Spider-Man Miles Morales reviewed by Lewis Empson | ÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿàÔÿå

Consider Spider-Man Miles Morales as a Spider-Man 1.5, it’s not quite a sequel but instead a smaller scale title to tide fans over until the inevitable sequel to MarvelÔÇÖs Spider-Man on PS4. Although it may be small, it is still incredibly mighty as it features the trademark great-feeling web swinging found in its predecessor, a refined combat system which incorporates Miles’ unique abilities, and a heartwarming, festive and socially conscious story that incorporates representation and inclusivity that is rarely seen in gaming.┬á

Spider-Man Miles Morales is a fantastic introduction to the PS5, utilising its power in ways that had me sitting in awe and excitement to see how it would push boundaries next. In Fidelity mode, it gleams with stunning ray traced lighting that illuminates Christmastime New York City in all its snow covered glory and provides accurate and detailed reflections in the window laden skyscrapers. Action scenes and cutscenes alike look like theyÔÇÖve been pulled straight out of MCU films with high quality, crisp 4K textures, realistic facial animations and a consistent 30fps that elevate the experience and make it the perfect game to test your new next-gen powerhouse. Performance mode trades in some of those high quality graphical features for a buttery smooth (in terms of console gaming) 60fps experience which is super impressive as it holds up in even the most densely populated areas of NYC such as Times Square. Performance RT is the mode I would recommend as it blends the smooth fps with the gorgeous ray traced lighting found in the Fidelity mode – it is the ultimate way to play and seeing this level of graphical prowess in a launch game has me excited for the future of the PS5. 

Aside from graphics; the game utilises the PS5ÔÇÖs┬áDualSense in interactive ways such as triggers tightening mid web swing to emulate a tightening web, or a rippling vibration throughout the controller to symbolise MileÔÇÖs Venom Strike ability that really helps with immersion and justifies the DualsenseÔÇÖs features as more than just a gimmick. Load times are lightning fast, with a mere 13 seconds from menu screen to in-game, all thanks to the high speed SSD found within the PS5. Its worth mentioning that Spider-Man Miles Morales does have a PS4 version, however, if you can hold out, and are planning on getting a PS5 when they eventually come back in stock, then it is absolutely worth it.

Gameplay is top tier once again as it builds upon the combat and traversal found in its predecessor all whilst ensuring Miles retains his unique character traits. His web swinging and combat feature unique animations to differentiate from Peter Parker, and his bio-electric Venom powers provide a fresh new set of abilities and finishing moves that make gameplay more diverse and fun. Different enemy types make you use these new abilities in interesting ways and keep you on your toes as youÔÇÖll have to combo different abilities, combos and gadgets, however, once you have these nailed down, the endless rooms of slightly generic bad guys to beat up can begin to wear a little thin by the climax of the story; luckily the open world side missions and events provide some friendly-neighbourhood refreshment between these missions. Overall the game is a much more compact title compared to MarvelÔÇÖs Spider-Man, as its story runs a lot shorter and there is less to do overall, however it is quality over quantity so its welcome to see a less bloated, shorter adventure that keeps building onto itself at a decent pace.

What really blew me away is the gameÔÇÖs commitment to representation and inclusivity; something often amiss in video game narratives when compared to film and television. The main narrative takes place predominantly in Harlem and features an inclusive cast of characters that represent a variety of often marginalised groups in video games. MileÔÇÖs Afro-Latin culture is the highlight of his character, engrossing into his family life and culture is intriguing and refreshing considering the genre of superhero action games are dominated by the likes of Batman and Peter Parker Spider-Man. The strength of family and culture is a pertinent theme throughout the game and the Christmas setting is a heartwarming backdrop for this story to take place on. As well as this, the story integrates LGBTQ+ relationships naturally which made me consider the progressive revolution that gaming is finally beginning in line with other entertainment industries. What struck out to me is how inclusive this game was to the disabled community both in narrative and in features. First is that MilesÔÇÖ potential love interest throughout who provides some side quests and a new suit, converses entirely through sign language and is presumed to be deaf. The detail that Insomniac Games must have gone into to ensure those complex character movements were translated into animation shows how invested they were into providing this form of representation. As well as this the game provides a staggering amount of accessibility options for all ranges of abilities so that anyone can play; it is also worth mentioning that this is one of the very first menus you are presented with when booting the game up meaning that gamers of any ability are welcomed from the very beginning. These naturalised forms of inclusivity and representation stuck out to even myself who is both white and non-disabled and made me consider ways in which the industry can continue to keep this progression going and make the gaming community a welcome place for all. Spider-Man Miles Morales serves as a new benchmark of how to do this in a triple-A, mainstream title.

Overall, Spider-Man Miles Morales serves as a worthy follow-up to one of the PS4ÔÇÖs most compelling exclusives with fun action, gorgeous visuals and a narrative that is engaging, inclusive and bold; if not a little short. It works perfectly to tide over fans of the original until the sequel, that it sets up fantastically, eventually graces our consoles. It serves as another successful notch in SonyÔÇÖs belt of successful exclusives alongside 2020ÔÇÖs already brilliant offerings like The Last Of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsushima.