Spider-Man returns with a short but stunning spin-off of the original PlayStation hit • Was the experience worth the long wait?
We checked
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales // Screenshot
Let’s start from the end: Anyone who played and loved Marvel’s first Spider-man, which came out exclusively for the PlayStation 4 in 2018, must also play in its new spinoff.
There is no debate here.
The game focuses on Miles Morales, the "second" and younger Spider-Man (and the hero of the Oscar-winning animated film "Spider-Man: The Spider Dimension"), who shone in the previous game but now gets the main stage.
And who did not play in the first Spider-Man?
So get organized quickly on a copy before continuing to read.
Still, this is one of the best action-adventure games in the open world ever released to any console, and arguably also the most successful Spider-Man game ever.
And who played and did not like?
Left.
There are none.
Happen to his character
But this is not a review of a game that came out more than two years ago, but a review of the spinoff, which does not require installation of the original game (i.e., it is not DLC).
It is important to emphasize that "Miles Morales" is not "Spider-Man 2" - a game that is already in development - but a shorter title (and a little cheaper) than the previous one, which is based on the same engine and takes place in the exact same world - New York.
The control of the character is pretty much the same in the two games, the missions and goals are mostly similar, and if you finished the first "Spider-Man" then it could very well be that "Miles Morales" will not particularly challenge you because you are already experienced in all tricks and fighting mechanisms. This is an almost perfect game, which takes most of what the previous and excellent title did - and improves it a little more.
The battles are sleeker and more exciting (we’ll get to the pair of major improvements later), the flying experience between the New York skyscrapers has never been more amazing (and felt a little smoother than the previous game), and just as importantly - the plot continues that of the first Spider-Man. Mostly from the direction of Miles and also a bit that of Peter Parker - the original Spider-Man of course.
In short, Peter goes on vacation in Europe and leaves New York in the hands of the young and inexperienced Miles, who is swept away by a new adventure that turns out to be particularly personal and mature.
Electricity flows in his palms
So yes, the city is the same city (only in a much more wintry and overcast);
The missions are mostly based on the same goals (go here, hit a few people, hit a button / reveal incriminating evidence / locate a certain object / hit a few more people);
And the whole mechanism of upgrades, and the abilities and accumulation of experience points remains pretty much the same as Spadey's previous round on the Sony.
Still, the new game boasts two very substantial additions that are not just cosmetic, at least when it comes to the battles themselves.
In fact, they may completely change the way you fight if you decide to use them: the first addition is the possibility of becoming invisible.
This way you can, in some cases, perform the task without being detected at all, or at least upgrade your stealth techniques significantly.
This ability proves to be very useful even when Miles finds himself surrounded by powerful enemies and the chances of surviving the battle are low.
Just press the disappear button and run aside to recalculate a route (though there are some enemies that can neutralize this ability).
The second addition is a series of powerful special blows.
It turns out that Miles, equipped with all the capabilities of the original Spider-Man, is reinforced with "organic electricity" or something like that.
This electricity, when accumulated enough, allows it to carry out deadly blows that can disable - or rather fry - a large number of enemies at once.
The graphic effects of each such blow are spectacular: electric flashes explode on the screen and it all ends in a grand finale in slow motion, with enemies flying in all directions.
Oh, and Miles also has the ability to charge electrical objects with his hands.
Very useful when the battery runs out in the car - but Spider-Man does not need a car to get around.
He mostly loads generators to solve puzzles that require electrical voltage transfer or moving things from place to place.
Short and (usually) concise
We would have been happy to close an interest and say that "Miles Morales" is a perfect game, but it is not.
We found in it two main drawbacks: The first drawback is the low number of boss battles.
There are a total of, at best, three real boss fights here (more like two and a half), and only one of them - the first fight - is really invested and spectacular.
The other two feel like regular battles with an upgraded enemy plus a twist or two.
The lack of invested boss battles, which were one of the highlights of the first game, of course casts a shadow over the number of super villains that Spadey encounters.
There are three of them here, only one of which is very well known (although he is also considered a second-rate villain. Apparently Venom & Co. is left for "Spider-Man 2").
The second downside - and it has nothing to do with the title itself but nonetheless - is a short game.
We completed it, including all side missions, within a few days.
Although it is sold at a lower price than the first "Spider-Man", in our opinion the price is not low enough for a game that is perhaps 50 percent shorter.
There is no justification for paying more than NIS 200 for it, the price at which it is currently offered in stores, so we recommend purchasing it at a discount.
Exactly for that there is Black Friday and Cyber ... Sorry, Spadey Monday.
Not to be confused
The game is offered in versions for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. We finished it on the 4th and took it for a spin on the 5th.
It's exactly the same game, but of course the graphics and charging times are improved on Sony's new console.
And pay attention!
In addition to Miles Morales, the PlayStation 5 has released a new version of the first Spider-Man, called Spider-man Remastered.
This version, which we did not test or include in the review code we received, comes as a bonus in the Miles Morales Ultimate Edition.
It includes all the expansion packs of the original game and graphic enhancements (for example, Peter now looks just like actor Tom Holland ...), and at the moment it cannot be purchased separately.
Therefore, PlayStation 5 owners who have not played the original game and are willing to admit it, may prefer the extended edition.
Score: 9/10
