Reviewed on 11/18/20
I've been on record saying that 2018's Spider-Man is one of my favorite games of all time (I think I currently have it at #3), so being able to reenter this world and swing through New York City again was an absolute blast. This is all bolstered by the fact that Miles Morales is the main character this time around. Playing through what is essentially Miles' origin story is just as impactful and emotional as you'd think. This dials in on the heart from the original and amplifies it as every side mission, crime stopped, neighbor helped plants you firmly in the community of Harlem. The neighborhood is brimming with life, culture, and, most importantly, representation that brought tears to my eyes more than once. All of this is webbed together by a compelling story about family, what we do with the pain of grieving, and (yes, of course) the responsibility of those with great power to brighten and improve the lives around them. As far as gameplay goes, it's more of the same from the original, especially seeing as this is more of a spin-off than a direct sequel, but the addition of the Venom powers and camouflage give Miles a distinct feel that separates him from Peter. Each encounter focuses more on crowd control and weapon destruction than single one-on-one fights, leaving opportunities to get big area-of-effect hits in and then slipping away with a small invisibility window leaving the villains panicking. It's a task done so often that it should feel repetitive, but never once got old in the 18 hours it took for me to Platinum the game. And as always, web-swinging is just the icing on the cake for an experience I loved all the way through. Between this and Into the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales is here and a major element in Spider-Man stories from here on out. I can't wait for those stories and the inclusivity they bring to be told.
Rating: 10/10
Platinum Difficulty: 5/10
Platinum #151
I've been on record saying that 2018's Spider-Man is one of my favorite games of all time (I think I currently have it at #3), so being able to reenter this world and swing through New York City again was an absolute blast. This is all bolstered by the fact that Miles Morales is the main character this time around. Playing through what is essentially Miles' origin story is just as impactful and emotional as you'd think. This dials in on the heart from the original and amplifies it as every side mission, crime stopped, neighbor helped plants you firmly in the community of Harlem. The neighborhood is brimming with life, culture, and, most importantly, representation that brought tears to my eyes more than once. All of this is webbed together by a compelling story about family, what we do with the pain of grieving, and (yes, of course) the responsibility of those with great power to brighten and improve the lives around them. As far as gameplay goes, it's more of the same from the original, especially seeing as this is more of a spin-off than a direct sequel, but the addition of the Venom powers and camouflage give Miles a distinct feel that separates him from Peter. Each encounter focuses more on crowd control and weapon destruction than single one-on-one fights, leaving opportunities to get big area-of-effect hits in and then slipping away with a small invisibility window leaving the villains panicking. It's a task done so often that it should feel repetitive, but never once got old in the 18 hours it took for me to Platinum the game. And as always, web-swinging is just the icing on the cake for an experience I loved all the way through. Between this and Into the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales is here and a major element in Spider-Man stories from here on out. I can't wait for those stories and the inclusivity they bring to be told.
Rating: 10/10
Platinum Difficulty: 5/10
Platinum #151