Though Spider-Man: Miles Morales is still set in the same universe as Insomniac’s first game, it’s very much meant to be the story of how, after training under Peter Parker, Miles is ready to break free and define his own legacy as one of New York City’s protectors. A big part of how Miles does this, obviously, is by stepping out in a series of new costumes, making it clear that he’s a new kind of friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.
A number of new details featured in the latest print issue of Game Informer — which features an amazing cover of Miles, illustrated by his co-creator and Ultimate Spider-Man artist Sara Pichelli — go into great detail about what other lengths Insomniac went to in order to make Miles Morales feel like an entirely different beast. The game’s opening mission brings you back to New York City a year after the events of Marvel’s Spider-Man just as Miles is settling into the start of winter break. Following the death of Miles’ father, Jefferson, in the first game, his mother Rio Morales chooses to relocate back up to Harlem where she’s originally from — and is now launching a campaign for a spot on the city council.
[referenced id=”1517291″ url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/10/the-miles-morales-games-art-book-teases-into-the-spider-verses-coolest-costume/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/08/n8tk00zuf9iwzp5uom5k-300×169.jpg” title=”The Miles Morales Game’s Art Book Teases Into the Spider-Verse’s Coolest Costume” excerpt=”Insomniac’s upcoming Miles Morales standalone video game is both going to continue its hero’s story — which first began in the studio’s epic Spider-Man — and establish the ways in which Miles is his own Spider-Man independent of Peter Parker. He’s always deserved to be the star of his own…”]
Creative director Brian Horton explained that making the Morales family’s move to Harlem a core part of the game’s story gave the creative team a way of putting Miles in a somewhat new environment for him to build an organic relationship with, further giving you a sense of why he wants to be a superhero. “I’d like to say Harlem is one of the most important characters in our game,” Horton told Game Informer. “Harlem really has a pulse, and is what Miles is fighting for. What we decided is Harlem and the people he loves are the heart and soul of this game. Miles getting to know his neighbourhood was essential.”
While the game’s earliest missions will see Miles and Peter teaming up to take on a member of the Sinister Six, it isn’t long before the pair of web-slingers are pulled apart when Peter decides to join Mary Jane Watson for a Daily Bugle reporting trip. Though it’s only been a few months since Miles has been active as a hero, Peter feels his protégé has what it takes to handle the city while he’s away. It’s an idea that adds even more gravity to Miles’ adventure because the game takes steps to convey to you just how unsure of himself Miles still is.
Unlike in the original Spider-Man game where missions would allow you to play as a handful of different characters, Miles is set to be the only playable character in this game, but that doesn’t mean he’s alone in his fight against both Roxxon and the Tinkerer-led underground. In place of the first game’s police scanner dynamic, Miles Morales introduces the Friendly Neighbourhood Spider App developed by Miles’ friend Ganke Lee, an almost Nextdoor-like platform that citizens use to report crimes around the city.
In addition to Miles’ new support technology, the game’s also giving him a bevy of new suits like the Gift Suit, a look clearly inspired by the character’s design in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and the 2020 Suit, a costume featuring a Daft Punk-esque helmet (above) outfitted with LEDs that looks absolutely phenomenal.
While, individually, each of the tweaks that have gone into Miles Morales might not seem like all that much, in aggregate they’re shaping up to make this feel like a more than worthy successor to the first Spider-Man game. Spider-Man: Miles Morales drops on November 12 for the Playstation 4 and 5.
[referenced id=”1507272″ url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/09/a-guide-to-marvels-tinkerer-the-miles-morales-games-fixer-foe/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/23/q5vw2i2zl5ptqa8snbw1-300×169.png” title=”A Guide to Marvel’s Tinkerer, the Miles Morales Game’s Fixer Foe” excerpt=”Our latest look at Miles Morales’ video gaming escapades last week revealed that his new PlayStation game is giving him a techno-powered foe to fight in the form of the Tinkerer. And while Spider-Man: Miles Morales’ take on the character is very different to what we’ve seen before, they do…”]