also buy it on PlayStation 4. Those who also want to experience the original Spider-Man can opt to buy the Ultimate Edition to get the fully remastered game with all the DLC included. Besides looking great on PS5, the remaster replaced Peter’s face to look more like Tom Holland than before.
Conclusion
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a short but sweet experience. The way the game flows feels awesome. The game takes about 10 hours to complete which makes the story feel a bit rushed here and there. If you’re all in for action and loads of it… Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is the perfect pick for you, preferably on a PlayStation 5.
