Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales story teases war for gaming spin-off

There was some confusion last week when Insomniac Games revealed Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the next installment of the Spidey saga after the 2018 hit release. Is this a sequel? A spin-off? How expansive is this? The studio answered some of those questions and shed more light on the story, including the new villains.

Brian Horton, creative director at Insomniac Games, confirmed this isn't a formal sequel to the Peter Parker-focused Marvel's Spider-Man. It's a standalone release akin to Uncharted spin-off The Lost Legacy "in terms of overall scope," Horton wrote in a blog post on the official Playstation site.

"It’s now wintertime, about a year after the events of the first game," he explained of the new narrative. "Marvel’s New York is covered in snow, and just before Christmas break, a war between an energy corporation and a high-tech criminal army has broken out. Miles’s new home in Harlem is at the heart of the battle."

"He isn't as confident, but he's learning from Peter, he's training with Peter," James Ham, a senior animator, added in a video shared by Playstation. "He doesn't look the same way so when he's swinging he's a little more flail-y."

Miles, the first Afro-Latino Spider-Man, comes with his own unique abilities that differ from Peter Parker: an electric shock power and the ability to turn invisible.

"I feel like Miles is very important because representation does matter," Ham said. "And it's not about him being a Black superhero. It's about him being a superhero who happens to be Black."

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales will debut on the Playstation 5, which will be released some time this holiday season. With the new technology, Horton writes how the game will "show off near-instant loading, ray-tracing, 3D audio, and the DualSense controller. We’ve upgraded our characters with 4D scans and improved skin shading for more realistic looking characters and spline-based hair that moves far more naturally. Many of the city’s assets have also been updated to take advantage of the new console."

As for a formal sequel to Marvel's Spider-Man, Horton didn't mention anything specific, but promised "we still have much of Peter’s story left to tell. But this game is all about Miles, a critical part of our Spider-Man universe, and you won’t want to miss what happens."

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