Miles Morales is the More Focused, Emotional Experience, But You Can‘t Go Wrong with Either Spider-Man Game

When it comes to Marvel‘s Spider-Man: Miles Morales vs. Marvel‘s Spider-Man Remastered, there‘s no definitive "better" option. Both are absolutely phenomenal superhero games that showcase the best of Insomniac‘s open world design. However, Miles Morales generally provides a tighter, more emotionally impactful experience. Remastered offers much more gameplay content and longevity though, with dozens more hours of web-slinging action. So it really comes down to which style of game you prefer.

At a Glance: Mile Morales vs. Remastered

Here‘s a quick overview of how the two games compare:

So in summary, Miles Morales is shorter, more intimate, and leaner. Remastered offers a bigger adventure and city to explore. But both offer excellent web-swinging traversal and combat centered around gadgets and mobility. Let‘s dive deeper into what sets these two Spider-Man experiences apart on PS5.

Miles Morales‘ Story Hits on a Personal Level

Marvel‘s Spider-Man: Miles Morales puts its focus squarely on Miles‘ origin story as he steps into the Spider-Man role in his own neighborhood of Harlem. The scope is smaller, with no world-ending threat. Instead, the stakes feel intensely personal as Miles struggles to follow in Peter Parker‘s footsteps while dealing with family issues and his relationship with a childhood friend turned enemy.

These characters like Miles‘ police officer father Jeff and his friend-turned-foe Phin Mason are what brings the story of Miles Morales to life. It carries an emotional weight that you don‘t find as often in big blockbuster superhero tales like the original Marvel‘s Spider-Man. And Miles‘ inner turmoil feels much more relatable, especially for younger players seeing this rookie hero find his way.

As IGN‘s review put it:

"Much like its predecessor, Spider-Man: Miles Morales tells a deeply personal story – one full of heart. Its brief tale of two friends taking divergent paths packs an emotional punch, enhanced by stellar voice acting and facial animations that capture sorrow, anger, and pain."

So if you‘re looking for a superhero story with more heart and characters you genuinely care about, Miles Morales absolutely delivers.

Marvel‘s Spider-Man Remastered Goes Big on Blockbuster thrills

On the flip side, Marvel‘s Spider-Man Remastered brings back the huge-scale, cinematic story of the original PS4 game. It has a grander scope with world-ending stakes as Spider-Man battles a who‘s who of his most famous villains like Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, and Mr. Negative wreaking havoc across the city.

The story delivers on big budget thrills and memorable, over-the-top set pieces one would expect from a major comic book blockbuster film. The relationships between Peter Parker and characters like Aunt May and Mary Jane are still charming and grounded. But the main plot leans into non-stop, edge-of-your-seat superhero action perfect for fans of the genre.

GameSpot‘s review describes the epic scale as:

"Spider-Man‘s story is straightforward but enjoyable, moving through a large cast of allies, villains, and side characters who are woven together in a well-scripted tale. From beginning to end, it‘s propelled forward by a sense of exhilaration and confidence reminiscent of some of the best superhero films."

If you want a grand, sweeping Spider-Man saga packed with both character drama and thrilling action, Remastered absolutely sticks the superhero landing.

Miles Morales is Shorter but Denser with Activities

Miles Morales trims the fat for a more concentrated open world experience. The map only covers Miles‘ Harlem neighborhood, cutting out famous areas like Times Square. Side activities are also more limited compared to Remastered, with fewer collectibles to hunt down, challenges to take on, or crimes to intervene in.

But what‘s there feels handcrafted. Roaming around Harlem, you constantly stumble upon crimes-in-progress, little environmental puzzles to solve using your powers, and locales with their own self-contained stories. Quality outweighs quantity, encouraging you to slow down and really take in the neighborhood.

Remastered meanwhile offers one of the most jam-packed open worlds ever created. The map is positively overflowing with objectives from catching pigeons to competing in drone races. For completionist players, this sandbox is a never-ending playground limited only by your imagination and willingness to keep chasing icons on your mini-map.

So Miles Morales encourages focusing on its densely-packed section of New York, while Remastered lets you get delightfully lost in the massive scope of its city.

Miles Morales Refines Gameplay, Remastered Expands It

Core gameplay mechanics are similar between the two games. swinging, combat, stealth, missions, etc. all feel cut from the same web. But Miles Morales does introduce some new twists…

Miles Morales‘ Key Gameplay Enhancements

• Venom powers: Bio-electricity, camouflage
• Dynamic weather/time of day
• Holiday decorations
• Fresh enemy types
• DualSense controller features
• 60fps Performance mode

These updates give Miles Morales‘ gameplay a bit more "pop" compared to Remastered. But at its foundation, it shares that same satisfying open world action that made the original so acclaimed.

Conversely, Remastered retains the full breadth of gadgets, skill trees, combat moves, and activities from Spider-Man PS4. It expands the toolbox rather than refines it with new additions like Miles. But the sheer wealth of gameplay content and options outshines its sequel.

So Miles Morales offers better moment-to-moment gameplay improvements while Remastered provides more tools overall for mixing up your approach to missions and exploration.

Technical Differences and Next-Gen Enhancements

As you‘d expect from a flagship PS5 launch game, Marvel‘s Spider-Man: Miles Morales takes full advantage of the new console‘s capabilities for a cutting edge Spidey experience. Performance targets 60fps smoothness with ray tracing enabled, eliminating any choppiness.

Loading is practically instantaneous – fast-travel across the map and starting missions happens in the blink of an eye. The DualSense controller‘sadaptive triggers and haptic feedback deepen the immersion. And the ray-traced snow/lighting effects look gorgeous, especially during the holiday season setting.

Marvel‘s Spider-Man Remastered also impresses as one of the better cross-generational enhanced ports. The visuals have been overhauled with new assets, ray tracing, and improved character models that fix Peter Parker‘s infamous original face. You can choose between a 60fps Performance mode or higher resolution in Fidelity – though frame rate stability isn‘t quite as solid as Miles Morales.

Both games smartly leverage the PS5‘s power, but Miles Morales has a next-gen edge as the showcase launch title built specifically for the new hardware. Still, Remastered likely offers the best way to experience the original game.

The Verdict: Get Miles Morales for an Emotional Journey, Remastered for More Gameplay

Ultimately, Marvel‘s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is the more poignant and tightly designed experience, while Marvel‘s Spider-Man Remastered provides more overall gameplay, content and bang for your buck.

If you‘re looking for a 10-15 hour open world action game that also tugs at your heartstrings, go with Miles Morales. Its streamlined map encourages diving deep rather than wide.

But Remastered is a good 30+ hours of web-swinging, wall-crawling, crime-fighting action lovingly recrafted for PS5. It‘s Spider-Man dialed up to 11.

You really can‘t go wrong either way. But hopefully this guide has broken down their distinct strengths to help inform your decision. Your friendly neighborhood gaming expert says spin that web and soar into the open world Spider-Man adventure that clicks with your Spidey sensibilities!