Being a Marvel Comics fan for a majority of my life, reading, viewing & even trying to experience the actions of a super-powered Peter Parker including throwing my right hand forward with my middle & ring fingers pressed against my palms thinking that maybe I too will spew some web-like material from my wrists (kids, right?) will forever be connected to my life. When it comes to video games, very few childhood gaming experiences topped “Spider-Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage” for yours truly even though the game was nothing more than a stereotypical side-scrolling beat-‘em-up that I finished during a weekend rental; yet couldn’t get enough of and even purchased a used copy for memory’s sake many years later. My dedication to “Spider-Man” video games slowly died out with more & more mediocre entries released during the gaming generations that followed the 16-bit era.
Almost ten years after playing my last “Spider-Man” video game, the Insomniac Games-developed “Marvel’s Spider-Man captured the essence of what it means to be “everyone’s favorite neighborhood Spider-Man” with superb web-slinging, masterful combat options, many faceless goons warranting a thrashing, and memorable, though too few boss battles. Introduced in the previous game was none other than the next generation’s Spider-Man, Miles Morales. Now Miles gets his chance to help the people of New York while Peter Parker is away and I was giddy to see if it lived up to its predecessor’s lofty standard.
Did I Complete “Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales”?
With the JJ Jameson dubbed “Original Spider-Man” missing in action during a hectic time in New York’s history after the events of the 2018 game, Miles Morales takes the helm as the city’s hero; though the people themselves are a little slower to warm up to this smaller, obviously inexperienced version of the guy who saved them from entering the Negative Zone in-game months earlier. Of course it’s through an app that Miles discovers his best way to help the people while being pulled into a conflict similar to what Peter found himself dealing with a game ago right down to a corporation not necessarily looking out for the best interest of the people. Between the story-fueled action sequences are objectives that the player is free to take part in like picking up the dozens of various collectibles including fan service-filled time capsules and underground boxes sporting “Tech Parts” needed to upgrade Miles’ four pieces of gear & his dozen available suits. There are also challenges set up by Parker for Miles to complete focusing on web slinging, melee combat & stealth, as well as the returning randomized crimes that become less random after the player completes them all.
The trophy list was very similar to its predecessor with few challenges needed for the player to go out our of their way for other than the necessity of completing the story in “New Game Plus” mode after completing the story. In regards to the story’s length, “Miles Morales” is actually disappointingly short with yours truly spending a little over ten hours to finish my first playthrough with 100% completion before going thorough the New Game Plus offering in a little under four hours for my first PS5 platinum trophy.
Did “Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales” Live Up to the Hype?
As expected, web slinging around this version of New York – which appears to be as close to the real “Big Apple” as possible while adding some buildings and features from the Marvel Cinematic Universe such as the Avengers Tower – is still incredibly intuitive from the onset with the right trigger being used to sling and the X button to propel forward. To top off the swinging is wall running, parkour moves that allows Spider-Man to jump over certain obstacles and even upgradable skills specific to moving around the map including pulling off moonsaults & tricks in midair. Though it will take a new player a little bit of effort to get the timing down when pulling off swings & jumps, the exhilarating feeling of playing as Spider-Man as he makes his way through New York is almost immediate when given the opportunity to actually play the game; though moving around walls inside buildings or even outside at lower altitudes can prove to be a hassle due to the camera moving in too close or objects like trees & walls not becoming see-through.
Tying into web slinging is the combat. Spider-Man can jump off walls to throw punches, shoot his webbing to toss enemies & even disarm them with upgraded skills, and use a double trigger tap to zip toward safety like an overhead steel beam. But what about when Spidey is going toe-to-toe with his enemies? The masked marvel can throw a variety of punches & kicks thanks to the player simply hitting and/or holding the square button that fills up a meter that can both help him pull off finishing sequences & heal himself. Mixing in jumps & web slinging by tapping the X and triangle buttons respectively will have Spider-Man pulling off impressive combos. One of the most important things regarding this game’s combat system is dodging. By pressing the circle button in correlation with Spidey’s Spider Sense going off can create opportunities for counter attacks especially when Spider-Man is leveled up with a fantastic amount of skills the player can purchase with skill points earned by leveling up Spider-Man thanks to XP given via completed missions, battles & even talking to people on the street looking to get a glimpse of a true superhero.
Dodging & successful striking also ties into a Morales-specific ability, “Venom Power”. With the filling of a bar underneath Spider-Man’s health, Miles can unleash up to four different maneuvers with a tap of the LI button alongside one or two of the face buttons. These “Venom” attacks not only pack a big punch (or propelling), they also stun any enemies struck that aren’t knocked out immediately; leaving them open for subsequent attacks. “Venom Power” attacks also play a big role in almost every boss battle with the player usually building up the “Venom Meter” for that devastating blow.
