Friday, January 29, 2021

Video Game Review #252: Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Spider-Man: Miles Morales
PlayStation 4



Nostalgia Factor:

I first played the original Spider-Man for the PS4 back in 2019, where I gave the game an ultra-rare super coveted A+ grade. I've been looking forward to its sequel ever since. In January 2021 I finally got my chance to play it. Would it live up to the lofty expectations set by its predecessor? Let's find out.




Story:

This game follows the character of Miles Morales, the new Spider-Man who was introduced in the previous game. Peter Parker has left New York City on a sabbatical, leaving its protection in Miles' capable hands. Miles is quickly thrust into action when an underground group known as, well, the Underground goes to war against the corrupt Roxxon power company. The underground is equipped with ultra high-tech weaponry and they aren't afraid to blow shit up to get their point across. The entire game consists of Miles battling both sides of this conflict and trying to stop them before they destroy New York City completely.

It's a decent story. Everything feels a bit more self-contained here. It is not as grandiose and villain-packed as the previous Spider-Man title. My main issue is that literally everyone in Miles' life is somehow involved in this conflict in one way or another (spoilers forthcoming!). His mom is running for public office and gets wrapped up in the battle. His childhood best friend is the secret leader of the Underground, known as The Tinkerer. His new best friend is his "tech guy" who guides him through his missions. His uncle is an armored mercenary named The Prowler. I know it is a stretch for me to say that this is unrealistic in a game where a guy in a spider suit zips around the city fighting crime... but a certain suspension of belief is required to fully enjoy this game. 

Outside of that, I had no issues with the game's story. I love how well-developed Miles is a character. Several quests have you collecting knickknacks and artifacts that are important to him, and each of these things add layers and layers to his personality that you didn't necessarily get with Peter Parker.




Gameplay:

If you played the first Spider-Man game you will have no problem picking things up here. In many ways, this title's gameplay is identical to its predecessor. You zip around the city collecting items, fighting crimes, and taking on missions that advance the game's storyline. There are some important differences, however.

Miles can become invisible for short periods of time. This assists with the game's stealth mechanic. Throwing on your invisibility cloak and swooping in and taking down a few enemies before zipping away to recharge is a skill that would do you well to learn as you play this game. Miles also has electric Venom powers that charge up in battle. These Venom powers can be added to attacks to make them more powerful. They also come in handy during missions when you need to charge things up with electricity to power them on.

There are still random crimes in this game, but they are a lot more varied and less repetitive than in the previous Spider-Man title. Also, this game introduces a new Spidey app where people can request Spider-Man's assistance, and you can answer these requests at any time or in any order you'd like. 

So yeah. While this game may seem like not much has changed from the original - that isn't necessarily the case. You just have to look a little deeper for those changes.




Graphics:

This game looks fantastic. Zipping around through the city is as exhilarating as ever. New York City is bursting with life and with incredible detail. Even the most insignificant side streets and alleyways are intricately designed and have something that is unique about them.

The characters look great too. You can't go wrong with Spider-Man's design, no matter which costume he is wearing. All the supporting cast members look like real, authentic people. Game interiors look fantastic too. I remember watching the Christmas dinner scene in Miles' house and thinking that no way would the little kid who grew up on Super Mario Bros and Tetris ever dream that video games could look this good. Well, they do. And they are only getting better.




Sound:

Everything sounds great too. The music is catchy and the voice acting is on point, as are the sound effects. If I had to nitpick anything it would be the voice acting of Miles himself. He just sounds so whiny and nasally sometimes, especially when he is excited. He doesn't sound like a 17-year-old. He sounds like he hasn't made it through puberty yet.




Overall:

If you liked the original Spider-Man game, absolutely nothing should stop you from liking this one too. It's fast paced, it's exciting, it's heartfelt. It is a bit shorter than the original game, however. I beat this game in less than a week whereas the original took me about a week and a half to complete. I've heard some people say it feels more like DLC or an expansion pack than an original game. I don't necessarily agree with that, but I can see where these people are coming from.

The bottom line with this game is: I had fun. The missions are fun, the graphics are beautiful, and there are a lot of collectibles packed into this game that'll keep you zipping around New York City all night looking to collect "just one more." Miles himself is an interesting character and it was a treat to go on his personal journey with him as I played through this game. 

This game is quite a bit similar to its predecessor, which is keeping it from getting a higher score. And honestly, the wow factor of the game, that feeling that I was playing something new and exciting that I felt with the original title was lacking here. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, I guess. It's a good mantra, but it can only get you so far. Here's hoping the next entry to this series changes things in new and exciting ways.


Final Score:
B+



If you liked this review, check out some of my other game reviews:



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