Spider-Man: Miles Morales has been one of the most anticipated games coming at the cusp of the next-generation console releases. This is despite the fact that Miles Morales has always played second fiddle to Peter Parker. However, that changed with the Into the Spider-Verse film, and Miles Morales saw a surge in popularity.
Now that Spider-Man: Miles Morales has been confirmed to be a launch title for the PlayStation 5, and players are getting even more amped up. Miles Morales isn't DLC and isn't Spider-Man 2, meaning a sequel is still coming at some point in the future. But it will have many similar gameplay mechanics and the same New York City setting, meaning a formula for success. The original Spider-Man game saw great reception and highly positive reviews, but this means that Miles Morales will have a difficult task to overcome: to live up to its predecessor's reputation.
Miles Morales' Controversy
Typically, with Miles Morales' introduction comes Peter Parker's death, one of the few reasons why Marvel fans tend to dislike the succeeding Spider-Man. Trailers of Miles Morales have indicated this may not be the case this time around, and it looks like Peter Parker will make some kind of appearance in the game. This doesn't rule out an untimely death, though. In a PS5 showcase trailer, a voice-over of Parker can be heard telling Miles to "go be a hero," similar to his goodbye speech from the Into the Spider-Verse film, but this plot point likely won't be revealed until the game's full release.
Other controversial aspects to the Miles Morales Spider-Man have been confirmed in more recent trailers. Some might argue that long-time Marvel fans simply don't like change, while others argue that Miles is too over-powered compared to other superheroes. As one of the many heroes infected with spidey venom, the arachnid that bit Miles was slightly different than the one that bit Peter, thus resulting in some different abilities. He can effectively become invisible as well as shoot a "venom strike" at enemies to paralyze them, both confirmed in the Miles Morales gameplay demo. However, it's likely that Insomniac Games will balance these mechanics to level the playing field.
Into the Spider-Verse
The Into the Spider-Verse film brought great improvement of reception towards Miles but was also simply a massive success. It brought a different vibe from any past major Spider-Man films and is arguably the most well-received reboot in the franchise. It surprisingly beat out the Disney/Pixar film of the year for Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, a spot that the animation giant tends to actually monopolize. Spider-Verse is noted as being progressive, diverse, and emotional while being suitable for people of all ages, and though it won't be anything like the film, Miles Morales has the perfect opportunity to follow in these footsteps.
Spider-Man's Success
Even though these elements are an equation for success, the biggest battle that Miles Morales faces is living up to its predecessor's name. It's already known that it will be smaller in size and scope than Spider-Man, with a smaller version of the city to explore and fewer playtime hours to clock. Some fans had stated Miles Morales deserved to be its own full-sized game with similar hours to Spider-Man, but unfortunately, this is already confirmed to not be the case.
Some critics noted Spider-Man as being the best superhero video game of all time, saying the combat is some of the best they had ever experienced with scenery to invoke calming yet enticing gameplay sessions. There were small points of criticism that Miles Morales can use as an opportunity, such as Spider-Man's non-innovative open-world gameplay and lacking variety in collectible quests. Regardless of these minor points, Miles Morales will have big shoes to fill.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales is set to release for the PS4 and PS5 on November 12th.