Unlike the “Batman: Arkham” fighting engine the original game got compared to so much, “Spider-Man’s” combat system shows just how vulnerable the protagonist really is as dodging & countering is solely up to the player’s abilities & timing instead of enemy attacks being parried & countered automatically; making the fighting in “Spider-Man” more fulfilling & difficult when taking on copious enemies. The stealth system from the 2018 game gets a boost as well. Midway through the story, Miles discovers he can temporarily turn invisible. This “camouflage” technique is great for getting the jump on adversaries during missions both main and side; as well as escaping danger by turning invisible, shooting up to a nearby rafter and waiting for the frustrated enemies to return to their patrol while the player re-strategizes.
Considering the lacking heft in regards to the narrative also comes a smaller offering pertaining gadgets & the abilities Miles can utilize. Of course there’s the aforementioned skill tree that features three sections – one focusing on melee improvements, increasing “Venom Power”, and improving Miles’ camo. Miles’ four gadgets can too be upgraded with him being able to deploy holograms to assist in battle, throwing out a gravity-based magnetic collider, and a deployable remote bomb to complement his web-shooter.
One of best features in the last game returns here with the implementation of suits. Via “Activity Tokens” (items gained by completing the varieties of random crimes that occur throughout the city, attaining collectibles, and finishing challenges such as the base missions), the player can purchase upgrades for Spidey’s gadgets and even Spider Suits with each suit having a specific boost when worn like increasing defenses against melee attacks or bullets. To add to the buffs are the two slots available for “Visor Mods” & “Suit Mods” respectively. While it’s disappointing there aren’t grand abilities like “Web Blossom” or even the robot-controlled “Spider Bot” attached to unlocking suits, the lack of extra abilities don’t hinder the game’s fun.
As noted, the story is not the most massive or even half as long as the 2018 offering; but is memorable for all the right reasons. Almost immediately the player will discover the thought & care “Miles Morales’” developers used when exploring the cultural side of Harlem that has molded & shaped the kid behind the mask. The seamless inclusion of Puerto Rican & African American tributes allows for immersion without coming across as pandering. Like the previous entry there are two major villains with one being rather predictable and the other – The Tinkerer – having a showcase that rivals, if not surpasses the presentation of Doctor Octopus in “Marvel’s Spider-Man”.
While the scientist turned nemesis that was Dr. Ock had a sympathetic layer to his character, The Tinkerer’s reasons & motives are presented in such a way that the villain is truly the hero of their story. The story isn’t revolutionary, but done exceptionally well even in a short time frame (maybe actually benefiting from the length instead of being stretched beyond necessary). Beyond the main campaign missions are a handful of side missions that are mostly unimaginative fetch quests or beating up a few people. Base completion returns; seeing Spider-Man fighting hordes of enemies and while attempting to accomplish mini-goals for those “Activity Tokens”. Collecting all the time capsules or succeeding at stopping every crime is for fan service & busy work needed for full completion; though the Parker-crafted challenges do provide one of the few boss battles the game provides.
Technically, “Miles Morales” is very strong; though things can get glitchy graphically without becoming game breaking including stuck enemies & NPCs somehow talking when their lips aren’t moving. The graphics are absolutely awe-inspiring on the Playstation 5 and the load times are practically nonexistent. Sonically, “Miles Morales” is a treat with a more hip-hop infused sound to match the harrowing orchestra that sounds out during web-swinging moments before a life-changing mission; though some of that sound can be overwhelmed by the pair of podcasts that are definitely more extensive & frequent (they can be turned off in the in-game menu, though) compared to the 2018 predecessor. With so much to handle from a presentation standpoint, not once did the game crash or freeze.
“Miles Morales” is not only a great addition to what is “Marvel’s Spider-Man’s” video game universe, but also a fantastic first-party offering for the PS5 that doesn’t “fix” what isn’t broken while providing a glimpse into the capabilities of a future installment.
Should You Play “Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales”?
As marvelous as “Spider-Man” was in 2018, this provides more of the same with some added (or in the case of certain things like gadgets & abilities, removed) features in a compact story that is as, if not more memorable than what came before it with Peter Parker as the focus. For those who enjoyed the 2018 game this addition is a no-brainer as a purchase that won’t break the bank no matter when one buys it on PS5 or PS4. Considering the game’s length and more constricted nature, “Miles Morales” may be a better offering for those not wanting to deposit more than ten to fifteen hours into a game right now. It’s hard to deny just how wonderful this latest iteration in the “Spider-Man” video game universe is – just like it’s hard to deny how cute it is to take Spider-Man the cat into battle alongside Harlem’s latest hero.
