Humdinger
Gold Member
I thought I'd share my impressions after completing Spider-Man Miles Morales earlier today.
Overall, I enjoyed it. It was an entertaining ride with sharp graphics, good combat, impressive effects, likeable characters, and a decent story. I probably put 12 to 15 hours into it. I completed all the side missions, did all the crimes at least once, hit the max level, got all the upgrades. However, I left most of the miscellaneous activities undone.
Pros
1. The combat was a lot of fun. At times, my hands got sore. I got my ass kicked at first, because I'm old and couldn't remember all the moves from the 2018 game (this one just sort of throws you into the action), and because I hadn't gotten my powers yet. After I got my powers and the muscle memories started coming back, I got into the rhythm of combat, and it was fun. Near the end, I relied a lot on stealth, though, rather than charging into a room full of baddies. It took longer and diluted the action, but stealth was too effective to pass up.
2. Pretty good story. It's in the superhero genre, so it's very plot-driven, not too concerned with characters or motives, beyond the basic stuff needed to move the plot forward. I think of it as "popcorn entertainment," equivalent to watching a summer blockbuster. It's fun, but it doesn't really mean anything. That's okay. Not everything has to be meaningful. Sometimes you just want to be entertained. The game delivers in that way.
3. I appreciated the way they streamlined the side-activities this time. In the 2018 game, I felt like there was an absolute glut of boring side activities. Here, there were only a dozen or so. Granted, I didn't do them -- partially because I remembered how boring the side activities in the 2018 game were -- but I did notice there were fewer.
4. I enjoyed the side-missions. I played through all of them. They were simple, but they had plenty of variety.
5. I liked Miles as a character. I've heard others complain about him being too whiney or too much like Peter Parker, but those things didn't bother me. I saw him as being in the Spider-Man tradition -- an incredibly well-intentioned, somewhat awkward kid with a penchant for science and tech.
6. Graphics, effects, and movement were all slick. Combat was made a lot more impactful by the venom attacks. I also enjoyed just swinging through NYC more this time. It felt like a more well-realized city.
7. I appreciated the shorter length. After spending hundreds of hours in open-world games, I needed a tight, linear, story-driven game like this.
Cons
No major complaints. Just a few niggles.
1. Phin's motivations didn't really add up for me. I didn't find her actions believable. Also, some of Miles' behavior towards her, especially near the end, didn't make much sense, either. Oh well, I'll chalk it up to young kids in love.
2. There are nearly 40 different moves in the game (not counting all the air tricks). That's too much for my old brain to store. I never used some of the moves, because I didn't remember them. I guess it's nice to have all those options, but it was a bit much for me.
That's about it. I enjoyed the game. I'd give it an 8.5. I don't feel a desire to replay it at the moment, but I might run through New Game + sometime in the future.
Overall, I enjoyed it. It was an entertaining ride with sharp graphics, good combat, impressive effects, likeable characters, and a decent story. I probably put 12 to 15 hours into it. I completed all the side missions, did all the crimes at least once, hit the max level, got all the upgrades. However, I left most of the miscellaneous activities undone.
Pros
1. The combat was a lot of fun. At times, my hands got sore. I got my ass kicked at first, because I'm old and couldn't remember all the moves from the 2018 game (this one just sort of throws you into the action), and because I hadn't gotten my powers yet. After I got my powers and the muscle memories started coming back, I got into the rhythm of combat, and it was fun. Near the end, I relied a lot on stealth, though, rather than charging into a room full of baddies. It took longer and diluted the action, but stealth was too effective to pass up.
2. Pretty good story. It's in the superhero genre, so it's very plot-driven, not too concerned with characters or motives, beyond the basic stuff needed to move the plot forward. I think of it as "popcorn entertainment," equivalent to watching a summer blockbuster. It's fun, but it doesn't really mean anything. That's okay. Not everything has to be meaningful. Sometimes you just want to be entertained. The game delivers in that way.
3. I appreciated the way they streamlined the side-activities this time. In the 2018 game, I felt like there was an absolute glut of boring side activities. Here, there were only a dozen or so. Granted, I didn't do them -- partially because I remembered how boring the side activities in the 2018 game were -- but I did notice there were fewer.
4. I enjoyed the side-missions. I played through all of them. They were simple, but they had plenty of variety.
5. I liked Miles as a character. I've heard others complain about him being too whiney or too much like Peter Parker, but those things didn't bother me. I saw him as being in the Spider-Man tradition -- an incredibly well-intentioned, somewhat awkward kid with a penchant for science and tech.
6. Graphics, effects, and movement were all slick. Combat was made a lot more impactful by the venom attacks. I also enjoyed just swinging through NYC more this time. It felt like a more well-realized city.
7. I appreciated the shorter length. After spending hundreds of hours in open-world games, I needed a tight, linear, story-driven game like this.
Cons
No major complaints. Just a few niggles.
1. Phin's motivations didn't really add up for me. I didn't find her actions believable. Also, some of Miles' behavior towards her, especially near the end, didn't make much sense, either. Oh well, I'll chalk it up to young kids in love.
2. There are nearly 40 different moves in the game (not counting all the air tricks). That's too much for my old brain to store. I never used some of the moves, because I didn't remember them. I guess it's nice to have all those options, but it was a bit much for me.
That's about it. I enjoyed the game. I'd give it an 8.5. I don't feel a desire to replay it at the moment, but I might run through New Game + sometime in the future.
