Spider-Man: Miles Morales Review

2 years after the adventure of Peter Parker on the PS4, a new Spider-Man title appears just in time for the launch of the PS5. However, from the first image material shown and the short development time, many questions arose in advance. Is this just an add-on to the main game? Isn't the development time too short? I want to answer these and other questions for you in this review.

Let it snow:

Spider-Man: Miles Morales takes place after the events of Spider-Man PS4. The entire game world known from its predecessor can now be explored again. But this time everything is in the winter mood. People are wrapped in warm clothes, decorations are everywhere and snow is on the street.

Peter Parker has to leave town and now it's up to Miles Morales to keep the town safe. As the "new" and now "only" Spider-Man, he has to follow in big footsteps. But is he even ready for it? This question is taken up many times in your 7 hour story playtime. But you should find out the answer for yourself. It's worth it!

 

A new organization called "The Underground", led by the so-called "Tinkerer", is making trouble in New York. But I don't want to share with you their motivation or background. No spoilers here.

The game is full of loving characters brought to life through great facial animation, voices and acting. One twist or another can be guessed, but very few expected the amazing ending. You can look forward to it. Simply unforgettable.

Gameplay:

In terms of gameplay, the new game is heavily based on its predecessor and is improved in all the right areas. Swinging through New York is again a real highlight. It just feels good and right. There are also new abilities that make your swinging and traveling much faster. Another very big positive point is the smooth frame rate of 60 fps. The constant 60 fps (PS5 / Performance Mode) alone gives you real pleasure when you swing through the canyons of New York. Coupled with the new trick moves and high quality animations that you have come to expect from Insomniac Games, you can't turn the controller off anytime soon.

Personally, I might have been happy about a better gameplay integration of the environment. Especially in the area of ​​weather conditions (snow) there are one or the other possibility. But this is complaining on a high level.

Let the fight begin:

Miles isn't just a copy of Peter Marker. As you play, you will learn more and more new combat moves that vary the overall mechanics significantly. I enjoyed the fights even more than the previous ones in Spider-Man PS4. Everything is going smoother and the new combat mechanic has some real punch and weight to it.

I also liked that you now have more skills to attack multiple enemies at the same time. I don't want to go deeper into the new moveset here because there is a certain joy to discovering and experiencing them for yourself.

Of course, if you don't feel right about an obvious fight, you can sneak up more often. This makes certain passages a lot easier for you and works well. Personally, I found it more fun looking for the obvious confrontation to see all of the glorious animations again.

Mission Design:

The main missions are well combined with the gameplay and are easy to follow. There are incredibly set pieces that will drop your jaw. But for my taste there could have been 2-3  more. The number of boss fights has been significantly reduced compared to its predecessor. But the existing fights are well staged and will remain in your memory.

The main plot is completed relatively quickly. But I recommend a full game completion. The side missions are better this time and tell small interesting stories. They can be easily selected through an app available in the game. Sometimes you have to catch animals or fix some gas pipes. The side missions are significantly optimized compared to the predecessor, but not yet perfect.

Fashion is key:

One of the highlights are once again the unlockable outfits. These are all different and really awesome. I advise you to finish the game completely and unlock every last suit. Often suits have their own movement style and different combat animations that are really worth watching. The platinum trophy  is very easy to earn. The biggest difference to the predecessor is that you have to finish the game a second time. A clear recommendation for all trophy hunters out there.

 

Presentation:

As already mentioned, the game runs smoothly on the PlayStation 5 at 60 fps in performance mode. If you want full graphics capabilities like ray tracing and improved hair physics, you can switch to the so called fidelity mode. The disadvantage here is that the game is limited to 30 fps.

I played the game completely in performance mode and I don't regret it. The 60 fps just feel so good and right. Animations and character models are incredibly well done. Especially in the wonderful photo mode, you can marvel at even the smallest details. In the photo mode itself, the game automatically switches to fidelity mode, so you can also see the latest features such as ray tracing. Insomniac Games has the perfect playground for you in photo mode.

I should also mention the incredible, almost non-existent loading times, which are really mindblowing. While fast traveling, keep your eyes open or you will miss out on loading time. A dream come true, especially in view of the possible completion and earning a platinum trophy.

I also tested the PS4 version. I can tell you that the game looks beautiful here too and is well worth playing. In the area of ​​character models, loading times and also fps you have to accept restrictions that in no way reduce the fun of the game.

Verdict:

Spider-Man: Miles Morales is the perfect game for all fans and owners of a PlayStation 5. Insomniac Games has managed to improve its already very good predecessor in the right areas and delivers one of the best launch games of all time.

9.5 / 10

Code provided by PlayStation