Miles Morales is a younger,cooler,less experienced Spider-man.
Teen Morales is a younger and cooler Spider-man than Parker. His flashier style is reflected in his suits,gadgets and combat — while Parker swung slickly and confidently through the city,Morales twists and flips as he goes showing both a lack of experience and a youthful joy — and his great love for his family and neighbourhood drives a much more heartfelt story. From his black-hispanic roots and Harlem hangouts to his various family and friends supporting him in different ways,Morales is a lot more grounded than the previous Spider-man who we largely saw quipping with super-villains or at work in the lab.
This is a leaner game overall,with barely any time wasted throughout its excellent main story. Left to his own devices,Morales falls into a complex investigation involving new criminal outfit The Underground,its shady leader The Tinkerer,a big tech company promising a clean new energy source and a fresh-out-of-retirement cat burglar.
An early unmasking twist will be called by most a mile away,but as with the original game it's not the identity of the villain that makes things interesting but their motivations and the deeply personal stakes that develop for our hero. The performances here are all top notch,and even when you're taking a break from the main story Morales'monologues and podcasts that play in the background add a heap to the game's character.
When you're not chasing the main story or revelling in the sheer exhilaration and acrobatics of swinging around Manhattan — which is familiar but now covered in ice,snow and Christmas decorations — there's plenty of time for diversions. And like the game overall,these are less substantial but pleasingly more personal and interesting than in the original.
From stopping random crimes in the street to being a good samaritan via help requests lodged in your app,and from tracking down collectibles and backstory items to recording city sounds to mix into songs,every little bit gets you loot you can trade in to gain gear,upgrades and suits that channel Morales'distinct style. Meanwhile the same superb heroic score fades in and out as you scale buildings and engage goons,but this time with an element of hip hop drums and synth chords.
Morales has a few extra tricks up his sleeve when it comes to combat too,with his bioelectric powers giving him the ability to zap foes with"venom"or turn temporarily invisible. It adds a satisfying new element to the already slick and flexible fighting system,with new types of goons to force you to switch things up between stealth,swinging and all-out brawls,and puzzles have some interesting new twists thanks to the electricity as well.