Let’s be real for a second. When Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales first dropped as a PS5 launch title, a lot of people dismissed it. They called it "glorified DLC." They complained it was too short. Some even said it was just a reskin of the 2018 Peter Parker game to fill a gap in the release calendar.
They were wrong.
Honestly, looking back at it now from 2026, this game wasn't just a "stop-gap." It was the moment the series actually found its soul. While the original game was a massive, sprawling epic, Miles’ outing was tighter, punchier, and—dare I say it—way more fun to actually play. If you've only played the first game or jumped straight into the massive sequel, you've missed the best "neighborhood" simulator ever made.
Why the "Short" Length is Actually its Best Feature
Everyone obsesses over "hours per dollar" these days. It’s exhausting. We've been conditioned to think a game needs to be 60 hours long to be worth the price of admission.
Miles Morales is a lean 8 to 12 hours. And you know what? That’s its superpower.
Because the story is shorter, the stakes feel immediate. There’s no filler. You aren't spending three hours chasing pigeons or doing repetitive lab puzzles just to pad the runtime. Instead, you get a focused, emotional arc about a kid from Brooklyn trying to find his footing in Harlem while his mentor is away in Europe. It’s intimate. You actually get to know the people in Miles’ apartment building. By the time the final boss fight rolls around, you aren't just fighting a villain; you're fighting for a community you’ve actually spent time with.
The Combat Just Hits Different
If you go back to the 2018 game after playing as Miles, Peter feels... well, a bit basic. Don't get me wrong, Peter is the classic. But Miles has the Venom Power and the Camouflage.
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The bio-electricity (Venom) isn't just a flashy gimmick. It completely changes the rhythm of a fight. In the first game, you were mostly dodging and using gadgets. With Miles, you’re a human battery. You can dash into a crowd, unleash a Venom Smash, and send everyone flying. It turns Spider-Man into a bit of a "heavy hitter" in a way we hadn't seen before.
Then there’s the stealth.
In the original game, if you got spotted during a stealth encounter, that was it. The gig was up. Time for a brawl. With Miles’ invisibility, you can vanish mid-fight. You can reset the encounter. It makes you feel like a predator rather than just a guy in spandex hiding behind a chimney.
The "Exaggerated Swagger" of the Traversal
Yes, the meme is old. But the sentiment was right. Insomniac went out of their way to make Miles move differently than Peter.
Peter Parker swings like a professional athlete. He’s been doing this for eight years; his form is perfect. Miles? Miles is a teenager. He flails. He falls backward into a swing. He does these awkward, stylish air tricks that feel like he’s just showing off for himself.
The animation blending here is incredible. You can dive off the Empire State Building, pull off a series of chaotic spins, and then snap into a web-swing that feels totally organic. It’s not just "web-swinging." It’s a character study in motion.
Let’s Talk About Harlem
The move from Midtown to Harlem was more than just a change of scenery. It gave the game a specific texture.
The snowy, Christmas-time New York is arguably the most beautiful version of the city Insomniac has ever built. There’s something about the way the orange glow of the streetlights hits the snow on the pavement. But more than the graphics, it’s the culture. You’ve got the murals, the music, and the local businesses.
Most open-world games feel like you’re a tourist. In Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, you actually feel like a local. The "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" app—created by Miles' best friend Ganke Lee—was a genius move. It localized the side quests. Instead of stopping "Generic Crime #4," you’re helping a local business owner find his cat or fixing the lights for a holiday party. It matters because it’s your block.
The Prowler and the Personal Stakes
We have to talk about the story without spoiling the big beats for the three people who haven't played it yet. The villains aren't just trying to "take over the world."
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The conflict with the Underground and Roxxon is messy. It involves Miles’ family and his childhood friends. When Aaron Davis (The Prowler) shows up, the dynamic is fascinating. It’s not a hero vs. villain trope; it’s a complicated family drama where everyone thinks they’re doing the right thing for Miles.
That nuance is what the bigger games sometimes lose. When the world is ending, it’s hard to care about the individual. When your neighborhood is being threatened by a corporate energy giant and your own uncle is involved, every punch feels heavier.
Is it Still Worth Playing in 2026?
Honestly, yeah. Maybe even more so now.
If you’re lucky enough to be playing on a high-end PC or a PS5, the ray-tracing and 60fps performance mode make it look better than most games coming out today. The loading times are still basically non-existent. You can jump from the PS5 dashboard to swinging through Harlem in about four seconds.
It’s also the perfect "palate cleanser" game. If you’ve just finished a massive 100-hour RPG and you’re feeling burnt out, Miles Morales is the answer. It’s a weekend game. You can start it on a Friday night and see the credits roll by Sunday evening, feeling completely satisfied.
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Actionable Tips for New Players
If you're picking this up for the first time, or maybe going back for a New Game+ run, keep these things in mind:
- Don't ignore the side missions: They aren't just for XP. The "Postcard" hunt and the "Sound Samples" side quests actually flesh out the backstory of Miles’ father and uncle in a way that makes the ending hit much harder.
- Master the "Venom Jump": It’s easy to just use the Venom Punch, but the Jump is the secret to high-level play. It launches enemies into the air, where they are totally defenseless. Combine this with the Gravity Well gadget for crowd control.
- Play with the "Into the Spider-Verse" Suit: It’s not just a skin. It literally changes the frame rate of the character's animations to match the movie, and it adds "POW" and "WHAM" comic book effects to your hits. It's a completely different vibe.
- Use the Camouflage offensively: Don't just save it for hiding. Use it to sneak up on the big "Shield" enemies that are usually a pain to fight.
Ultimately, this game proved that Miles Morales isn't just "the other Spider-Man." He's a hero who stands entirely on his own, with a world that is just as rich—and arguably more heart-filled—than the one Peter Parker has been swinging through for decades.
If you want to get the most out of the experience, try to finish all the "Peter’s Training" holodromes early on. They unlock some of the best combat moves in the game and give you a better handle on how Miles differs from his mentor before the story really ramps up. Check your "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" app often—sometimes the best writing in the game is hidden in those small, localized requests from the people of Harlem.