Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a 2020 action-adventure video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Based on the Marvel Comics character Miles Morales, it is inspired by both the character's decade-long comic book mythology and the 2018 animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which helped popularize him. The game is a spin-off sequel to Marvel's Spider-Man (2018), and the second installment in Insomniac's Spider-Man series. The narrative focuses on Miles' struggle to balance the duties of his civilian persona and his role as the second Spider-Man when his new home, Harlem, is threatened by a war between the Roxxon Energy Corporation and a high-tech criminal army called the Underground, led by the mysterious Tinkerer.

Gameplay is presented from the third-person perspective with a primary focus on Miles' traversal and combat abilities. Miles can freely move around New York City, interacting with characters, undertaking missions, and unlocking new gadgets and suits by progressing through the main story or completing tasks. Outside the story, the player is able to complete side missions to unlock additional content and collectible items. Combat focuses on chaining attacks together and using the environment, webs, and Venom attacks to incapacitate numerous foes while avoiding damage.

After its reveal at the PlayStation 5 reveal event in June 2020, the game was released as a launch title for the new console worldwide in November. A PlayStation 4 version was also released in November, lacking some of the advanced features of its next-gen counterpart such as ray tracing or a 60 FPS "performance mode", because of the console's technical limitations. A Windows version was released on November 18, 2022. The game received generally positive reviews, with praise for its combat, narrative, content, and technical improvements of the PlayStation 5 version, while facing some criticism over its short length. It sold over 6.5 million units by July 2021. A sequel, Spider-Man 2, is set for release in October 2023, exclusively for PlayStation 5.

Gameplay

The core gameplay of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is the same of its predecessor. It features the same open world, a fictionalized version of modern-day Manhattan, which is covered in snow because the game is set during the holidays. Miles controls similarly to Peter Parker, but with new animations and abilities, which are unlocked as the storyline progresses. The new powers include Venom Blast, which allows the player to incapacitate enemies with bio-electricity, and charge or drain electronics; Camouflage, which gives Miles temporary invisibility; and Mega Venom Blast, consisting of a massive explosion of bio-electricity that damages all nearby enemies. The game introduces new gadgets, such as Remote Mines, which can attach to enemies or electrical panels; a device that summons holographic fighters to help in combat; and Gravity Wells that trap multiple enemies and make them easier to hit. Miles' abilities and gadgets can be upgraded as the player levels up via a skill tree system. Another feature that the game offers is Miles' Spider-Man app which gives him feedback on crimes happening in New York City and the location of these crimes. It informs the player of any side missions that are available for them to complete, which is beneficial to level up.

Miles possesses a "spider sense", which warns the player of incoming attacks and allows them to dodge and retaliate, and web-shooters, which fire lines of webs that can be used during both traversal and combat, in several different ways. Miles can also jump large distances, stick to surfaces, and fast travel using the New York City Subway system. There are several unlockable suits for Miles, some of which are based on existing versions of the character in media, as well as original suits created for the game. Many of these enhance Miles' abilities, such as allowing him to take more damage, stay invisible for a longer time, or regenerate Venom Power faster. During certain sections of the game, players control Miles in his civilian persona and cannot use any of his abilities or gadgets.

Synopsis

Characters and setting

The narrative of the game continues from where Marvel's Spider-Man and its downloadable content The City That Never Sleeps left off, during which Miles Morales (Nadji Jeter) was bitten by a genetically enhanced spider and gained powers similar to his mentor and friend Peter Parker (Yuri Lowenthal). A year after the first game's conclusion, Miles has been trained by Parker, moved from Brooklyn to Harlem, and has fully integrated himself into the role of a Spider-Man. He is still in the process of gaining experience and doubts whether he can live up to Parker's legacy. At the beginning of the game, Parker leaves New York for Symkaria for several weeks to help his girlfriend Mary Jane Watson with her reporting there and trusts Miles to protect the city in his absence. Now the sole Spider-Man, Miles must balance his superhero responsibilities with supporting his mother Rio Morales (Jacqueline Piñol) in her campaign for City Council and defending his new home from a violent war between the corrupt Roxxon Energy Corporation and a high-tech criminal army known as the Underground.

