Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020)

Just like the original spiderman game, this one is well made and very polished. I had a few crashes but once I updated the game it never happened again. This game added some great variety to the combat without over complicating things. It had been about a year since I played the first one and it was easy to pick it back up again.

A question I find myself asking is where do these games go from here; the games are still tied to the Batman Arkham formula. These are a huge improvement son the base formula. The combat gives the player a lot of unique tools to work with and it makes the games much more replayable. Everything about combat and the story is amazing and super well executed. This is the best use of Uncle Aaron that I have seen. The side quests where you need to find where the sounds came offer such cool insight into his motivations and beliefs. I wish more of the side content was able the offer this kind of link to the characters and story.

I think the gameyness of the the puzzles and collectible would bother be more if I played more AAA open world games, but this is sorta my exception to my lack of interest in those games. My love of the Spiderman mythos will keep me coming back if the games are anywhere near this level of quality.

(I'm back! Apparently, it is hard to keep up with this kind of reviews once you are done with most of the thoughts and memories you have in your mental backlog. I am sure that I have played waaaay more games that the ones I have reviewed here but alas, time and memory are limited and flickery.

Also: I GOT A PS5!!! I will be in debt for the next five years -no kidding- and I have not had nearly enough time to enjoy it as it should be but damn, what a piece of technology. Damn)

Ok, first game I have ever played in the PS5. As I said before, I am a bit of a time traveler in terms of videogames. My last console was a PS2 and that soldier went into retirement around 2013, so in practical terms I am a mid-2000s videogamer air dropped into the latest and hottest console on the market. I unbox the thing, create my user, put the disc, cry happy-sad tears about childhood trauma and adult vindication/reparation, wait for the installation (that took a surprisingly short amount of time), and start playing Insomniac's Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

HOLY-FUCKING-SHIT.

Watching me playing this game must have been the closest one can get to see the reaction video of a Neanderthal in a Ferrari.

The controls? the animation? the rhythm? the haptics of the DualSense? Man, it is incredible. When I learned that the panel in the middle of the control is touch-sensitive I thought it was going to bother my gaming experience because I am a fucking boomer that needs buttons, but five hours with this game and now I cannot imagine it without this functionality. It is so cool.

Ok ok... It is really hard to not turn the review of this specific game into a review of the machine per se, but I will try my best.

This game is really, really good, and it has the perfect combination to start the PS5 experience: Action based, flexible open world, amicable learning curve that is not easy but also not that hard, cinematic cutscenes, short but meaningful story... It has everything. If I want to be a nit-picker (god you know I want to be), the game does get a little bit repetitive, but only a little bit and only if you are trying to get to platinum. If you are in for the story is a very fun, very straight forward twelve-hour ride.

About the story... Man, Miles is just such a likable character. I do not read comics and have only seen Miles in his most famous adaptations (This and the Spider-Verse movies) so I cannot say for sure how well this version of Miles "is true" to his depictions in other media, but I do feel a very similar vibe to his Spider-Verse counterpart. The VO is almost identical and his quips are tonaly similar. I actually kind of like this version of Miles a little bit more because it is pretty self-contained and does not have all these "Multiverse collapsing what it means to be Spider-Man among infinite Spider-Men" pressure on him, so it really immerse you into the idea that this is a Spider-Man that is learning the tools of the trade and is making his way through his newfound life as a super hero. I don't know, it just works for me.

Ganke is another character that I like. Really stand-up guy.

Now, the villains... Hmph, I don't know. I prefer the Prowler version of Spider-Verse than this one. I feel that the Aaron Davis of Spider-Verse was less sympathetic and more villainous but that made the struggle between him and Miles resonate more. This Aaron Davies is a "villain" (quotation marks doing heavy lifting here) but his redemption comes waaaaay to fast, it's like you as an spectator did not get to see him as his worst so his redemption arc is more like a short curve.

I really like the character of Tinkerer up until the point where the story screws them over. I try not to spoil shit but there was a moment of the game when I really enjoy the dynamic between Tinkerer and Miles. But the final confrontation felt SO Freaking forced. It was literally a communication issue. I think the writing of the story got a little bit lazy there, but honestly that is a very personal nitpick on my part and it does not take from the quality of the game at all.

Long story short: Like this game, loved the console. Now I really want to play Spider-Man 1 (to catch-up with the story) and Spider-Man 2, whenever that ridiculous $70 buck price tag goes down. Fuck that.

