While I haven’t been able to get the PS5 into my grubby paws, I did get a copy of Spider-Man: Miles Morales for the PS4 and I am blown away. It’s an addictive adventure that tells the story of Spider-Man rookie Miles Morales (a friend of Peter Parker who just so happened to get bit by a radioactive spider himself) and how he finds himself embroiled in a threat to New York City (primarily his new home in Harlem) while his mentor Peter Parker (the original Spider-Man for those of you who are off on your comic book culture) is out of town.
In the interest of transparency, I absolutely suck at video games even though I enjoy playing them. This is a challenging game, but it also has settings for gamers like me who need all the help they can get (and sadly, the days of Gameshark are long gone). Like dating, I set my settings low and wasn’t disappointed. I was rewarded with a fun gaming experience that is like living inside a Spider-Man comic book, complete with supporting characters and Spider-Man’s rogue gallery. Even at the easiest level, there are puzzles and other challenges that will keep you interested without you breaking a controller and/or TV.
Like its predecessor, Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Miles Morales involves a travel and fighting system that falls into the classic “easy to learn, hard to master” category. You can half-ass your way swinging around the Big Apple or you can learn the ropes webs and master the fine art of web-slinging. There are a number of fighting moves that incorporate Spidey’s mobility, speed, and of course, his spider-sense. Add in new skills, power enhancements, and custom gadgets you can acquire as you level up and solve missions, and it’s a fun RPG as well as an adventure game.
The story involves Miles Morales training with Peter Parker when Parker is called out of town for a working vacation with his main squeeze Mary Jane. With the original Spidey traveling to Europe, it’s up to Miles to mind the store and naturally, all hell breaks loose when a mysterious (are there any other kind) band of criminals begin disrupting Roxxan Energy’s efforts to provide clean power to Harlem and eventually, all of New York. Miles must solve the mystery while dealing with old and new villains from the Spider-Man mythos. Along the way, he discovers he’s acquired a new power that allows him to shoot bio-electric blasts with all sorts of cool features. I’ve only started the game but the story is interesting and feels like a good story arc in a comic or an animated film.
The gameplay is smooth and I haven’t run into any bugs yet (no pun intended). The load times aren’t bad, even for the PS4 and there are no graphic glitches or slowdowns. As for the graphics, they’re beautiful. I played the first Spider-Man game on PS4 and as good as those graphics were, these blow them away (and this is on a Caveman PS4, not a PS4 Pro) As mentioned earlier, I can’t wait to see what this looks like on the PS5, and how it plays with the new controller.
If you’ve been Jonesing for a good superhero game, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a sure thing. It doesn’t build on its predecessor in any significant way as far as gameplay goes, instead going with the ol’ “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach. The game does take a new direction by focusing on Miles Morales and features an all-new storyline that should entertain. In a time when there are some excellent games vying for your hard-earned dollars, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is worth your money and the time to play it.