Aside from Miles, Parker, and Rio, the game features several other returning characters from Marvel's Spider-Man, including the supervillain Rhino (Fred Tatasciore), the imprisoned crime lord Wilson Fisk (Travis Willingham), anti-Spider-Man podcast host J. Jonah Jameson (Darin De Paul), and F.E.A.S.T. volunteer Gloria Davila (Melanie Minichino). Parker's former mentor and employer Dr. Otto Octavius (William Salyers) appears in a flashback, while the head of Oscorp and former New York mayor Norman Osborn (Mark Rolston) appears in a mid-credits scene. Miles's late father, Officer Jefferson Davis (Russell Richardson), appears in a voice-only role.

The new cast includes Miles' best friend and classmate Ganke Lee (Griffin Puatu), who is aware of his secret identity and assists him with his Spider-Man activities; Miles' estranged and overprotective uncle Aaron Davis (Ike Amadi), who leads a double life as the armored mercenary Prowler; the head of Roxxon's R&D department Simon Krieger (Troy Baker); podcaster and Spider-Man supporter Danika Hart (Ashly Burch); deaf street artist Hailey Cooper (Natasha Ofili); bodega owner Teo Alvarez (Yancey Arias); Caleb's Clean Cuts barber Caleb Ward (Emerson Brooks); Pana Fuerte restaurateur Camila Vasquez (Krizia Bajos); and Miles' childhood best friend Phin Mason (Jasmin Savoy Brown), who seeks to avenge the death of her brother and Miles' other friend Rick (Todd Williams) as the Tinkerer, the figurehead of the Underground.

Plot

After more than a year of training under Peter Parker, Miles Morales has mastered his superpowers and established himself as the original Spider-Man's crime-fighting partner, though he still struggles to adapt into his new role. While escorting a police transport carrying prisoners to the rebuilt Raft, Miles accidentally releases several inmates, including Rhino. While trying to stop Rhino's rampage through the city, Spider-Man is knocked unconscious. Miles intervenes to protect him and defeats Rhino with his new bio-electric ability, later dubbed "Venom". Leaving Rhino in Roxxon's custody, Peter informs Miles that he will be going to Symkaria for a few weeks to assist Mary Jane as her photographer as she does her story on the country's civil war, and entrusts Miles to look after New York in his absence as its sole Spider-Man.

Later, Miles investigates a break-in at Roxxon Plaza and stops the Underground from stealing Roxxon's new experimental power source, Nuform. Returning home to celebrate Christmas with Rio and Ganke, Miles is surprised to learn that Rio also invited Phin, with whom he has not spoken in months. The next day, Ganke creates a Spider-Man app so citizens can call Miles for help directly. Miles' uncle, Aaron Davis, is the first to use it and reveals his knowledge of his nephew's identity as Spider-Man.

Miles soon witnesses the conflict between the Underground and Roxxon escalate, as the former attack one of Rio's campaign rallies in front of Roxxon Plaza and a Roxxon transport carrying Nuform on the Braithwaite Bridge. Miles tries to prevent the Underground from stealing the Nuform, discovering Phin is the Tinkerer in the process, but his Venom Power causes most of the Nuform to explode, destroying the bridge and damaging his public image. Ganke gives him a peptalk and reminds Miles that for now, he is New York's only Spider-Man, encouraging Miles to become better and making his own unique Spider-Man costume in the process. While investigating Phin's connection to the Underground, Miles discovers that her brother Rick created Nuform during his work for Roxxon, but soon became sick due to its unstable properties. Phin and Rick sought to expose the dangers of Nuform to the public, but while trying to shut down a Nuform reactor, the latter was killed by Simon Krieger, who subsequently took credit for Nuform's creation. With the help of Aaron as the Prowler, Miles infiltrates a Roxxon lab to retrieve Phin's phone containing evidence of Krieger's crimes, but the phone is destroyed during his escape.

