Jokes aside, the mantle of the “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man” carries more narrative weight in Spider-Man: Miles Morales because while Miles is undeniably a friendly Spider-Man, he is very new to the neighborhood of Harlem. It’s a huge responsibility, assuming you ignore how many Marvel superheroes are canonically present in New York City’s 302.6 square miles. All of a sudden, Miles is in charge of protecting New York.
That is a big moment in its own right but it’s followed by Peter telling Miles that he’ll be leaving the city for a bit which means Miles will temporarily be New York City’s only Spider-Man. In that sequence, Miles Morales mysteriously conjures previously untapped bioelectric Spider-powers. It is an effective method for drawing you into the game. And as you wield Spider-Man’s great power through the sequence, you might just feel a great responsibility for the events that unfold. In terms of storytelling, it conveys everything you’d expect from a conventional cutscene, but there’s a real sense that you’re part of that story. That honor is reserved for the fact that this sequence so seamlessly blends cutscene and gameplay that it becomes something greater than either. Somehow, the pacing and concision isn’t the noteworthy part. In the ensuing few minutes where Rhino tears through the city, players will experience combat, tension, comedy, drama, quips, explosions, tenderness, and new developments. Moments later, Miles (who has rendezvoused with his brotherly Spider-mentor, Peter Parker) clumsily sets Rhino free. Even factoring the time it takes to watch that cutscene, you will take control of Miles, mid-swing ,within a couple of minutes. If you like, you can choose to watch a brief recap of the relevant parts of Marvel’s Spider-Man without really spoiling the first game but it’s not at all necessary. Spider-Man: Miles Morales doesn’t waste time bringing players into its narrative and gameplay, practically doing both at the same time. While it is indeed possible for you to beat the game in a single day off and still have time to spare, I’d wager that would be true of most titles if stuffing games to the brim with filler hadn’t become such a common practice.
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If you are steadfast in the belief that a game’s value is inextricably linked to playtime, Spider-Man: Miles Morales will seem like a rip-off at full price. One of the differences that might be leveraged against Spider-Man: Miles Morales, perhaps unfairly, is the game’s diminutive length. For all the similarities, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is distinct and it’s the game’s differences that make it so remarkable. It’s quite a feat when you consider how much of the game is modeled after its predecessor. The result is a game with an identity unlike anything else on the market. The game evokes “Miles Morales” even more than it evokes “Spider-Man” in its UI, menus, music, story, and gameplay. We see his presence when he is engaged in bold, high-flying acrobatics just as we see him in less graceful moments where he fumbles with a web or slips to the ground. Miles’ personality radiates from nearly every aspect of Spider-Man: Miles Morales. It also allows them to feel like Miles Morales. This game doesn’t merely allow players to feel like Spider-Man. As impressive as that was, they’ve now set a new gold standard with the release of Spider-Man: Miles Morales. In 2018, Insomniac Games evoked the same sensation with Marvel’s Spider-Man on the PlayStation 4. The gold standard for superhero video games was set by Batman: Arkham Asylum in 2009 when it showed the world it was possible to create an experience through tone and mechanics that allows players to feel like they are embodying an iconic hero.