PLAY: ‘Spider-Man: Miles Morales’ game is thrilling chapter to Marvel series,
Representation is a powerful force in comic books. It makes a community feel seen, it reinvigorates superhero franchises, and it opens doors to new audiences. Marvel has found success by making its heroes more diverse with Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel and Riri Williams as the successor to Iron Man.
The most popular of these new additions has been Miles Morales, the biracial teenager who took on the role of Spider-Man. Despite the initial aversion from the likes of Glenn Beck, Morales has been embraced by Spider-Man fans. He has found success as the protagonist in “Into the Spider-Verse,” and now he has a starring role in his own video game, “Spider-Man: Miles Morales.”
The project is a followup to 2018’s “Spider-Man,” which featured a 20-something Peter Parker and relegated Miles to a supporting role. With the 2020 release, which is launching separately alongside the new PlayStation 5 console, Miles steps out of his mentor’s shadow. He’s the young and inexperienced Spider-Man that fans have come to know but with added dimensions.
Bitten by a genetically modified spider, he gains abilities similar to his mentor. He has the proportional speed, strength, stamina, durability and reflexes of a spider, according to Marvel. com. He can stick to walls and has the preternatural Spidey sense, but what makes Miles different is his additional powers. He has bio- electrokinesis, which lets him stun foes, and he can turn invisible through camouflage.
The developer, Insomniac, leverages these abilities to produce a game that has its own identity. A lot of that has to do with the storytelling, mission design and power of the PlayStation 5.
“Miles Morales” is built on the work developers did with the 2018 “SpiderMan.” The New York that the hero explores here is structurally the same as in the older title. The difference lies in the seasons and the finer points. Set during the holidays, the snow and winter decorations give the Big Apple a distinct feel. The game also shows off more detail in bodegas that occupy first floors and the billboards that grace buildings’ facades. With so much going on, the city feels more alive.
Meanwhile, the power of the PlayStation 5 produces the much-hyped ray-tracing technology that provides realistic reflections and more accurate lighting. If players don’t want that, they can run the game at 4K and 60 frames per second for silky smooth experience. Unfortunately, ray-tracing
takes up so much power that the PS5 can’t do both.
As for the narrative, it focuses on family and hammers that theme home. Peter gives Miles the job of protecting the city while the older SpiderMan takes a needed overseas vacation with Mary Jane in Symkaria. Going solo for the first time, Miles takes time to adjust to the new role and that’s a way for Insomniac to teach players the ropes.
Miles’ “venom strikes” lets him stun opponents, enabling him to crowdcontrol swarming thugs. When faced with tough foes, it lets him break through their defenses or even attack from different angles. Venom strikes have variations with a dash, slam and jump attack. The one caveat is that these attacks require players to
build up a venom meter by pounding enemies, so they can’t just use the powerful move over and over.
The other part of that equation is Miles’ camouflage, which turns him invisible. It’s useful when picking off squads one by one in missions that need stealth. It’s also a great escape mechanism when being overwhelmed. Players can flee, go invisible and collect themselves while planning a new attack strategy. The enemies lose Miles and go back to their old routines.
Supplementing those powers is a heal that’s powered by venom meter and four gadgets — web shooters, holograms, gravity well and shock mines. These limited-use items again help Miles with crowd- controlling enemies — the hologram is a particularly good distraction item. After using the items up, players can refill them by fighting. They can also be upgraded.
Players can further tweak Miles by mixing and matching different suits and modifi
cations. They purchase these upgrades by fighting crime in ambient events throughout New York or by tackling missions listed in the in-game Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man app. The smartphone program is how sidequests are doled out as citizens ask Spidey for help. With the mods, players can create loadouts that help Miles in different scenarios. One setup I used let Miles’ venom stun foes more often and heal from those attacks, while another focused on increasing the number gadgets and refilling them quickly as I fought. Part of the fun is exploring the different mods, and finding ones that work with each mission.
With that gameplay foundation established, “Miles Morales” tells a different type of Spider-Man story. It’s one rooted in family dynamics, friendship and a diverse Harlem community. It’s one of the rare games where the cast is dominated by people of color with side quests that show other communities
that aren’t represented in video games and remain invisible in the industry. “Miles Morales” even has a nod toward the Black Lives Matter movement. All of this feels right for the setting and character.
Miles is a character meant to bring diversity to the Marvel universe and reflect its audience, and it’s refreshing to see that carry over in the video game version.
The game embraces its hero’s background and uses it to tell a Marvel Cinematic Universestyle story that sticks to its themes over the course of a few hours. It’s nowhere near as long as the original but Insomniac manages to do more with less.
Everything from the spellbinding soundtrack to the side quests add to the narrative though the last optional collectible arc is needed but feels forced, but it doesn’t distract too much from a game that gets so much right and will likely be the crowdpleasing title that most PlayStation 5 owners will flock to.