As the holiday season nears 2023 inches closer, gamers everywhere are anticipating the slew of upcoming titles that are set to make a splash from January onwards. Christmas is a time of immense stress and unwavering excitement. For many, spending time with family takes precedence over playing video games. However, with the Game Awards doing well to keep people invested, it's always fun to indulge in a big, immersive game over the holidays. Spider-Man: Miles Morales' festive setting makes it perfect for a winter playthrough, and as Peter Parker's next adventure is set to arrive in 2023, now is the best time to reenter Insomniac's beautiful take on New York City.
2018's Spider-Man introduced Peter Parker in his adult life, with a relationship with MJ already in the rearview and showing his struggles with adulthood in the Big Apple. Perhaps less expected was the emergence of Miles Morales, and how his origin story takes place while Spider-Man squashes the threat of Mr. Negative and witnesses the decline in sanity of Dr. Otto Octavius. Spider-Man 2 will continue the tale, but Spider-Man: Miles Morales being wedged between the two, both in release and story, makes it an essential part of the journey. Now is a great time to reexperience the game, especially given its shorter runtime and Christmas-esque aesthetic. 2023 is a big year for the beloved Marvel wall-crawler, and doing adequate homework by seeing through Miles' solo story would be wise.
Spider-Man 2 Will Continue Miles' Development
Presenting Peter Parker in his adult years was a stroke of genius by developer Insomniac as it made their take on the iconic character feel unique to others outside the comics. From Tom Holland's portrayal of Peter to Miles Morales in Into the Spider-Verse, recent screen adaptations have used a younger protagonist, weaving the trials and tribulations of high school into the main narrative. Insomniac's Spider-Man uses a more mature main character, with Parker being in his 20s and grappling with modern New York life. Spider-Man 2 serving as a sequel means Peter isn't getting younger, but Miles' youthful energy is an opportunity to give players a different lens through which to view the story.
Miles is far less experienced than Peter Parker, and while he is introduced and developed well in the first game, it's not until a mid-credits scene that Peter learns of Miles' spidey abilities. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is the first-time fans get to experience how he handles the responsibility that famously comes with such power, and is as essential to the budding Sony first-party franchise as the original game as a result. It's by far the most time players have spent with the character, and he's by no means the same naive, eager boy at its conclusion, as Phin's fate had a significant impact on him. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is not a glorified DLC release like some have criticized it to be, as it gives people time to get to know a character they would soon become even more familiar with when Spider-Man 2 launches.
Miles Morales is One of a few Great Christmas Games
The holiday season is rarely depicted in video games, and while a handful like Batman: Arkham Origins and The Division have signs of Christmas either through the story or in the world-building, few games have truly implemented it into the fabric of the story. New York City is dusted with snow and some side activities are adequately festive. Miles' relocation from Brooklyn to Harlem ensures the story is contained in the northern Manhattan neighborhood, and seeing Miles' new home dressed for Christmas makes it one of the best games to replay when December hits.
The change in season drastically changes the presentation of the world, and though the setting is recycled from Insomniac's Spider-Man, it is made new again by the way it looks and feels now that winter has set in. Like Die Hard, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a Christmas story, and though there is a laundry list of new releases in 2022 that are worthy of experiencing, sometimes it's good to find comfort in the familiar and the festive, and learning more about Miles Morales is the best way to gather more context for when Spider-Man 2 arrives.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5.
