Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Developer: Insomniac Games, Nixxes Software
Publisher: Playstation PC
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (Reviewed)
Release Date: 18 Nov 2022
Price: $49.99 USD – Available Here $94.95 AUD – Available Here
Overview
Do you know what is one rare thematic subgenre of games? Christmas games. Needless to say, they’re best played just around December. Occasionally, various live service games will have winter updates with Christmas-themed minigames but that’s just barely scratching the surface of the potential. But, since it is almost Christmas I bring you some great gifts.
What if I told you that there is a sequel to the acclaimed Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered game set around Christmas, with improved gameplay mechanics, new skills, new enemies, a new story, and so on. Grab yourself a cup of hot chocolate, wrap yourself in a cozy blanket and let me tell you a story (of a great game).
Story
While Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is its own thing, it is also a direct continuation of the story from the previous game so you would be missing out on a lot if you just jump straight into this one. For all of you that played the previous game, you will remember that near the end Miles also gets bitten by a genetically modified spider. This gives him a new set of powers (more on that later) and Peter Parker is also there to act as a mentor to Miles although you’ll be left on your own later in the game.
The story of this game is far more focused with a smaller roster of characters, villains, and enemies but that’s far from a bad thing. A lot of the story is centered on the identity of this “new Spider-Man”. Does Miles consider himself just a second Spider-Man or something else entirely? Aside from that, there is also a matter of him dealing with his dad’s recent passing, reconnecting with a former childhood friend, taking down some new antagonists and who knows what else.
Gameplay
As I said, this Spidey has a few new tricks up his sleeve. The most notable one is bioelectricity; electrically charged punches and kicks that enable him to stun the enemies and deal more damage. Then there is Venom Punch (great for passing through a defense of harder enemies), Venom Jump (lifts all enemies up and interrupts their attacks), and Mega Venom Blast (a super powerful blast that covers a large area and instantly KOs most of the enemies). Then we have some new gadgets as well such as Holo Decoys and Gravity Well.
As for the core gameplay, I feel like the swinging is more refined and fluid now. There is a noticeable smoothness in Miles’ movements as well as apparent clumsiness in his web swinging. You can tell he is enjoying his new superhero status while also not being completely comfortable with it. Another great improvement here is how the side activities are structured. Early on, you’ll get access to the FNSM app (short for Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man) where you can find all the available activities there such as side missions and crime waypoints. There’s no need anymore to mindlessly swing around Harlem waiting for that one specific criminal activity to appear (so you can do all the challenges within it), now you can just select it instantly and the waypoint will guide you there.
Visuals
Now let’s talk about another selling point of the game. The setting. As you already know, in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales you will have pretty much the same map from Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered but win some minor (yet noticeable) tweaks. It’s all covered with a thick layer of snow this time. As you progress through the campaign the weather often changes from bright winter mornings to heavy snowstorms and windy nights. Another change that you can spot early on is that the whole map is far more colorful and vibrant this time. Way more graffiti on buildings this time as well as Christmas ornaments.
Audio
If you were mildly bothered by J Jonah Jameson’s frequent podcasts in the previous game, I have some good news and bad news this time. The bad news is that he’s also in this game with his ever-present hatred for everything Spider-Man related. The good news is we also have a new character that will keep you company during your web swinging and her name is Danika Hart. She hosts a podcast series named The Danikast where she discusses recent topics in New York, which can be listened to during free roam. In her podcasts, Danika is positive towards Spider-Man, spreading the good news about his work around the city. Her podcast character later even seeps into the story, as she will later investigate the Underground faction (led by one of the main antagonists of the game). Interestingly enough, her research leads her to work with Miles Morales, unaware that he is Spider-Man.
Overall
To sum it up, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales of an improved product. The developers didn’t fall into a trap of making more content just for the sake of padding out the length. This is a shorter game than its predecessor but with a tighter and more focused story. There is just enough side content to not overstay its welcome and optimization is miles ahead (heh) compared to the one in Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered. No slowdowns at all, gameplay choppiness, crashes, etc.
All in all, it is one of those rare Christmas games with the bonus of being an engaging game on its own, regardless of its setting.
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