They say that good things come in small packages. While whoever coined that phrase clearly had some questions to ask of their friends and family about gift sizes, there is an element of truth in it, especially when it comes to Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
Officially a spin-off from one of the PS4's greatest titles, Marvel's Spider-Man, this PlayStation 5 launch title is an absolute joy for fans of the webhead. Miles Morales is now Spider-Man. Well actually, he's one of two Spider-Men who protect Marvel's fictional version of New York City. When Peter Parker goes off on his holidays with Mary Jane, it's up to Miles to fly solo.
Speaking of flying solo, one of the reasons the original PS4 title is so beloved is because it absolutely nails the feeling of being Spider-Man, thwipping through the city at breakneck speeds. The outstanding traversal has been transposed effortlessly to Miles Morales, and playing the game on a PS5 is a visual masterclass, taking full advantage of the ray tracing that sings when given the opportunity through multiple times of day and weather effects.
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Despite Miles' story being much leaner than Peter's, it serves as an exquisite vessel for an introduction to the teen's life - not an easy feat given that we already have a wildly popular version of the hero in modern media, with the magnificent Into The Spider-Verse. SM:MM is smart, streamlined and jammed with a plethora of memorable moments, and is a perfect accruement to the living universe developers Insomniac are building around their characters.
If and when a proper Spider-Man sequel is made, Miles is now a fully fleshed-out character ready to help Peter in his adventures, or perhaps even succeed him. The groundwork is done, and packaged within a succinct installment that is a marriage between the new and the classic.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales is like slipping into a comfortable old pair of slippers, only they're actually a sick pair of light-up Heelys with fur lining. A strained analogy, yes, but what I'm getting at is that SM:MM takes all the elements we loved about Marvel's Spider-Man (superlative traversal, pulse-pounding combat, and a genuinely great Peter Parker story) and gives them a vibrant lick of paint.
Miles is an affable character who you root for throughout, and his abilities give the game's already excellent combat an extra dynamic. Let's also not forget that the city of New York is achingly gorgeous on the PlayStation 5. If a game makes you want to boot it up just to exist within its world for a little while? Yeah, that's pretty awesome.
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Check out GAMINGbible's picks for other platforms:
Nintendo Game of 2020: 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons'
Xbox Game of 2020: 'Ori and the Will of the Wisps'
PC Game of 2020: 'Hades'
Read all our Best of 2020 content here
Featured Image Credit: Sony Interactive EntertainmentTopics: PlayStation 5, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Best of 2020