What Is Spider-Man: Miles Morales?
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a game featuring Miles Morales, who is looking to be the next web-slinger of New York City. His character debuted in Marvel’s “Ultimate Comics” line as an Afro-Latino replacement to Spider-Man. He has unique abilities that make him different from Peter Parker’s Spider-Man. Although Miles Morales is still finding his footing as a superhero, the game still received a great reaction from the community. It won the hearts of the players through the amazing visuals and the wonderful Spider-Man experience. Want more Marvel? Check out our guide to watching all the Marvel Movies in the order you pick.
Genre
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales falls under the action-adventure genre. It combines elements from both action and adventure genres. This game involves not only fighting the enemy using superpowers; it has a journey you can venture into while doing quests.
Developer
It was Insomniac Games that developed Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. And it was Sony Interactive Entertainment that published it for PS4 and PS5. The game is one of the most anticipated PS5 games of the year. The developer made it clear that Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a standalone game, contrary to claims it’s an expansion of the previous game.
Release Date
After two years and two months of Insomniac’s first Spider-Man game release, a new game shows up. Last November 12, 2020, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales was launched together with the PlayStation 5. Although it is a next-gen game and designed for the new model, it was released on PS4 and PS5 at the same time.
Price
The Spider-Man: Miles Morales game is available in two different versions, the Standard and the Ultimate Edition. The Standard Edition, which only includes the new game, is priced at $49.99. Players can avail a title for both PS4 and PS5. Those who will choose the PS4 route can upgrade to the PS5 version. On the other hand, the Ultimate Edition comes with Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Spider-Man: Remastered. This edition is available for $69.99.
Availability
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is available for both PlayStation 4 and 5, but of course, with some differences. Since the PS5 has more advanced specs, you would have a better experience. Its enhanced graphics and other technological improvements make it the best model to play the latest game. As for the PC version of the game, it’s not happening anytime soon as Insomniac never mentioned bringing Spider-Man: Miles Morales to PC. It is worth noting, however, that Sony released a former PlayStation console exclusive, Horizon Zero Dawn on PC. That said, there is a possibility that Miles Morales would be available on PCs. But since it hasn’t yet, try to enjoy the game with PlayStation first.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales Review
Miles Morales is an amazing evolution of the 2018 hit Marvel’s Spiderman. The game is designed to have a glimpse of how the players’ games would evolve in the years to come. Here are some of the things you can expect from the game.
Gameplay
Players who enjoyed 2018’s Spider-Man will also find the gameplay of Miles Morales enjoyable. Some of the elements present in the previous game remain in the latest installment so it would feel familiar but with extra tools in the kit. It is given that he can use webs to swing and attack, and he can also run and crawl on walls. What makes this version exciting is the abilities that Miles Morales gains as the story progresses. As for Venom Blast, he can incapacitate enemies with electricity, which would injure the bad guys. He can also sneak up on his enemies using temporary invisibility, also known as Camouflage. There is also a Mega Venom Blast that allows him to attack multiple enemies nearby with his bio-electric venom. The map of the game also expanded as it now includes Harlem, Miles’s hometown. Weather effects like snow and rain also contribute to having a better gaming experience. There are different crimes and missions spread across the city that Miles will encounter. As you go on the adventure, you’ll unlock more moves and tools so you’d be prepared for the succeeding fights. Whether or not you have prior experience with video games, you’d find Spider-Man: Miles Morales fun. Thanks to its multiple difficulty settings and accessibility options, you can choose how hard you want your game to be.
Controls
There are a lot of things to enjoy in Spider-Man: Miles Morales, even after the main story’s credits roll. With the game’s traversal, combat, and stealth challenges, you would find the excitement you’re looking for. There are also features offered by the game’s Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man app. This app notifies you when there are people who are requesting help in New York City. These requests are activities that offer more rewards than regular crimes and can reward you with Suits. Switching between crimes and activities is also easy with the use of L1 and R1 keys. You can select any activity or crime by pressing the cross button. The Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man app also opens automatically when there’s a mission nearby. You have the option to turn it off from the HUD section in the game settings. The side quests are interesting since you don’t just travel from one point to another. Upon the completion of the quests, you’ll earn rewards that you can use for upgrades. The missions aren’t just about combat and fighting; they can be good, too—from saving a store owner’s cat to helping restore the water supply of a local food shelter. Collectibles are also all around the city, including things that help flesh out what’s behind the game’s story and characters. There is one thing, however, that did not meet the expectations of some players. The game was not able to maximize the use of the PS5 DualSense controller’s feature set, resulting in a little dissatisfaction. When web-swinging in the triggers, you would feel a slight tension that loosens as soon as the web snaps. That said, there is something to improve with the use of haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.
