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A Must buy or Hard pass for Spider-Man: Miles Morales?

12K View2022-11-20
Spider-Man: Miles Morales (Review)
Released: November 18, 2022
Price: $49.99
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Spider-Man: Miles Morales focuses on Miles' challenges and his duty as a Spider-man backup while Peter Parker is out on vacation. Swing, clobber, and explore Harlem's streets while trying to stop the Roxxon Energy corporation from tearing the city apart.
What initially peaked my interest in this game?
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If I'm being completely honest, it's not the fact that it's a Spider-Man game or a port to PC, as I already indicated in my previous first impressions article, I am not a really big Marvel fan and haven't played one since 2005, until today.
The short answer is, I saw Spider-Cat in a trailer.
"Really? That's it?"
It's truly that simple; the finisher moves were really cute and enjoyable, so I decided to pick up the game and give it a shot, because I'm the type of gamer that gets lured in by ridiculous cute things like animal companions.
I was drawn in for the first few hours with great hopes of obtaining the cosmetic for the feline sidekick, but here's the kicker. You have to beat the game first to unlock it, which is generally a significant deterrent for me because my capacity to replay an entire game is confined to largely turn-based RPGs with a lot of change between each run, rather than a linear trod upon path we have here.
That may not be a big deal for most people, but the game slows down and turns into a drawn out Disney plot where you, the player, know precisely what is going to happen next but your character or all the other characters involved do not because they are simply too stupid to notice.
You must painstakingly guide them through all of the obvious hazards.
Appearance & Concerns
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7 hours into my first file, I've observed very few game breaking graphics or problems when it comes to graphical concerns particularly during the early game with the plethora of options to pick from, besides ray tracing which lags.
Clipping did become a slight problem
5 to 6 hours into the game I did notice some clipping of some hands when they investigated objects, as well as ragdoll effects leading some foes to glitch through the flooring or the adversaries' AI pathing completely glitching out, making it more humorous than anything else, but still no real issue here.
Slight de-rendering issues
There were a few moments where the snowfall kept de-rendering and rendering back in, but that's a small annoyance to me.
Others may find it more disruptive to their immersion, but I find it minor.
Impressive details & Extras
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The Commemorative Statue
Stan Lee was an American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer who created numerous iconic characters such as Spider-Man, Black Panther, Hulk, Doctor Doom, Thor, Loki, Iron Man, Daredevil, and many more.
While it may not appear to be much to most, it's good to see commemorative items in video games to delight people who were truly inspired by someone with a passion for what they do, especially after their death.
Visual Customization
I was quite impressed with the amount of customization available for the visually impaired or simply personal preferences of what you as a player would like to see as highlight indicators or subtitles, as well as the ease of access to make your game more of a casual experience rather than a challenge.
You can use a background to separate the subtitles from the bright white or yellow backgrounds that you will unavoidably run around in.
You can also modify the color of the speakers, the type of subtitles used, and the size. While this may not be a major problem for some, it's a very nice feature that they included just to be more inclusive to those with visual impairments.
The Graphic Quality and supported FPS
You'll be relieved to find that this port supports more than 30 fps, swinging across Manhattan / NYC at the utmost frames your computer specs allow. It feels fluid and crisp while you're doing whatever you're doing.
I have nothing but admiration for the visuals, which are spectacular, especially with the support of Ray tracing, which integrates wonderfully realistic lighting effects that enhance the realism of dynamic shadows.
Disappointments
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Swinging Mechanic and climbing specific locations
I'm going to have to say that the main mode of transportation is going to be swinging around the streets of Manhattan, but it just doesn't feel that smooth or fluid once you've seen it enough times. You can travel through subways.
The impression of speed isn't always present; in prior iterations, such as Spider-Man 2 (PS2), the sensation of being able to travel incredibly fast that you could do loop-de-loops was very rewarding, but momentum is lacking here.
While inside buildings and structures, you often feel confined to the floor, unable to swing, which makes sense in some ways but severely limits your ability to climb on walls even outside. It's as if everything wants you to be "perched" on a lamppost or ceiling light rather than against a wall.
Side-missions the game demands you complete
This means that after completing a large story objective, you will often be told that you need to go conduct some side missions to blow off some steam while they prepare for the next significant step through the tale, basically "tomorrow."
However, when games do this, it is more likely to push the gamer away, making them refuse to do such side-missions unless they are forced to, and it does become exhausting when done too frequently, it doesn't happen often, but it happens enough to want to put them off entirely, at least in my opinion.
What kept me from finishing it for a time?
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The Pacing
I felt like the plot was slowing down since I was being told to go perform side objectives but all I want to do is keep playing the main story to eventually unlock the Spider-Cat outfit and enjoy the cinematics it offered.
However, I was being compelled to repeatedly obey their linear slower tempo and drawn out storyline dialogue, and I needed a break from it.
The World feeling "empty"
By empty, I mean without interaction with any of the NPC population.
Drop down, give someone a high five, and do a little dance for them, but that's about it. It would have been so much more exciting if the environment seemed alive and you could genuinely interact with it, helping others saving them, etc.
Obvious story telling
As I already indicated, the story is pretty predictable even before it begins.
You know what's going on and what's going to happen, so you simply grin and bear it while internally yelling at the characters on screen for being so stupid. This may be more of a pet peeve for me than for others.
Do I recommend this game?
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Yes
I would still recommend it to individuals who enjoy the Marvel universe and would want to see other titles like BloodBourne get much-needed PC versions, as well as those who want to learn more about Miles Morales.
There's nothing fundamentally wrong with the game; it's just a little too linear and lifeless for my tastes as a gamer. Open world from point A to point B.
No
I would also not recommend it to anyone who is easily bored by fetch quest type gameplay, in which you wander from one location to the next meeting the needs of the police and quests but not feeling like much of it counts in the end, as if it has no effect on the main story or environment.
So is it good or not?
This type of question is better answered by another, because many of us as gamers search for specific things in video games or movies that either appeal to us individually or pique the attention of others in some manner or form.
The question for you is, why do you feel the need to play this game?
Perhaps you're a major Marvel fan, perhaps you appreciate the graphics, perhaps the characters pique your interest; in any case, games must provide a strong urge to continue playing when you're almost halfway through, rather than putting you to sleep after a powerful and steady introduction 2 hours in.
At the end of the day it's up to you what you as a consumer enjoy.
This finishes my review of this game; while my thoughts may be met with criticism, that is what distinguishes gamers, you do not have to like the same things as others, nor do you have to agree with them.
If you want to catch me on one of my streams or locate me on social media, you may do so at the following locations:
- Pawkt
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Comments
Fardeen Qureshi
Fardeen Qureshi
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1

Spider-Man

2022-12-21

mAarvi Choudhary
mAarvi Choudhary
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2

Spiderman miles morales

2022-12-18

mAarvi Choudhary
mAarvi Choudhary
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1

I Spiderman;M

2022-12-18

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