It feels odd to be writing a review of this game on here, given that I previously reviewed it for a website for an internship I did. That's bizarre. I might keep it a bit short as a result, but regardless, "Spider-Man: Miles Morales" was a game I couldn't help but be excited for as soon as I heard about it. I loved 2018's "Spider-Man," and couldn't wait to see where Insomniac would take the web-slinger next. Announcing a new entry centered around Miles Morales at their first PlayStation 5 event, then eventually announcing it as a launch title for the PS5? Music to my ears. Little did I know that I'd enjoy this new expandalone entry even more than the first game.
"Spider-Man: Miles Morales" is an absolute joy to play. The combat is extremely smooth and fantastic, just as it was in the original game. Even more so now, given that the addition of Venom powers gives Miles a nice flavor compared to the original game. New York City is still as expansive and beautiful as ever and exploring it is just too much fun. On the PlayStation 5, the DualSense is integrated subtly, but done very nicely, and I was most surprised to even see the haptics be used well in cutscenes. The visuals and performance are wonderful (it's awesome getting to play at 60 FPS on PlayStation 5), and the music and sound design are awesome (shoutout to Jaden's two tracks in the game). "Spider-Man: Miles Morales" also tells a complex but fascinating story, rounded out by some excellent characterization, particularly with Miles and the Tinkerer. I also greatly appreciated the representation all throughout the game; one moment that brought a tear to my eye was the inclusion of Hailey Cooper, a deaf character who speaks to Miles using American Sign Language. Insomniac has always done an incredible job with representation, and this was a particularly beautiful moment to me.
I guess the only negative I can think of is that the main story may feel a bit short for some. Personally, I don't mind a short game, though, so it's not too big a deal, and the game is too much fun while it lasts.
Overall, "Spider-Man: Miles Morales" is a stunning improvement on an already incredible game. It's an unbelievably memorable adventure that belongs in your collection post-haste, regardless of whether you own a PlayStation 4 or a PlayStation 5 (though I recommend the latter). Insomniac continues to show its overall excellence with this game, and it's definitely one of my favorite games of all time. Can't wait to see what the dev team has up its sleeve with "Spider-Man 2."
Final rating: 10 out of 10 "Fantastic"