Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a standalone sequel to the New York-set Spider-Man, putting young Miles in the role of the main hero. Peter Parker leaves town and hands him the protection of Manhattan just as a conflict flares up in the streets between a private energy corporation and organized crime. A winter New York blanketed in snow and holiday lights serves as an open playground to swing through; the movement itself remains the core of the fun, and the game never shortchanges it.

Miles has his own abilities compared to Peter. Bioelectric venom attacks can knock back a group of enemies, charge up a flashy combo finisher, or stun an armored opponent, and on top of that there's temporary invisibility, which significantly changes the stealth sections. Combat is fast, built on last-moment dodges, combos, and using the environment, while side activities take the player around the Harlem neighborhood via an app filled with reports from residents. The campaign is shorter and tighter than the first game's, focusing all the more on Miles's family, friendships, and the question of what it means to take on someone else's mask. Side threads involving the search for rare recordings of Miles's father, or following his friend, give the map purpose beyond the main story.

On PlayStation 5, the game offered a ray-traced reflections mode as well as a higher frame-rate option, near-instant loading during fast travel, and haptic feedback from the DualSense controller you feel with every web shot fired. The soundtrack leans on hip hop and modern production, setting the hero apart from the predecessor's orchestral tone and fitting well with the setting and his age. Reviews welcomed the title warmly, with reservations mainly about its length and the fact that mechanically it builds on an already familiar foundation. Today it works as an ideal entry point into the series: compact, visually striking, and with a hero the game can stand behind even for someone who never played the first game. The campaign's length is offset by the density of its individual scenes.