A couple of years ago, I wrote that I looked forward to playing any sequels to Insomniac's excellent Spider-Man video game. Ever since it was released last year, this mini-sequel which focuses on the "other" Spider-Man, Miles Morales, has been on my wish list. Rowen, in particular, has been eager to play the game and did so immediately after we bought the PS5 this month. I was a little concerned because I had heard that it was a significantly shorter game and story. While those are valid complaints, I actually think that I liked this small, more intimate game and story over the continually tragic tale of Peter Parker in the last game. Also, the game events did not feel like filler this time around, making this smaller game feel more impactful.
There are still some holdover issues from the previous game, as some of the challenges require precision that the controls (and especially the camera) do not always seem to provide. Boss fights are still repetitious and too close to quick-time events for my liking, but they are thankfully few and far between (although I was worried when the game opened with one). Precision web-slinging challenges are also still a headache, but they are thankfully shortened to about a third of the length of the ones in the original game and there are only three of them.
Otherwise, this game makes improvements in so many ways from the original game. Miles' powers of electrical charges ("Venom power") and invisibility make impressive changes to overall gameplay and are just fun to use. The "Spidey-App" used for keeping track of side missions and crimes felt a bit gimmicky at first, but I quickly came to appreciate how it helped me keep track of event without pulling out to the main menu as well as replay crimes to get all of the bonus achievements (which was a complaint I had about the first game as I had to hope that the right crime would randomly pop up). Basically, the game makes solid improvements over the first game while establishing Miles as a different type of Spider-Man in gameplay as well as story.
My favorite part was the story. While I liked that the first game did not do yet another origin tale for Peter Parker, this introduction to Miles Morales (who technically had his origin in the first game) as he comes to master his abilities was quite well done. Not only does it do an outstanding job of developing the various characters, but I felt a connection to New York City itself (especially Harlem) that I did not feel in the first game. Some of the characters are still over-the-top, but they still felt grounded and real for a comic-based game. Although a few major story bits were a bit over-done (and predictable) some of the more subtle elements--especially on some of the side missions--were emotionally impactful to the point that I choked up at one soft moment involving postcards.
I recommend this game as both a game and another great Spider-Man story.
There are still some holdover issues from the previous game, as some of the challenges require precision that the controls (and especially the camera) do not always seem to provide. Boss fights are still repetitious and too close to quick-time events for my liking, but they are thankfully few and far between (although I was worried when the game opened with one). Precision web-slinging challenges are also still a headache, but they are thankfully shortened to about a third of the length of the ones in the original game and there are only three of them.
Otherwise, this game makes improvements in so many ways from the original game. Miles' powers of electrical charges ("Venom power") and invisibility make impressive changes to overall gameplay and are just fun to use. The "Spidey-App" used for keeping track of side missions and crimes felt a bit gimmicky at first, but I quickly came to appreciate how it helped me keep track of event without pulling out to the main menu as well as replay crimes to get all of the bonus achievements (which was a complaint I had about the first game as I had to hope that the right crime would randomly pop up). Basically, the game makes solid improvements over the first game while establishing Miles as a different type of Spider-Man in gameplay as well as story.
My favorite part was the story. While I liked that the first game did not do yet another origin tale for Peter Parker, this introduction to Miles Morales (who technically had his origin in the first game) as he comes to master his abilities was quite well done. Not only does it do an outstanding job of developing the various characters, but I felt a connection to New York City itself (especially Harlem) that I did not feel in the first game. Some of the characters are still over-the-top, but they still felt grounded and real for a comic-based game. Although a few major story bits were a bit over-done (and predictable) some of the more subtle elements--especially on some of the side missions--were emotionally impactful to the point that I choked up at one soft moment involving postcards.
I recommend this game as both a game and another great Spider-Man story.
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