The first reviews for Spider-Man: Miles Morales are rolling in as the new game swings toward a launch next week on PS5 and PS4. The spin-off title from the studio’s PS4 game features some tweaks to the familiar New York City setting fans will remember from the 2018 game, including a Black Lives Matter-themed mural as part of the game’s rendition of Harlem.
Players will be able to spot the mural in-game while swinging through the city streets as Miles, and its location features prominently in a side quest where players unlock the Uptown Pride suit, a black and gold version of the young web-slinger’s uniform. Miles Morales developer Insomniac Games and publisher Sony were just two of the many studios and publishers that expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement earlier in 2020.
Players can unlock the suit after completing several of the game’s missions where Spider-Man helps residents of Harlem. The black-and-gold color scheme of the outfit matches with the colors adopted by the movement, which grew to a new level of prominence in 2020 after the killing of George Floyd.
Since his introduction in 2011, Marvel fans of all kinds have grown fond of Miles Morales’ Spider-Man stories, but the character’s Afro-Latinx roots have resonated specifically with members of both communities. Acknowledgments of Miles’ identity may not have significant gameplay implications, but they’re an essential part of the character’s identity, and set his stories apart from Peter Parker and other heroes in the Spider-Verse mythos. It’s a respectful and meaningful gesture for some of the character’s biggest fans.
Much like Kamala Khan showing up as a major character in The Avengers earlier this year, Miles’ status as the game’s protagonist gives players the chance to experience a story and a character that hasn’t been spotlighted in gaming until now. The mural isn’t the only element Miles Morales includes for fans of Miles’s history and heritage. Sony and Insomniac revealed the game’s Into The Spider-Verse-themed suit last week, bringing some of the hit movie’s unique aesthetics and style to the world of video games.
Insomniac’s decision to include a reference to the Black Lives Matter movement is a rare explicit acknowledgment of real-world issues within the bounds of a virtual world. It might be an unprecedented move, but video games aren’t made in a vacuum. The mural’s presence in the game is a reminder of what Miles Morales himself is meant to stand for as a character: a hero and a role model for all, both in his universe’s New York and the player’s.
Game Rant’s review of Spider-Man: Miles Morales on PS4 lauded the game as a worthy follow-up to the beloved original game. “The short story length works against it, but its narrative highs, likable characters, and gameplay improvements make for a superb superhero game.”
Spider-Man: Miles Morales is out on November 12 for the PS4 and PS5.
Source: GamesRadar
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