At its core, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is the very same gameplay experience delivered with the original back in 2018 and, in this case, at least, that’s a positive. Insomniac’s relatively short tenure as the IP’s guardian, so to speak, in the realm of video games has been met with naught but acclaim from both fans and critics alike, and more of the same is exactly what the doctor ordered.
It’s worth noting, however, that Miles Morales does introduce some key new features, most notably with its titular central character, who, while clearly a student of Peter Parker, brings plenty of his own tricks to the table. A tantalizing mix of stealth and direct combat once again makes up the bulk of gameplay in this year’s sequel, though thanks to new footage revealed by Game Informer as part of its month-long exclusive coverage, fans now have a vivid idea of how the two superheroes differ from one another.
A core difference, of course, is Miles’ ability to tap into a reservoir of bio-electric energy that can be harnessed and weaved into his repertoire of melee attacks. So-called Venom Strike and Blast add a visual flourish to his balletic movement and have an almost palpable potency when coming into contact with enemies. Likewise, stealth options get a big boost with the addition of camouflage, allowing Miles to achieve near-perfect invisibility. An excellent tool for taking down a standalone opponent, no doubt, but judging by today’s trailer, its use will be limited to just a few seconds at a time – likely in order to maintain gameplay balance – before entering a cooldown period.
Built from the ground up specifically for PlayStation 5, Spider-Man: Miles Morales releases alongside Sony’s next-gen console on November 12th. A PS4 version will also be available on the same date and those that choose to stick with current-gen will be able to upgrade at a later date, free of charge.
