Spider-Man: Miles Morales

So I have a minor confession to make...

I was able to snag a PlayStation 5 last November. Including this game, I'm going to have reviews for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and Cyberpunk 2077 (it works fairly well on the new hardware) at some point in the future. 

In terms of the console itself, I've been enjoying it immensely. I feel like I'm finally taking full advantage of my 4K television and the new controller is something to behold; I just hope that developers make use of it. I find I don't have too many issues with my PS5, though it does hard crash probably 1-2 per week right now, more than I remember my PS4 doing and I think most of those are more software vs. hardware issues given that it's only for certain games. So far so good (knocks on wood) and I'm excited once everyone can readily get their hands on one!

Ok but for real, I love the animated suits

Getting a new PS5 without getting Spider-Man: Miles Morales basically just screams...but why?! These Spider-Man games are approachable to many and are the best superhero games this side of Arkham. And, as we saw last year, they're not always easy to nail - particularly if the company responsible makes a lot of "wrong" decisions about what the game should be. As is the case with PlayStation exclusives however, Spider-Man is the crème de le crème, courtesy of Insomniac who has a storied reputation on the console. The first game gave us a brilliantly rendered New York City to swing around in, incredible gameplay and controls, gorgeous graphics, and a compelling narrative with well written and likable characters. It tended to grow stale in its higher hour counts (as most games do), but otherwise became an overnight flagship exclusive for the PlayStation brand. 

Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a continuation of that story and world with an exciting new protagonist (the original was Peter Parker) in a condensed game that was aimed to be a PS5 launch exclusive while still being accessible to PS4 owners too. There's been a lot said about how this is technically "DLC" and if that's the case then it's the longest DLC I've ever played and it was well worth the $50 (which is less than normal games and especially less than PS5 games). In fact, I'd even say that it benefits from being on the shorter side exactly because of what happened with its predecessor where it began to grow stale. For the most part, this game avoids that issue all together. 

This dude is about to get f**ked...in 4K and 60 FPS

The narrative and characters are really impressive. For starters, it's refreshing to have a lot of realistic representation in Harlem. Miles is a Latino, African-American, has an Asian friend, and develops a crush on a deaf African American girl. I only point those out because they all felt natural and the game benefits from the diversity. It's also refreshing to have a cast of characters that are good people. Miles is genuinely a nice guy, channeling the same spirit/energy as Peter from the first game. His friends and mom are too, and even the characters that live in a moral grey space are good people who have just lost their way. Together, they're a compelling cast in a somewhat generic, but effective narrative that is perfect for Miles' first introduction. 

We still can't seem to get an accurate rendition
of One World Trade Center?

Gameplay is largely unchanged at its core and enhanced with Miles' "extra" powers such as invisibility and "venom" which is an electric charge he can use on his enemies. This is still very much a melee-combo-masher mixed with stealth mixed with web-swinging game and it's clearly a winning formula, particularly after having played Avengers last year. Most gamers are probably used to this combination by now as its been replicated in several franchises, but there's something particularly polished and fluid about Miles Morales that makes it feel like the "best" version of this, probably since the actual Arkham games. It all seamlessly blends together as it transitions from one to the other and the effect is one of those rare games where you feel like you're playing a movie as the camera pans in unique ways and angles as you do certain things. 

Combine that fluidity with the fact that you're now on a next-gen console and you've got an achingly pretty game. I often chose to play on the mode with better visuals and ray tracing vs. the higher frame rate, but eventually they released a mode that was 60 FPS (frames per second) with ray tracing that was the best of both worlds and WOW. More than any of the other games I got (except Astro's Playroom and certain moments of Valhalla), Miles Morales is showcasing the PS5. The particle effects with his electricity or some of the enemy grenades are as crisp as they come and New York City looks borderline photo-realistic at times as you swing through the towers of glass and metal, a sunset on the horizon against the water, and a flurry of snow falling around you. It's one of those gaming moments I won't forget as it's those early moments in the new generation that just take your breath away. 

The web pull adds extra momentum to the punch, you see?

Spider-Man and Spider-Kitty!!