What's Different: I just finished completing this game today and overall I think it's an ok experience. If you liked the first game, you'll get something out of this game. Miles definitely feels like a different Spider-Man with less of an emphasis on gadgets, and more on his unique "venom" powers (I wished they didn't call it this for obvious reasons). Venom powers are fun to use, and I feel like an absolute powerhouse when lighting up enemies with these attacks. They also add some uniqueness to Miles' transversal across NYC. The combat is based off of the foundation laid by the first game, but I think Miles is just different enough to make the combat feel fresh, at first. By the end of my 15 hour 100 % district playthrough, the combat did feel a bit repetitive. Not repetitive in comparing it to the first game, but repetitive based on this game alone. I should note I completed my playthrough on spectacular difficulty, and if I ever do a new game plus playthrough, I'll try out ultimate difficulty.

Story: This is mainly my reason for the three stars. This story puts too much emphasis on the villain, and I wish developers gave Miles more time to develop as a character in his own right. I get that he needs a reason for being Spider-Man, but I feel like the Tinkerer is a boring villain with basic "revenge" motives. I wish the game focused on Miles more, but it seems like the story was just as much about the Tinkerer as it was about Miles. This isn't to say Miles doesn't develop across the story, learning to be his own Spider-Man, but I feel like it could've been done better without such a heavy reliance on the villain. I know they have a past relationship, but it would have been nice if the story didn't rely on this past relationship so much. I was hoping to see more from Miles and this story, and I was let down. I liked story elements that weren't focused on the Tinkerer like the Prowler, Miles' family/social life, and learning to be his own Spider-Man. The story doesn't reach the heights of the first game, but I think it's a suitable story to tell based on how long the game takes to beat.

Extras: Suits, gadgets, skills, and collectibles are good here. Not as much to collect as the first game, but I wasn't expecting there to be. It's a shame that most of the better looking suits aren't unlocked until near the end of the game, but there's enough cosmetics to choose from in the mean time. Side missions and activities felt fresh and unique compared to the first game, so I believe this game is an improvement over that. I do really appreciate that this game takes advantage of the NYC Winter setting. This new atmosphere helps set this game apart, and it was fun to swing through the city without it feeling too similar as the first game. The new side activities here similar to the first game with a fresh coat of "miles" paint on it. Time capsules are akin to backpacks, hideouts are equal to enemy bases, etc. It's more of the same with new added in. I think enough was added to justify this game's existence. I could also understand why some reason that this game could have been DLC to the first game, but I feel like you could really "swing" either way on this argument.

This game was fun to complete, as was the first game. The swinging just feels so good and improved upon from the first game. Combat is different enough from the first game, though the story is mediocre. I originally played this game back in 2020 on my PS4, beat the main story, then never got around to completing all the side activities. I am now even more excited that I've 100% all districts in this game and Spider-Man 2018. I finished these games just in time for the release of Spider-Man 2 PS5 (which I was lucky enough to get the Spider-Man PS5 console for). Eventually someday down the road, I'd like to try a new game plus mode on this game and Spider-Man 2018. For now, I wait a little over a week for the release of Spider-Man 2. I'm fairly hyped, and expect the sequel to be even greater than these 2 first games in the series.

This smaller sequel to Marvel's Spider-Man is better precisely because it is smaller. Miles is an amazing character and I love how more a "friendly neighborhood Spider-Man" he is than Peter.

The plot is also great. Tinkerer is a great villain who made me (almost) side with her. I also loved how this game is not as "pro-cop" as the previous one and the limited arsenal of artifacts and upgrades makes for a more "controllable" combat.

I didn't like the new Peter face. Looks like a child.

ENG

I really enjoyed this game! The story is simple, but very nice. I just think it was very very short in its main story. Honestly, I think it could even be just a DLC. However, the graphics were improved compared to the previous game.

EO

Mi tre ĝuis ĉi tiun video-ludon! La rakonto estas simpla, sed tre bela. Mi nur pensas, ke ĝi estis mallongega en ĝia ĉefa rakonto. Sincere, mi pensas, ke ĝi eĉ povus esti nur DLC. Tamen, la grafikoj estis plibonigitaj kompare kun la antaŭa ludo.

FR

J'ai beaucoup aimé ce jeu vidéo ! L'histoire est simple, mais très belle. Je pense juste que c'était très court dans son histoire principale. Honnêtement, je pense que ce pourrait même être juste un DLC. Cependant, les graphismes ont été améliorés par rapport au jeu précédent.