Graphics
One of the most commendable things about Spider-Man: Miles Morales is the graphics that enhance the player’s game experience. There were a lot of improvements if you’re going to compare it with Marvel’s Spider-Man. You’ll feel the thrill from the first swing through the bustling city to the expert implementation of real-time ray-tracing. This ray-tracing takes the graphics and effects to a whole new level. It allows the shadows and reflections to be more realistic when the objects create lighting effects while you play. The game’s character models are also worthy of praise because of their more detailed look. You will notice the differences if you’d compare it with Marvel’s Spider-Man. You’ll also see that Peter Parker has a whole new actor. The new game also offers facial motion capture, allowing the characters to express more feelings as they communicate. Thanks to the PS5’s super-fast SSD, it only takes a few seconds to boot Spider-Man: Miles Morales. With this, you can also skip the main menu and go directly to the challenges displayed as Activity cards. You can also choose how you want to play as it offers two modes: Fidelity and Performance. These modes affect the image quality and the features available to use. In Fidelity mode, you can use the ray-tracing and additional effects, but you’ll be locked at 30 fps. The Performance mode, on the other hand, disables ray-tracing effects, but you will get a full 60 fps and 4k resolution.
Replayability
Spider-Man: Miles Morales offers a total of 16 missions that you have to complete, together with the side quests and activities. The main missions are vital to telling the story of Miles Morales, so you’d have to finish everything to appreciate the game more. Replaying a mission isn’t also something that you can do right away, though. Understandably, some players want to repeat a certain mission because they want to do something differently. Perhaps you want to beat the enemy harder than how you initially did. Or maybe you want your brother to do the same chapter, but unfortunately, it’s not something you can do. Replaying a game is not an option for those who haven’t finished the entire campaign. This means that you can only replay all of Spider-Man: Miles Morales’s main missions once you’ve beaten the game. If you want to go through the entire experience again, you can start a New Game +, granting you special bonuses. You can still also access the skills and abilities you gained when you finished the game. What’s great is you can still acquire new abilities as you go through the missions in the new game. If you want to challenge yourself, you can replay the entire campaign with a higher level of difficulty.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales on PS4 and PS5
As part of the big launch titles for PlayStation 5, Spider-Man: Miles Morales would work best with the PS5. Fortunately for PlayStation 4 users, the game also has a PS4 version, but not as good as the PS5 version. That said, here’s what to expect from the two different versions.
Frame Rate
As mentioned earlier, you can choose a mode between Fidelity or Performance depending on what you want to prioritize. When you play using a PS5 and choose the Performance mode, you’d enjoy a frame rate of 60 fps. This means you’d have a smooth experience without having a major slowdown. You would less likely experience the same with the PS4 version. You would notice that this version runs slower, having only a frame rate of around 30 fps.
Visuals
Regardless of the version you use, Spider-Man: Miles Morales will have great visuals. However, the game would deliver a better look to the PlayStation 5 version. If you’re looking for the one that offers stunning visuals, your choice is of course the PS5. The Fidelity mode would offer better quality prioritizing the visual experience for the player. The ray-tracing also gives brighter and better details on some elements, making it more realistic. The mentioned Fidelity mode is unfortunately exclusive to the PS5, so the PS4 users wouldn’t have that feature. The PS4 version also cannot do the effects that ray-tracing does so it would feel a little underwhelming.
Load Time
Comparing the amount of time it takes to load the game in both versions, it is apparent that it only takes a few seconds with PS5. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales doesn’t load as fast as on the PS4. If you’re using the PS4 version, you might encounter multiple load disruptions. It can also take 10 times longer to switch between missions compared to the PS5 version. It may be true that playing Spider-Man: Miles Morales is superior using PS5, but it does not change the fact that the PS4 version serves just fine. You’d only notice the difference if you have both devices, but if you only have a PS4, you can still enjoy the available features.
Is Spider-Man: Miles Morales Worth the Hype?
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is indeed a must-play game for Spider-Man fans and a must-have for PS5 or even PS4 owners. Although the PS4 version doesn’t look as good as that on PS5, it can still be a significant addition for PS4 players. So, to answer the question if Spiderman: Miles Morales is worth the hype, the answer is yes. The game alone didn’t disappoint and the set of characters are also likable, contributing to the greatness of the story. The overall gameplay will prove that the game is worth every penny, so if you enjoyed the previous game, you’d surely love this, too. Offering tons of activities and great set-piece moments, Spider-Man: Miles Morales wouldn’t bore you. The outstanding visuals are also hard to miss with amazing graphics and effects. The soundtrack is commendable, too, adding to the overall experience of the players. That being said, don’t just be hyped and take the time to enjoy and explore Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