In particular, New York City has never been so special in a game like this as they've [wisely] decided to set it during Christmas in the city. As is the case with most open world games, the world itself is its own character and this decision allows Miles Morales to not only feel different than its predecessor, but also many other versions of New York City that we've seen in the past. The snow particles range from fluttering flakes to full-on blizzards and the decorations around the city - complete with the Rockefeller tree, wreaths, and Christmas lights - are nice touches to give the feel for a particular season.

It's good that the world and city feel so alive and real because it helps with mission structure and all the "side" stuff you can do. There's a lot of fun to be had in Miles Morales and, in most elements, the developers are trying to be unique here. A side quest of collectibles that had me searching for sound samples around the city was particularly unique and otherwise the crimes or events that pop up around the city feel genuine and you can choose to intervene or not. The main story missions usually boil down to a stealth component with fighting and/or boss fight, but again, the gameplay is so solid that this lack of something truly special from a mission structure perspective doesn't really matter. There's plenty of fun to be had within the confines of swinging, melee, and stealth not to mention some wonderful-looking boss fights. Oh and it you're trying to get from one end of the city to the other? There are genuinely ZERO load times. I'm not sure how Insomniac achieved this, even games like Valhalla have some loading, but if this is a new feature of PlayStation exclusives, it's utterly jaw dropping. From choosing the game on the PS5 interface to actually playing it is probably < 10 seconds. 

Always gotta visit Times Square

What excites me about this franchise is I believe there's more room for improvement for future iterations. One thing the series does particularly well is the suit selection - there are some seriously awesome suits here, including one from Into the Spider-Verse complete with the animation style of that film (again, not sure how they did this, I think it's black magic). Where these Spider-Man games feel weirdly incomplete is with the upgrades and skill trees they present, particularly as I play something with a skill tree as vast as AC Valhalla. I'm not sure Miles Morales needed to be full-on RPG, but the skill tree selections and unlockables are weirdly basic and there isn't much actual choice, something that would get a "C" in a game that does everything else with an "A" quality. To be fair, I'd rather have better gameplay than skill trees, but now it's something they can determine how to make more special in future iterations.  

Ahhhh. That crisp, crisp 4K

It's always exciting starting a new generation of gaming hardware and it's even better when you have a system exclusive to show things off (among other 3rd party titles). PS5 may not have had a huge "heavy hitter" like Horizon Forbidden West, but Miles Morales is more than sufficient enough to wet my appetite until other games come along. It's a sequel that improves on the original in nearly every way and being shorter actually helps it to a degree. As I explained in a previous Rath Write Up last year, PlayStation has more than enough IP to keep things fresh and it's now clear that Spider-Man is going to be one of their main flagship franchises. And I'm one of many that is very excited to see where it goes.

CONS

• The unlockables and upgrades in this game are lacking...their aren't many choices and I didn't notice a huge impact when I chose them
• Still tends to get old within the final 5% of playtime
• Not a huge deal, but felt like there were a lot fewer Easter eggs in this one
• Story - while full of great characters - is mostly generic

PROS

• Cast full of awesome, genuinely good characters. Miles is an awesome central character, as strong as Peter Parker was in the last game, and everyone else (even villains) is well written and fleshed out
• The gameplay with these Spider-Man games is some of the best versions we've ever seen of this
• Web-swinging is still the best its ever been here and it's something you pick up and almost everyone can become borderline poetic at it
• Stealth is the most basic, but still very solid and without any huge gaps
• The melee is incredible, particularly with Miles' new powers that shake things up. The camera zooming in for takedowns + the jaw-dropping graphics make it feel like a movie
• New York City at winter/Christmas time is unique and memorable. Very wise decision and not one they had to make 
• Suit selection continues to shine with these games. The Into the Spider Verse one is wild
• The writing and characters make up for the semi-generic story and create an impactful ending that will have ramifications
• Good mission variety and "stuff" to do around the city. I was rarely bored and the shorter game actually helped me avoid the burnout I started to feel at the last game
• Wow, the PS5 is a powerhouse! The graphics showcased here - particularly in 60FPS w/ ray tracing mode - are shocking (literally) and the lack of any load times is wild
• It makes good use of the DualSense controller too, the haptic feedback triggers feel wonderful with web-swinging
• Miles Morales proves that not only was the original Spider-Man game not a fluke, but there's a much larger plan here. I'm beyond excited for more, whenever it comes

Rath's Review Score | 9/10