Marvel’s Spider-Man reminded gamers that Batman isn't the only superhero that can carry a video game franchise. Now, with the confidence of a million sales, Insomniac Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) are looking to swing into next-gen with some velocity using Spider-Man: Miles Morales as a launching point. But what is Miles Morales? Is it a sequel? DLC? Spider-Man: Miles Morales doesn't make it easy to understand what it's going to be, but we've parsed it out.
Here's everything we know about the PS5 launch title.
The follow-up of the critically acclaimed Marvel's Spider-Man will be Insomniac's first major undertaking since it was acquired by SIE back in February. Currently, it is the PS5's biggest launch title and is clearly meant to entice gamers who can't wait to start web-swinging and parkouring through New York City with the next-gen graphics and vastly improved load times.
Is there a trailer for Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales?
Yes! You can watch it below.
In the trailer, we get a brief voice-over from Peter Parker, momentarily passing the torch to Miles, suggesting that he can be a hero. We also get a look a the setting, which can be seen to take place in the Winter-time. An electric purple-clad villain appears from behind, they'll likely be a new enemy type. We don't yet know who they're working for.
Is Spider-Man: Miles Morales a sequel to Marvel’s Spider-Man?
Following the announcement of Spider-Man: Miles Morales, there was a lot of confusion about the actual scale and scope of the game. Is it a direct sequel or an expansion of Marvel’s Spider-Man?
All of this uncertainty stemmed from a statement by SIE Europe head Simon Rutter, who told the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph, “I guess you could call it an expansion and an enhancement to the previous game.”
Hours later, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reported that Spider-Man: Miles Morales was actually a “brand-new, standalone game” and compared to the scope of Naughty Dog’s Uncharted: Lost Legacy.
These two contradictory statements have made the future of Spider-Man: Miles Morales a bit foggy. Not to worry, Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be a full game. In an Entertainment Weekly interview, the game's creative director Brian Horton said "We really are completing this hero's coming of age in our game. It is a complete story."
This is the completion of Miles' arc to becoming a hero. This is Miles' story and needs to be told.
When is the Spider-Man: Miles Morales release date?
Sony announced Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be a PS5 launch title. There’s no exact release date yet, but based on when Sony has launched its previous consoles a late-November launch is most likely.
Will Spider-Man: Miles Morales be released for the PS4?
Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be a PS5 launch title and will only be available on the next-gen console. Anyone hoping to play as Miles on the day of the game’s release will also need to pick up the PS5.
What is the Spider-Man: Miles Morales story?
The exact plot of Spider-Man: Miles Morales remains a mystery, but Insomniac has revealed a few story details to set the scene.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales will take place a year after the original game and it will open up during the wintertime. A war between an energy corporation and a criminal enterprise has broken out in Miles’ hometown of Harlem.
This would mean that Miles is 16 years old since he’s 15 in the original game.
The snippets of Miles fighting baddies and web-swinging that were also featured in the trailer make Miles seem like he’s an absolute veteran. There’s no hesitation or nervousness in his expression or movements, which suggests he’s been honing his skills every second that has passed between the two games.
Is Peter dead in Spider-Man: Miles Morales?
No. According to a Playstation Blog post, Peter is alive and kicking.
"Many of you fans have wondered if Peter Parker is OK. Don’t worry, we still have much of Peter’s story left to tell," says Horton.
But Peter Parker might be stepping down as New York City’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. The opening scene of the trailer features Miles remembering a pep talk that he and Peter once had while he’s in the middle of a battle.
“A hero is just someone who doesn’t give up,” the ghostly voice of Peter says. “Your dad said that. He was right. Now it’s your turn. Go be a hero Miles.”
That suggests gamers won’t see much of Peter in Spider-Man: Miles Morales. But what happened to him? Will he be in need of saving and Miles is the only one up to the task? Or will Miles and Peter be more of a tag team?
What powers will Miles have in Spider-Man: Miles Morales?
Besides the classic superhuman agility, unmatched senses, the ability to climb walls, and web-shooting powers that come with being bitten by a radioactive spider, Miles has a few other tricks up his sleeve.
He appears to be able to release pulses of electricity from his hands to shock anyone he touches. This power was actually teased in one of the missions in Marvel’s Spider-Man and Miles might actually be even stronger than what the trailer has revealed.
Mary Jane Watson is responsible for unknowingly carrying the spider that bit Miles out of Norman Osborne’s lab when she sneaks in. During that mission, two big hints about the kind of powers the spider could have given Miles are revealed.
In the room where the spider sneaks onto MJ’s shoulder, players can interact with a screen that details two strains of spider DNA. One synthesized for “Active Camouflage” and another for releasing an “Electro-Kinetic Blast.”
It would seem that Miles has been imbued with the latter, but one of Miles’ signature powers in Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse and the Spider-Man comics is the ability to become completely invisible. There were no hints of that in the game’s trailer, but it would seem like a major oversight if Insomniac didn’t give him his invisibility as well.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales will be released in late 2020 with the launch of PS5.
