This review is based on the native PS5 version.
Maybe it's because I thought 2018's Spider-Man was a bit too underwhelming, or maybe it's because of the limits of it being a cross-gen title, but I'm quite surprised at how much more I enjoyed Miles Morales over its predecessor.
Just to get the graphics and sound out of the way first, it excels more-so than Marvel's Spider-Man back on PS4. Of course, this could be for obvious technical reasons, but I just really dug this new style that Miles Morales has injected in itself. The use of ray-tracing is absolutely vibrant and beautiful (which I preferred over the "performance" settings), and the mix of hip-hop and orchestral tracks really emphasized the feel of combat and action. Even the purple-lined designs of the Underground and their weapons were absolutely gorgeous in 4K/HDR. It's an aesthetic that personally pleases me in every way.
Insomniac never disappoints in its writing department, and Miles Morales proves this once again. Great jokes, memorable characters, and a plot that's the perfect length for a game like this (unlike the 20-hour trip from 2018). Surprisingly, there were a lot more cutscenes in this one than I expected. I enjoyed the story and learning about the Tinkerer's motives, and it grabbed me in such a way that the original game did not. These characters feel like ACTUAL characters, even the villains! And speaking of which, shoutout to Troy Baker once again playing some cheesy antagonist.
As for the gameplay and combat, it's an improvement...but I wouldn't say it's by much. What I appreciated was the focus on how side-missions and random crime encounters work through a phone app now, and they even require you to play around with it in between missions. Miles Morales feels more like an adventure game than an action one, filled with lots of smart puzzle-solving and interactions. It embodies the spirit of your typical third-person cinematic experience from PlayStation, and that's probably why it hooked me as much as it did.
Combat is still the same "hit-and-dodge" button presses that I found a bit generic in the first game. However, the introduction of venom abilities and how each combination affects certain enemies is like a fast-paced game of rock-paper-scissors, as it added more strategies to certain encounters. Overall, it still introduces nothing really new for a AAA title, but it doesn't mean I didn't find its hooks. They're learning and improving, and that's what a sequel should be doing.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is not only an equivalent to most of SIE's AAA offerings, but it gives us an awesome flavor of what to expect from PlayStation Studios titles going forward. It's an excellent experience, and it makes me more excited for the next mainline sequel than originally.
Maybe it's because I thought 2018's Spider-Man was a bit too underwhelming, or maybe it's because of the limits of it being a cross-gen title, but I'm quite surprised at how much more I enjoyed Miles Morales over its predecessor.
Just to get the graphics and sound out of the way first, it excels more-so than Marvel's Spider-Man back on PS4. Of course, this could be for obvious technical reasons, but I just really dug this new style that Miles Morales has injected in itself. The use of ray-tracing is absolutely vibrant and beautiful (which I preferred over the "performance" settings), and the mix of hip-hop and orchestral tracks really emphasized the feel of combat and action. Even the purple-lined designs of the Underground and their weapons were absolutely gorgeous in 4K/HDR. It's an aesthetic that personally pleases me in every way.
Insomniac never disappoints in its writing department, and Miles Morales proves this once again. Great jokes, memorable characters, and a plot that's the perfect length for a game like this (unlike the 20-hour trip from 2018). Surprisingly, there were a lot more cutscenes in this one than I expected. I enjoyed the story and learning about the Tinkerer's motives, and it grabbed me in such a way that the original game did not. These characters feel like ACTUAL characters, even the villains! And speaking of which, shoutout to Troy Baker once again playing some cheesy antagonist.
As for the gameplay and combat, it's an improvement...but I wouldn't say it's by much. What I appreciated was the focus on how side-missions and random crime encounters work through a phone app now, and they even require you to play around with it in between missions. Miles Morales feels more like an adventure game than an action one, filled with lots of smart puzzle-solving and interactions. It embodies the spirit of your typical third-person cinematic experience from PlayStation, and that's probably why it hooked me as much as it did.
Combat is still the same "hit-and-dodge" button presses that I found a bit generic in the first game. However, the introduction of venom abilities and how each combination affects certain enemies is like a fast-paced game of rock-paper-scissors, as it added more strategies to certain encounters. Overall, it still introduces nothing really new for a AAA title, but it doesn't mean I didn't find its hooks. They're learning and improving, and that's what a sequel should be doing.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is not only an equivalent to most of SIE's AAA offerings, but it gives us an awesome flavor of what to expect from PlayStation Studios titles going forward. It's an excellent experience, and it makes me more excited for the next mainline sequel than originally.