''Does whatever a spider can''
Developed: Insomniac Games
Published: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre: Single Player Adventure
Release Date: Nov 18th,2022
Platforms: PS4/PS5/Steam
*Review copy provided to me by Playstation*
Marvel's Spider-Man Miles Morales is single player action game set in the Spider-Man universe that is developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Having been originally released on Playstation 4 and Playstation 5 back in 2020, Insomniac and Sony decide its time to throw it onto PC for more fans to enjoy. But is it as good on PC compared to its console counterpart? or does it fall short in meeting expectations? Only one way to find out, so lets swing into action.
STORY:
After the events of threats that previously plagued New York, teenage Miles Morales is adjusting to his new home while following in the footsteps of his mentor, Peter Parker, as a new Spider-Man. When a fierce power struggle threatens to destroy his home, Miles must take up the mantle of Spider-Man and own it and prove to his mentor that he too can be just as heroic and save lives.
GAMEPLAY:
With the astounding success of Marvel's Spider-Man from 2018 that saw Insomniac take the successful fighting mechanics from the Batman Arkham games and merge them alongside the amazing swinging mechanics that rivals even games like Spider-Man 2 on Gamecube, Insomniac thought, hey, let's just make a brand new expansion to the main game and utilize a fan loved character, Miles Morales. Which honestly, is a very good move considering not only the popularity of the character, but it gives us a chance to not have to sit through poor Ben Parker dying for the 100th time and make us fake an ugly cry as bad as Tobey's in the first Spider-Man movie. I'm sorry Tobey, you're great, but that face, I'm going to have to call on Bully Maguire to rearrange it for ya. Ehh but back on topic. When this title was announced, I got to say, I wasn't too interested in it if I'm going to be honest. It didn't look bad or anything, I just wanted a full fledged sequel with him fully implemented into the story, not just some side missions or anything like that, you know?. Well here we are in 2022 and I've FINALLY played it. So was I ready to take on this title? well even if I personally wasn't, I damn sure know that BONESAW IS READY.
While Miles Morales does improve some mechanics and things about the 2018 title, with more fluidity in movement, it generally reuses some of the main assets from the previous title. This isn't a big deal to me overall due to the fact nearly every game sequel already does this and for another fact that ''if it aint broke, dont try to fix it''. It's not like you have to scrap everything and go BACK TO FORMULA, right, Osborne?. In this game, like the title states, you take control of Miles Morales, who is a new Spider-Man alongside our main hero, Peter Parker. The duo of Peter and Miles is sort of like a brother relationship with Miles learning the ropes from Peter and Peter trying to prep Miles to be the full fledged new Spider-Man in his place, should anything happen to him... you know like being sucked through a damn multiverse portal because another dimensions Peter Parker can't shut his damn mouth while a sorcerer casts his spell to rid the world of knowing who he is because he's done such a freaking poor job at concealing his identity!. Seriously, shut it motor mouth, with great power comes great responsibility, but with every big glass should come with a heavy drink of shut the heck up bro. Ok I am sorry. I didn't realize I had that underlying rage still lurking. Let's get back on topic.
After training for quite awhile with Peter and having a few heart to heart moments with him after their scary and intense battles against Rhino, which If I was them, I'd just hit him with a manhole cover cause that seemed to work for Andrew Garfield - Peter informs you that him and MJ are taking off for a bit, they've never really had a vacation for themselves to be alone and its about time they do so, and this means the city is in Miles's hands now, at least for a week. This of course makes Miles more nervous than we were when it was announced that Topher Grace would play Venom, but Peter assures him, you got this, you've learned a lot and he believes in him. Good guy Peter. I mean I wouldn't have said that to him after he's the one that caused the containment vehicle to crash in the first place and allowed Rhino to get loose and destroy several sections of the city, including ruining JJ's Christmas special. I don't blame JJ for being mad, I'd be ticked off too if someone blew through my house window with a giant rhino man while I was watching Jingle All The Way. Its Turbo time and I'm about to whip your butt is all the warning they'd get from me, so in the wise words of Forrest Gump, ''that's all I have to say about that''. Luckily the beat down wouldn't last TOO long as this stories campaign mode compared to the original 2018 game is vastly shorter due to ''less is more'' with the story focus being mainly on Miles and his rise to fame as the main selling point over added in bloating of mechanics or filler to lengthen the story. Short, simple and straight to the point.