PT-BR

Eu realmente gostei deste jogo! A história é simples, mas muito legal. Eu só acho que foi muito, muito curto em sua história principal. Honestamente, acho que poderia até ser apenas um DLC. No entanto, os gráficos foram melhorados em comparação com o jogo anterior.

ESP

¡Realmente disfruté este juego! La historia es simple, pero muy bonita. Creo que fue muy, muy corto en su historia principal. Honestamente, creo que incluso podría ser solo un DLC. Sin embargo, los gráficos mejoraron en comparación con el juego anterior.

I’m looking forward to turning a play-through of Spider-Man: Miles Morales into an annual holiday affair. I’ve played it every year since it launched and I dare say I’m eager to play it again this year. It has the perfect combination that makes it a no-brainer to play at that time of the year. It’s the perfect length, set at the holidays complete with snow and decorations, and features The Best Spider Man™️.

Conveniently, Sony‘s PC port of the game launches this Fall, and picking it up to play on Steam Deck seems like the perfect way to play it again.

This is a review written right after completing Spider-Man Man: Miles Morales on PS5. This review is from someone with an 85% save file. This means I have completed the main story, a pretty large amount of side content, and a good number of collectibles as well.

Going into Miles Morales I thought that it would just feel like a bigger DLC for the first Spider-Man with some technical upgrades to show off the power of the PS5. I can't imagine saying anything like that after completing Miles Morales. This game does (almost) everything that the first Spider-Man does except it either does it better or with a twist that makes it feel unique. The movement is still the best part of the game. Insomniac perfected the movement system with the first game and it's still present and even better. The new animations and features made to fit Miles Morales are extremely well made and surge personality. The best thing this game has as compared to the first is this newfound personality. All "exaggerated swagger" jokes aside, this game makes Miles Morales a way more likeable character than I thought he would be in this game. The game does an excellent job representing the culture found within the Morales family. From doing tricks while swinging around to the music that plays while you are appreciating the beautiful open world Insomniac has created, this game feels like an actual Miles Morales game more than just a generic super hero game. I enjoyed the free roam around the city just as much as the main story, which while it isn't as lengthy as the first game, still has all the story beats and plot twists needed to keep things fresh and interesting. The side characters outside of Miles are also really good, with Miles close family like Rio Morales and Uncle Aaron being standouts. And man the ending is just as powerful as the first games ending. Just like the first game and it's remaster, Miles Morales is absolutely beautiful. With the same kinds of graphics presets as the remaster, Miles Morales runs and looks like a beauty on any graphics preset you choose. But where the game really improves graphically is the winter theme that it brings. The snow seen everywhere is an atmospheric game changer and the attention to detail across the map has only seemed to increase from the first game. As well as keeping everything fresh and polished, Insomniac has learned from their mistakes and has removed the weird puzzles and the Mary Jane stealth parts from the first game as well. I think where Insomniac could have improved the experience was the length. Miles Morales is pretty short compared to the first game, and you can feel it after you've played both. I exclusively played Miles Morales for about 3 days and got to 85% save file completion in those 3 days. Now this meant that Miles Morales was paced a bit better than the first Spider-Man, which suffered from a few sluggish parts near the middle of the game but was still an outstanding experience nevertheless. But I could keep going on and doing side quests and just listening to my own music while doing so (thanks Spotify). Overall I feel like the Spider-Man IP is in great hands with Insomniac and I can't wait to see what they will accomplish in Spider-Man 2.

Current Score: 8/10, great job Insomniac.

Before playing Spider-Man: Miles Morales, I played the PlayStation 5 remaster of Marvel’s Spider-Man, a game I would say might be my favorite PlayStation 4 exclusive game. Insomniac Games immediately throws the player into the high-swinging adventures of Peter Parker, a character who is already refined and knows what he’s doing. Right away, Insomniac knew how to make players feel like Spider-Man.

This remastered version comes with some copies of Miles Morales, and I don’t know if that’s a great choice. Yes, it’s good to know the story of the first game before jumping into Miles Morales, but going from one game to the next feels sort of jarring. Miles is a beginner at being a superhero, which Insomniac has made through the controls that aren’t quite as tight and assured as they were with Peter. This is by choice, as we’re learning how to become a superhero through Miles eyes, but after playing as Peter, this understandably feels like a step backwards.

Yet, naturally, the more the player digs into Miles Morales, the more they start to feel confident in becoming a hero. The best thing about this Spider-Man series is that simply moving around New York City is extremely fun and feels rewarding. Even if this was just 10 hours of swinging around, it would probably be worthwhile.

