Ever since his debut, Peter Parker has been the quintessential Spider-Man, web-slinging, spider-sensing, and whatnot. When it was announced around 2014 that an animated version of Spider-Man was in the works, the public grew nervous that it was just going to be another retread of Parker’s origin story. Our fears were quenched when Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse was released in 2018. Audiences marveled at the gorgeous animation, hilarious jokes, and a surprising amount of heartfeltness. But most importantly, Peter Parker had finally taken a backseat to a new Spider-Hero, Miles Morales. The biracial kid from Brooklyn captured the heart of everyone, not only being probably the best take on Spider-Man, but because he connected with everybody, regardless of prejudice. Ever since the film’s release, the public wanted to see more of Miles, and after Insomniac Games’ smash-hit PS4 Spider-Man game, they knew they had to go bigger and better for the PS5 sequel. And that’s exactly what they did.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales is an absolute blast and one of the best video games I’ve ever played. Starting off a year after the events of the first game, Peter Parker has taken Miles under his wing, but when he needs to leave New York City for a week, he leaves Miles in charge of protecting the city. He’s still a little rough around the edges, discovering new powers like his venom blast, which could paralyze anyone that comes in contact with it, and his invisibility that he can only manage for a short period of time. On top of that, he and his mother have moved from Brooklyn to Harlem to make her campaign for City Council easier. When the Roxxon Energy Corporation announces that it will be incorporating its dangerous new power source, Nuform, into the city’s power supply, a high-tech criminal army called the Underground led by the Tinkerer, starts to emerge, and Miles now must defend his new home from both Roxxon and the Underground.

Much like the first game, playing as Miles is as smooth as ever. Swinging around the city, performing all sorts of tricks and maneuvers feels incredible, almost like you’re right there alongside Miles. Combat is also crazy fun, with all sorts of epic combinations, and with the inclusion of Miles’ venom blast and invisibility, you never really know what kind of battle you’re going to get. The game perfectly blends action and story together so it feels like a massive comic book come to life. 

All-in-all, Spider-Man: Miles Morales proves to be better than its predecessor with its compelling story and satisfying gameplay. Whether it’s on the PS4 or PS5, you’re going to have an amazing and spectacular time playing as the best of all the Spider-people.

GRADE: A++