Developer Insomniac Games will continue the Spider-Man story with
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. After gaining his spider abilities
during the 2018 game, Miles Morales gets his own story in this new title
for PS4 and PS5.
There are new characters and new concepts in the new game; here are ten key facts to know before starting the game.
1. The Gang War Between Roxxon and the Underground
Miles will find himself in the middle of a violent conflict in Harlem,
all while supporting her mother's political campaign for City Council.
Marvel devotees may recognize Roxxon Energy Corporation as one of the
main factions, having appeared in comics, television, and films before.
They are at war with the Underground, a high-tech criminal army. Neither
side is particularly good, but Miles will have to figure out how to
resolve this battle without significant casualties.
2. Tinkerer Leads the Underground
Leading the Underground is the somewhat familiar character of the
Tinkerer. However, this iteration is quite different from what
Spider-Man fans are used to. Usually, the Tinkerer is depicted as a
middle-aged or elderly man employed by another Spider-Man villain to
create gadgets and weapons in their fight against the web-slinger. This
time around, the Tinkerer is a young woman, a masked figure with her own
vendetta, and battling it out on the field herself. Players will have
to see how this new Tinkerer develops throughout the story.
3. Miles Morales Has a Venom Strike and Invisibility
Miles Morales has a lot of the same web-shooting, swinging, and sticking
abilities that Peter Parker famously has. However, Miles has some
unique tricks up his sleeves from the comic book lore. In the Miles
Morales game, players will also be able to unleash an electric venom
strike—additionally, Miles has an element of stealth with invisibility
powers. Insomniac's take on Spider-Man has always been focused heavily
on combos and skill trees, so expect these two abilities to evolve as
you progress through the game.
4. Rhino and Prowler Feature in the Game
The Tinkerer isn't the only villain that Miles Morales will face. The
Rhino featured in the 2018 game, and he's back and more dangerous than
ever in this follow-up. Armed with a massive suit of armor, Rhino is a
nearly unstoppable force. However, Peter Parker will be there to give
Miles an assist. Additionally, Prowler will also face off against Miles.
The character is a staple of Miles's story, and previous iterations of
the Prowler, including in Into the Spider-Verse, have turned out to be
Aaron Davis, Miles's uncle. Whether that is still the case in this
version has yet to be determined.
5. Acquire New Suits—Including One with Spider-Cat
The 2018 Spider-Man game featured a number of different suits and
costumes for Peter Parker, with almost all of them originating from
different sources. These suits represented different comic book
storylines, television shows, and movies, giving players a sense of
nostalgia. Miles Morales may have a shorter history to draw from, but
rest assured that he will receive his own fun costumes as well. One suit
is based on his hooded suit from the Into the Spider-Verse film, for
example. Another one includes a backpack that contains your buddy
Spider-Cat, who as you can figure, is a bodega cat dressed like
Spider-Man—the cat will even assist you in combat finishers.
6. Take Over Enemy Bases
The original 2018 game had Peter Parker swinging around New York City
and taking out enemy strongholds under criminal control. In Miles
Morales, players will have to do the same thing with this game's own
factions. This time around, you'll be fighting in Underground Hideouts
and Roxxon Labs, presumably to slow down whatever nefarious deeds both
of these groups might be up to. Prepare to fight waves of seemingly
non-stop enemies.
7. Find Collectibles Throughout Harlem
One of the joys of the 2018 Spider-Man game was finding all of Peter
Parker's old backpacks spread throughout New York City. Upon opening
one, Peter would reminisce about whatever artifact or item was
inside—this was one way that the game would build Peter Parker's history
and make references to past pieces of Spider-Man fiction. Miles Morales
will have his own collectibles too—his game will have Postcards and
Time Capsules for you to find in the open world. Be sure to check every
nook and cranny.
8. Miles Morales Takes Advantage of the PS5
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is launching the same day as Sony's
new PlayStation 5, so this title will demonstrate that console's
horsepower. With the system's SSD, load times will be significantly
faster than on PlayStation 4, and swinging through New York City should
be faster as well thanks to the game loading quicker. The PS5 version of
Miles Morales will also take advantage of a number of graphical
effects, most noticeably ray tracing. With realistic and dynamic
lighting effects, Spider-Man won't look any better than he will on the
PlayStation 5. Miles Morales will also make use of the DualSense
controller, with subtle haptic feedback the adaptive triggers adding
immersion to the experience of swinging around.
9. Buying the Game on PS4 Also Gets You the PS5 Version
Many consumers may not be prepared to purchase the PlayStation 5 on day
one for one reason or another. But PS4 owners who aren't ready to
upgrade need not fret—buying Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales on PS4
will also get you a free upgrade for the PS5 at no additional cost.
While the PS4 version does not have the same graphical and audio updates
as the PS5 version, rest assured that you can still play the same core
game on your own console. Best of all, once you are ready to make the
jump from PS4 to PS5, your save progress will carry over.
10. Will Peter Parker Appear?
In both the comic book lore and Into the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales
took up the Spider-Man mantle after the death of Peter Parker. So do
Spider-Man fans have anything to worry about for the PlayStation version
of Peter Parker? Luckily, Peter is alive and well. The story will have
Peter Parker abroad with MJ to cover a story for the Daily Bugle, so
Miles will have to keep watch of the city while they're away. Of course,
Peter will jump in from time to time, as we know that he'll help Miles
in the fight against Rhino. But as the title implies, this story is all
about Miles Morales—it's his turn in the spotlight.