While it might seem like a literal copy and paste job with Insomniac just slapping Miles Morales's model into the game and calling a day, don't be fooled, because that's definitely not the case here. Sure Miles will encounter obstacles and turmoil that we've seen Peter go through already, but you have to remember, these are entirely two different people, two different styles and two different philosophies. Miles has his own unique way of tackling a challenge or figuring out situations to the best of his abilities, whether it ends up as a good thing or a mistake, he has to attempt it or he will never grow as a person or as a protector he wishes to be as Spider-Man. Harnessing the same powers that Peter himself has, alongside new ones like shockwave attacks that allows you to stun enemies and immobilize them, Invisibility to give you the edge while stealthing or while you're surrounded in combat. Both are easily implemented and usable in conjunction with your melee combos, web slinging to pull your enemies out of the air after a vicious uppercut or by a quick counter slide through their legs to blind side them. Totally up to you how you wish to mix your combinations together, depending on the amount of trouble you are in. The best thing? it's not enough to make it seem like a weak combat system, which is great, but it's also not an overbearing headache of a system because there's TOO much to learn, its just right. So your brain will avoid getting the Gwen Stacy. Nice.
Venturing around this large open world once again, you will notice something. Its the same exact map. Yup. Same one from 2018 just layered and caked in white snow. Bummer? yes, but like I said, what did you expect, it reuses assets. It still looks great, especially on PC, or in my case the Steam Deck. But its not the only thing that also remains the same, as extra missions that you do, away from the main story itself, are also repeats from the 2018 title. Now that part is a bummer. But why is that a bummer? Well, because it lets it sink home in your brain that yes its exactly like you thought, this is merely an expansion rather than a full fledged solo journey that you feel Miles deserves, but all that is thrown out the window quicker than Green Goblin pulling a kool aid man and giving Aunt May a heart attack, when you ignore all that mess in your brain and begin enjoying the fast paced combos while doing last second dodging and learning to utilize all your new abilities by strategically learning how to pull off combos without the need to button mash like you're me in an online fighting game like Street Fighter. Don't be me guys. So about these side missions or extra missions, are they important to do? not really, but using an app to pick which ones you do will give you something to do, should you want to take a break from the main campaign, obtain collectibles scattered around the city, additional training sessions and other optional fights that even include their own condensed storylines. Needed? no, should you though? yes. Its not all comfy cozy however, some of it is as bad as MJ's play performances with certain side missions just doing basic stuff like putting together sources of energy, investigating crime scenes that seem a bit redundant and not really that fun and thing's of that nature. Sure its not BAD bad, but it gave me a feeling of ''meh'' while attempting some of them.
The further you progress Miles by completing side missions and even main scenario missions, this will allow him to use his new ability known as Venom Attacks, which an electric attack that's only usable when filling your special gauge up during combat scenarios. On top of being rewarded via leveling up with obtaining abilities such as Venom Attacks, you will also be able to obtain certain materials and even tokens that are used in order to upgrade things such as gear, abilities, cool downs, new skills for combat. I said earlier that it wasn't an overload on your brain, but I definitely didn't say it was bare bones either, now did I?. If it was bare bones then you might as well make it a post End Game MCU movie, am I right?. Yeah.. I'm probably gonna get cooked for that line. Swinging around a city you already know and have been familiarized with can be really fun still though, heck, majority of the time that's all I want to do, and even go and roam towards the Avengers tower, hoping to be able to poke out Nick Fury's other eye ball. But again, much like the mission selection, there are some negatives to the open world this go around that goes beyond side mission selection and leads into lack of enemy variety. They're generic... very very generic. This is the part that feels honed in and didn't get the proper care because on top of that issue, another striking case is made, lack of real boss fights. If you know me by now, you know I love me some boss fights, so lacking in this department makes it disheartening for me. Luckily in this games favor, there's a strong narrative that pushes it forward throughout with Roxxon Corporation and with likable characters such as Peter, Miles Morales and his friends and family, they're absolutely great and just really makes you wish this was, again, his own solo adventure.
OVERALL:
At the end of the day, Marvel's Spider-Man runs just as smooth and looks even greater than it's PS5 counterpart on PC. The game might not be perfect with lack of enemy variety, not as many boss fights or it having a re-used map of the city, but it makes up for those shortcomings with a great expansion story featuring Miles coming into his own to show us what a solo game could be, new abilities added to an already robust combat system that is fast, fluid and engaging and even slicker feeling web swinging - all those outweigh the major negatives and makes this title just as worth owning in 2022 as it was in 2020. So with all that having been said, my verdict is clear, GameNChick says SEE YA CHUMP. I mean, uhh BUY NOW. ...stupid Bully Maguire influence.
Comments