The short answer is – it depends. Both Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Marvel‘s Spider-Man for PS4 are fantastic games that superhero fans should play. Miles Morales offers next-gen graphical capabilities and an emotional coming-of-age story, while Marvel‘s Spider-Man has superior scope, characters, activities, and overall polish. Keep reading as I break down the key differences to help you decide which title you might enjoy more.
Storytelling – Peter Parker‘s Journey vs. Miles‘ Origin
Marvel‘s Spider-Man features a deeply cinematic narrative that develops over the course of several weeks. As Peter Parker, you‘ll take down various supervillains, reconcile relationships, and uncover an intricate conspiracy. It‘s an expansive story filled with twists and turns that made me feel like I was playing through a big-budget movie.
In contrast, Miles Morales is constrained by its shorter 6-8 hour length. But what it lacks in scope, it makes up for with heart. This is an intimate coming-of-age tale focused on Miles‘ origin as he steps up after Peter Parker‘s departure. The personal stakes resonated strongly with me as Miles struggles to fill the void left by his mentor.
Ultimately, Marvel‘s Spider-Man is the winner if you want an epic superhero saga. But I found Miles‘ small scale story refreshing amidst so many bombastic blockbusters. As a friend once told me, "Not every story has to be an Infinity War-level event." And I think that perfectly captures the appeal of Miles Morales – a smaller scale, but profoundly impactful human story.
Gameplay and Combat
In terms of core mechanics, Insomniac stuck with the "if it ain‘t broke, don‘t fix it" philosophy. Swinging through New York City feels just as smooth and kinetic in Miles Morales. Combat is also near identical, relying on gadgets, acrobatic dodges, varied combo strings, and environmental takedowns.
Where Miles shakes things up is with his bio-electric venom abilities. Turning invisible or delivering powerful venom blasts provides some nice tactical options in fights. I especially enjoyed the "Venom Punch," which can instantly knock out certain enemy types. These flashy, exaggerated moves really sell Miles‘ inexperienced, evolving fighting style.
That said, Marvel‘s Spider-Man does have a bigger arsenal of gadgets, suits, and skill upgrades for combat and stealth scenarios. Between trip mines, suspended web traps, and the remote-controlled spider drone, Peter has more tools at his disposal. Marvel‘s Spider-Man also packs a lot more ambient crime events throughout its open world.
So while I loved Miles‘ new venom powers, Peter ultimately provides more gameplay variety and content density for those who really want to max out Spider-Man‘s capabilities.
Open World of New York City
Both games allow players to freely swing through sprawling open world versions of New York City. But there are some key differences in scope and density.
Marvel‘s Spider-Man recreates a vast, 1:1 model of Manhattan island, with distinct neighborhoods like Greenwich Village, Chinatown, and more. I really valued how it captured the true density and personality of NYC. The city really feels alive with traffic, pedestrians, weather effects, and more.
Miles Morales offers a visually stunning, but scaled back recreation of Harlem and surrounding neighborhoods. The world is smaller, but lavished with finer details and interiors. For example, you can actually go inside Miles‘ apartment and see his gadgets laying around his room. It feels handcrafted rather than Generated.
For purists who want the full Big Apple experience, Marvel‘s Spider-Man is king. But I appreciated the charm and intricate design of Miles Morales‘ condensed world. It encouraged me to learn the layout on a granular level in a way I never did with Peter‘s Manhattan sandbox.
Presentation – Ray Tracing and Next-Gen Immersion
Without a doubt, Miles Morales stands tall as a true current-gen showcase thanks to its graphics. On PS5, it runs smoothly at 4K/60fps with ray traced lighting and reflections. Lighting effects like sun shafts streaming through windows look incredible. The realistic materials, particles, and weather effects are also astonishing.
By comparison, Marvel’s Spider-Man was remastered for PS5 with improved assets and 60fps performance. But it doesn’t hit the same level of visual fidelity since it was originally built for PS4 hardware. Of course, the remaster still looks amazing. However, Miles Morales leverages the PS5’s hardware to deliver an unparalleled graphical showcase.
Beyond just technical chops, Miles Morales uses next-gen immersion to enhance the overall experience. Clever examples include the DualSense controller‘s haptic feedback mimicking Spider-sense, adaptive triggers recreating the tension of web shooting, and 3D audio bringing environmental ambiance to life. These subtle details made me feel more present in the shoes of Miles compared to playing as Peter on PS4.
Supporting Cast – Familiar Faces vs. Fresh Blood
Marvel‘s Spider-Man populates its world with iconic Spider-Man characters like Aunt May, Mary Jane Watson, Norman Osborn, and more. It‘s a thrill to see these staple characters rendered in gorgeous detail, and they‘re all voiced by talented actors. These familiar faces also add a greater sense of legacy and history to Peter‘s story.
Miles Morales puts the focus on its titular hero, so he‘s surrounded mostly by new characters. His best friend Ganke and mom Rio play pivotal roles in his journey. Miles also forms a bond with the intense, principled Phin Mason who becomes a complicated figure. I appreciated meeting Miles‘ own distinct circle rather than just rehashing Peter‘s world.
This category comes down to personal preference. Do you want to spend more time with beloved icons like MJ, Osborn and J. Jonah Jameson? Or are you excited to meet the fresh faces in Miles‘ life? Both approaches have merit to me.
Replay Value – Lots to Do vs. A Tighter Package
With triple the playtime, tons of collectibles and activities, multiple difficulty levels, and dozens of skins/suits to unlock, Marvel‘s Spider-Man offers a wealth of content and incentives for completionists. You could easily invest 60-80 hours doing everything. There‘s great value here for gamers who want their money‘s worth.
Conversely, Miles Morales provides a more compact and streamlined adventure. I was able to 100% complete all activities and collectibles in under 20 hours. Without a sprawling map or huge roster of villains, Miles Morales is ultimately designed as a tighter, more narrative-driven experience.
So for players who loved being overwhelmed with things to do and collect in Marvel‘s Spider-Man, the scaled back scope of Miles Morales could be disappointing. But I appreciated its restraint – Miles delivers meaningful content without bloat. Sometimes less is more.
Final Verdict – Two Must-Play Spider-Man Experiences
While Miles Morales offers brilliant new combat abilities, jaw-dropping next-gen visuals, and an emotional coming-of-age story, Marvel‘s Spider-Man still excels in scope, characters, content, and polished gameplay.
But again – both of these games are phenomenal and any Spider-Man fan shouldn‘t miss either title. Marvel‘s Spider-Man stands out as a genre-defining superhero epic, while Miles Morales tells a smaller scale, but profoundly impactful human story. They each have their own strengths and are both worth your time.
Whichever you play first, you‘ll have an amazing experience web-swinging through a meticulously realized version of New York City and fighting nefarious villains with spectacular spider powers. For my money, you can‘t go wrong with these two modern classics. Excelsior!