At Aaron's advice, Miles uses his friendship with Phin to infiltrate the Underground and learn more about their plans. He discovers that Phin created the Underground's advanced weaponry out of a special component; programmable matter, in exchange for their help in exacting revenge on Krieger, which she plans to achieve by sabotaging the Nuform reactor at Roxxon Plaza to destroy it and expose Nuform's dangerous side effects. However, Miles is soon forced to reveal his identity as Spider-Man to Phin in order to save his own life, souring their friendship. While meeting with Phin to try and reconcile with her, the two are captured by Roxxon with the aid of Rhino, whos exosuit has been enhanced by Roxxon tech. Miles and Phin escape, but the former learns that Aaron has been spying on him for Roxxon and that Krieger modified the plaza's Nuform reactor to destroy Harlem if Phin's plan succeeds. After being defeated, Rhino taunts Phin about Rick's death, causing her to viciously attack him. Miles intervenes to stop her from killing Rhino, but a furious Phin escapes after knocking Miles out.

Ganke brings an injured Miles home, where Rio discovers her son's identity as Spider-Man, but continues to support him. After recovering, Miles heads off to stop Phin, but is captured by Aaron, who imprisons him underground to prevent him from being killed like his father Jefferson Davis, whom Aaron was unable to reconcile with prior to his death, resulting in his over protectiveness of Miles. Miles escapes and defeats Aaron, explaining that he cannot turn his back on people when they need him. Inspired by his nephew's words, Aaron assists Rio with evacuating Harlem as the Underground and Roxxon fight on the streets, allowing Miles to head to Roxxon Plaza to stop Phin.

Unable to reason with Phin, Miles fights her before attempting to absorb the Nuform from the reactor to negate the blast, but the amount of energy proves too much to handle. Phin, realizing the error of her ways, flies Miles to a safe distance above the city so that he can release the energy, killing her in the process. Miles plummets to the ground, where his identity is exposed to a few citizens he helped as Spider-Man, who promise to keep his secret and hail him as a hero. Four weeks later, Roxxon has been dealt numerous lawsuits, Krieger has been arrested following Aaron turning himself in and testifying against them, and Miles is hailed not only as a superhero, but the local Spider-Man of Harlem. Peter returns home from Symkaria and praises Miles for his growth and heroism before they head off to fight crime together.

In a mid-credits scene, Norman Osborn orders a reluctant Curt Connors to release his terminally ill son Harry from stasis despite the latter's unstable condition. In a post-credits scene, Miles leaves an award he won with Phin atop Trinity Church in her memory.

Development

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales was developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Sony vice president Simon Rutter told The Telegraph that the game is "an expansion and an enhancement to the previous game", while Insomniac later called the project a standalone game, stating that it is "the next adventure in the Marvel's Spider-Man universe". It is smaller in size and scope than Spider-Man, and has been compared to Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, a game which served as a standalone expansion that was smaller in size and scope than a mainline Uncharted title.

The game features "a new story, with new set-pieces, fresh villains, and unique quests". For the PlayStation 5 version, the game takes advantage of the console's increased processing power, dedicated ray-tracing hardware, custom solid-state drive storage, Tempest Engine and DualSense controller to support features such as advanced haptic feedback, real-time ray tracing effects, 3D spatial audio and reduced loading times. The PlayStation 5 version of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales supports high dynamic range and an optional "performance mode" that allows the game to run at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second.

The game had "gone gold" in October 2020, meaning that physical copies of the game were ready to be produced, with any further development being patched into the game through software updates.

Music

John Paesano returned to compose the musical score for Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales after composing 2018's Spider-Man. Unlike the original game's music which was more orchestral-based, Miles Morales' soundtrack mixes orchestral themes with hip hop music. Three original songs were created for the soundtrack: "I'm Ready" by Jaden Smith, and "Where We Come From" and "This Is My Time" by Lecrae.