Like with the DLC for the Spider-Man game, it seems to me like Insomniac is using this game as a way to experiment with ideas before the next major Spider-Man release. With this installment, players get new powers like electrified punches and invisibility, which makes stealth takedowns far easier than they were in the first game. There’s also some nice updates to the UI, like an in-game app that allows the player to see various side missions that are available, without having to constantly return to the game’s map.

But I also think Insomniac is trying too often to experiment with smaller areas, and they haven’t quite nailed that yet. Often in smaller enclosures, Miles Morales can feel confusing and difficult to maneuver. I found myself struggling to figure out what I needed to do in small rooms, but thriving when given all of New York City to explore. Button prompts, camera angles, and letting the character know what they need to do all seems a bit off in smaller sections of the game.

Spider-Man did a great job of setting up Miles as a potential new character, and his own game does make me even more excited to see where his story goes. Insomniac has a large task in trying to make this character just as interesting as Peter, and for the most part pulls it off. Yet I can’t help feeling like Insomniac wants to discuss race, but just doesn’t know how to do it. At one point in the game, a cop pulls a gun on Miles, and it’s supposed to feel like countless videos we’ve seen of Black men having a gun pulled on them, but the moment is soon forgotten and nothing is done with it. At the end, Miles also discusses how the people of Harlem are considered disposable, but again, it’s too little, too late. Especially a random moment that centers around a “Black Lives Matter” mural feels more performative than anything. If Insomniac wanted to present Miles as his own character, I wish they would’ve spent more time delving into these race issues they clearly want to tackle, but are too afraid to do in any major way.

I also kind of wish this was longer. 10 hours or so is a solid length of time for a game like this, but this does at times feel like a glorified DLC pack. Again, if Insomniac wanted to make Miles equally as interesting as Peter, maybe they should have given him a game of a similar length.

Miles Morales isn’t without its flaws, and this does often feel like a step back in many ways fro. what came before it, but I’m still excited to see how Insomniac integrates some of these ideas into future adventures. Miles has a lot of potential as a character, and as someone that Insomniac could tell some really great and forward-thinking stories with, I just hope they take that opportunity seriously going forward.

It's nice to have an open-world game that lets me live out my latent completionist tendencies on a small scale. Usually in games these days, I'm skipping side content and collectibles because I have other things I want to do and all I care about is the main story.

In Marvel's Spider-Man (2018), I felt the opposite. Couldn't care less about the main story and missions, but had a pretty all right time swinging around and doing every collectible and side thing until I got tired of progressing the story somewhere in the second half.

This game bridges the gap, with more interesting story and characters, fun side missions, a manageable amount of collectibles, and a core movement mechanic that's still so fun that you want to do it all. Maybe I'm crazy, but the combat also feels better, with Miles's various abilities chaining together in an extremely satisfying way.

I'm at around 60% completion right now and definitely feeling a strong 4/5 rating for the game overall compared to a 3 for the last game. Since I never finished the rest of the Riddler trophies in Arkham City / Knight, this may end up being my first 100% completion for a AAA game since... (checks notes)... Assassins Creed II over a decade ago. Cool...

To be honest, I didn't have much of an expectation from Miles Morales apart from being a reskin of the original Spiderman game.

Maaaaaannnnn was I blown away. When you hit that Performance RT mode, the gameplay, visuals and the little story injections in the middle all cumulate to a phenomenal experience that gets over too soon!

Perfect homages placed within the Spiderverse and the ability to mimic the Into The Spiderverse moves, this game is a beautiful ode to all spidey fans.

The fetch quests are still the same with little differentiation. The challenges are seemingly easier in this game.

A must have to really get the most out of your PS5.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a wonderful sequel to 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man. It nearly improves upon everything the previous game did

Miles Morales is a fun character and it's interesting to see how he views the world. He is pretty different from Peter Parker. He fights different and swings different which fits the character.

The music is pretty well done and swinging around a snowy New York is a lot more fun now.

The fighting is improved with the addition of Venom Punch which is fun to pull off.

The story is a lot more contained and the stakes aren't as high. However, I found myself enjoying the story more due to the connections Miles had which makes scenes and interactions that much better. This ain't to say the first game had a bad story because it definitely didn't.

Everything is improved. The combat, web-swinging, exploration, upgrading, getting new costumes, etc

However, the game is really short. You can beat it in about a day if you play long enough. It's a shame because the story is great

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is what a sequel should be in every way. It improves upon the first title and has a short... But interesting and engaging story

Would Recommend

4/5