3 years 5 months ago
Link
Miles Morales may just be finding his footing as a superhero, but his first solo game proves developer Insomniac has comfortably hit its stride as it converts its stand-alone hit into a series. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a flashy starring debut for Miles, telling as engaging a story as the original Marvel’s Spider-Man while simultaneously improving upon pretty much every minor gripe I had with that already great game. It may be smaller overall, but every facet of it feels more essential: the incredible swinging mechanics, storytelling, and animation of Peter Parker’s adventure return, joined by meaningful updates to side missions, Miles’ flashy new moves, and the captivating spirit of New York City.
While it can be played on PlayStation 4, this is a gorgeous introduction to the PlayStation 5. Miles Morales takes advantage of improved lighting and particle effects to make this former New Yorker achingly miss the city I once called home, and swinging feels even better at 60fps than at 30.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/the-first-22-minutes-of-spider-man-miles-morales-on-ps5"]
Marvel’s Spider-Man established Miles’ role alongside Peter Parker, and this solo outing makes it clear just how much room there is in Manhattan for multiple Spider-Men to shine. Actor Nadji Jeter returns to the title role and gives the newly heroic Miles a sincerity, heart, and excitement that stands tall alongside other depictions out there – from the Oscar-winning Into the Spider-Verse animated movie, to the original Brian Michael Bendis/Sara Pichelli comic run, and the ongoing Saladin Ahmed comic arc. This version stays true to Miles’ best stories in other mediums – mostly, he just wants to do right by Peter, his family, and his friends – while also making this take on the character feel fresh with something new to say.
That, in part, comes from Miles discovering his way around his new home neighborhood of Harlem, both in and out of the suit. Spider-Man: Miles Morales follows in the smart storytelling footsteps of the original game (and many of the best Spider-Man stories) by making sure the events of life underneath the mask come head-to-head with the webhead’s trials and tribulations. And while on a gameplay level you’re free to explore the full map (which returns largely unchanged from Marvel’s Spider-Man) much of the story itself is rooted in or inevitably returns us to Harlem.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-spider-man-miles-morales-review-screenshots&captions=true"]
Peter had his apartment and Doctor Octavius’ lab, but his connections to the city often boiled down to specific characters like Mary-Jane or villains like Doc Ock and Vulture. Miles, on the other hand gets to keep coming back home as a teenager living with his mom during the holidays would. We get to know his whole apartment, as well as the neighboring blocks around him as familiar shopkeeps pop up in side missions and the main story. And with militaristic tech conglomerate Roxxon building a new plaza HQ in Harlem, this welcoming home neighborhood becomes the center of an engaging struggle as it fights to maintain its identity in the face of corporate takeover.
[poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=Miles%20Morales%20more%20than%20lives%20up%20to%20that%20high%20bar%20set%20by%20Marvel's%20Spider-Man."]
Peter’s story did a fantastic job of making his personal stakes as important as the bombastic superhero action, and Miles Morales more than lives up to that high bar. Having his best friend, Ganke, in on his secret identity allows for some amusing chats while Miles is out on missions; his mother’s political ambitions conflicting with Roxxon and the mysterious Underground faction ratchet up the tensions; and that repeated return to Harlem made me care about the neighborhood I visited least in the first game. Hell, Insomniac even finds some interesting new ground with Miles’ relationship with his uncle, Aaron Davis, even though their connection in the recent comics and Spider-Verse lingers fresh in my mind.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-spider-man-review-ever&captions=true"]
As you explore the city, Miles Morales uses the same trick as the first game to flesh out Miles’ backstory, but to an even more investing degree. A host of time capsules from when Miles was younger offer a peek at his friendships and school life growing up, while an audio-focused collectible shines new light on his family. It’s an idea that feels born out of Miles as a character rather than a need to fill out the world, leading to some quite touching moments outside of the main story.
[poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=The%20anticipation%20of%20seeing%20where%20this%20series%20goes%20next%20is%20a%20thrill%20in%20of%20itself."]Miles is fallible because he’s so new to the gig, and the story doesn’t shy away from his mistakes, like how his interactions with a personal friend can have big ramifications for his superhero alter-ego – but it also continuously shows how working toward something better is a process, one that is stronger when built on trust and community. I won’t spoil where any of the story takes Miles and his impressive supporting cast, but it’s a stirring and gripping Spidey tale that left me with goosebumps in its final moments, and the anticipation of seeing where this series goes next is a thrill in of itself.
[poilib element="poll" parameters="id=af7ec7d6-3cfd-4e17-8ddf-fcacdaecb54f"]
Of course, Miles’ story is filled with spectacular action alongside that story. Insomniac has found creative ways to work within the same overall setting of the original while not retreading too much of the same ground. Epic showdowns that send sparks flying, between new tech from the Tinkerer’s purples, Roxxon’s reds, and Miles’ own yellow bioelectricity offer beautiful, thrilling battles that range from boss fights that continue the first game’s strong tradition of memorable showdowns to street-level brawls that put Miles’ enhanced attacks to the test.