One of the standout gameplay demos shown during Sony’s blowout PlayStation 5 showcase event yesterday was Spider-Man: Miles Morales. As was the case back in June, Insomniac’s upcoming action adventure has proven to be one of the most talked about exclusives headed to the next-gen console in November and will be one of several titles scheduled to be available at launch.
Up until now, however, fans have only been privy to a handful of teasers and cinematic clips depicting Miles’ solo outing and it goes without saying that, in light of first gameplay being revealed this week, excitement among the superhero’s fanbase is through the roof. A student of Peter Parker he may be, but Miles’ approach to combat is markedly different to his teacher’s, being able to charge up incredible energy and launch himself at enemies at blistering speeds. It’s a much more physical-looking style, no doubt, and should help to distance the sequel from its predecessor in ways other than narrative.
Speaking of which, we now know, thanks to the character’s name being dropped, that the Tinkerer will be one of the main antagonists this time around. While not boasting the same iconic appearance as, say, any of the Sinister Six, Tinkerer is a long-running Spider-Man antagonist, first introduced by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko way back in The Amazing Spider-Man #2 (1963). A talented engineer with genius-level intellect in the scientific field, Phineas Mason’s alter-ego has been involved in numerous story arcs over the years, often as a cohort and weapons supplier of other supervillains.
In what direction Insomniac intends to take the character remains to be seen, however, as Mason is often depicted as an elderly old man. In this instance, he appears to be the mastermind behind a group of criminals sporting advanced weaponry, no doubt created by his own hand. Expect more details to surface in the run-up to launch, but for now, be sure to check out yesterday’s gameplay reveal by heading over here.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales is out November 12th for PlayStation 5 and 4.