Insomniac’s next-gen heavy-hitter, Spider-Man Miles Morales, has recently made its way to PC, introducing it to a whole new crowd of PC gamers across many devices. Be it newcomers hopping into the electrifying spin-off after the recent PC Remaster of the original Marvel’s Spider-Man or returning players looking to jump back in to take advantage of the PC port’s many new graphical enhancements, players of all kinds have plenty to enjoy.
With a wide variety of open-world activities to complete, new players may get lost in which activities are worth doing early into the adventure. Among the many activities, these reign supreme as the most useful to complete early on.
7 Combat Challenges
During the game’s opening sequence, the Original Spider-Man, Peter Parker, introduces Miles to the training challenges he’s set up around the city. After completing the opening and the player is let loose into the game’s open-world, these challenges can be completed at any time in any order. These missions also serve as a great introduction to the more advanced combat techniques which prove more useful later into the game.
The first of which are combat challenges, which will unlock unique combat skills that can’t be unlocked through the game’s extensive skill tree. All three of these skills prove immensely useful early on, as Spin Cycle provides excellent crowd control, Payback allows for instant takedowns after perfect-dodging ranged attacks, and Air Marshall empowers Miles’ air attacks and abilities.
6 Random Crimes
Much like the original Marvel’s Spider-Man, crimes will occur randomly near Miles when roaming the open-world. These short combat encounters will task the player with fairly standard crimes as seen in the first game, but as the campaign progresses, various other crimes pertaining to events and factions in the story unlock.
Random Crimes are a great way to acquire activity tokens, which are used to unlock a plethora of powerful Suit and Visor Mods. These mods provide strong permanent buffs and augmentations to Miles’ existing moves, and can even provide entirely new tools with some mods.
5 Underground Caches
Unique to Miles’ adventure are Underground Caches, which are introduced early into the campaign. They can be found all over the map as the most plentiful collectible, providing tech tokens with each drop. Most Underground caches are somewhat hidden, requiring some creative applications of Miles’ abilities to snag. Occasionally, Underground Caches will be found in enemy facilities or guarded by small patrols of the Underground. More Underground Caches become available as the story progresses.
There are 34 caches total, and finding them all will not only net Miles enough tech tokens to max out several gadgets, but also a special suit with its own unique finisher animation. As mentioned, tech tokens come with each Underground Cache, which can then be used to acquire gadget upgrades.
4 Stealth Challenges
The second variety of Peter’s Training Challenges, Stealth Challenges will test the player’s sneaking and takedown skills while also providing an opportunity to learn the in’s and out’s of stealth gameplay early into the game.
There are 3 Stealth Challenges, each tasking the player with taking out every enemy in the area without being detected under several time limits. Replaying these challenges will net you additional resources depending on how quickly the player can complete each mission. Competing stealth challenges will net you three strong stealth skills that can’t be acquired elsewhere. Silent Step increases the time it takes for enemies to spot miles, Scare Tactics generates more Venom on each takedown, and Surprise Attack knocks nearby enemies down on Web Strike Takedowns.
3 Time Capsules
Miles’ replacement for Peter’s backpacks in the first game, Time Capsules are the secondary collectible in Spider-Man Miles Morales. Time Capsules are small collectibles Miles and his childhood friend Phin had left across the city years prior.
Time Capsules are easily acquired while swinging around and have no combat component that’s necessary to obtain them, making them the easiest collectible to complete early on. Some of the Time Capsules are hidden under objects or in restricted areas, requiring the camouflage ability to grab. Time Capsules reward you with Activity Tokens and XP, both vital resources to build early into the game.
2 Do Tricks Whenever Possible
Air Tricks have been vastly expanded since the first game, adding over 5 times as many tricks to perform. Tricks can be performed between swings and while diving, with additional tricks available that can only be performed after other tricks.
Tricks in Spider-Man Miles Morales net Miles XP for each one performed, and applies a multiplier for each additional trick done in a chain. This multiplier does not stack upon repeating the same trick and increases with each new trick. These XP bonuses end up going a long way, making gaining skill points early on much easier.
1 Traversal Challenges
The 3rd and most important of Peter’s Training Challenges, Traversal Challenges will test the player’s dexterity and movement ability. Each challenge will task Miles with swinging, zipping, and launching his way through small courses around the city.
Each challenge will teach the player about the game’s faster movement options while granting new ones to the player over time. Like the other training missions, all of these challenges can be replayed for higher medals, netting the player additional resources. Each skill obtained through these challenges pertains to movement and makes getting around the city much quicker and easier, an essential to have early on. Point Launch Boost increases the amount of distance traveled after a point launch if timed correctly, Quick Recovery allows Miles to bounce back from a long fall, and Quick Zip lets Miles to Web Zip twice before hitting the ground.
Spider-Man Miles Morales is available on PS4, PS5, and PC.