Spider-Man: Miles Morales exists in a space between spaces. Released as a cross-gen title between PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, it's both a last-gen swansong and a headlining launch title. It's also somewhere between standalone DLC and sequel, utilizing the foundation from the incredible 2018 PS4 exclusive Marvel's Spider-Man. It's rather short but pointedly focused. Above all though, it's a testament to the strength of Miles Morales as a character and Insomniac Games as a developer.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales is such an exciting and successful endeavor that the inevitable Spider-Man 2 should be Miles' story, not Peter's. Here's why Insomniac should make its next Spidey game be a full-length Miles title.
Narrative Possibilities
From both a narrative and gameplay perspective, putting Miles in the spotlight again is the best call. The story of Spider-Man: Miles Morales feels like Batman: Year One. The audience takes control of Miles as he's still getting his feet under him and Miles spends the adventure coming to terms with both his great power and his great responsibility.
This character arc is incredibly compelling, and the game ends just as Miles clears that hill. It leaves the story on an electric note as Miles comes into his own, both in his Harlem community and under the mask.
That ending is the perfect place for a new beginning. Getting to take control of Miles after his ascendance to the role of Spider-Man opens up so many narrative possibilities. Playing as a confident, skilled Miles would allow him to take on new challenges. Plus, this story could unfold in the context of Spider-Man: Miles Morales' excellent supporting cast. From Rio Morales to Ganke Lee to Uncle Aaron, there are so many engaging characters who should be explored in a deeper way. Peter Parker and his immediate cast are compelling, too, but they're played out in a way Miles and his circle aren't.
This isn't to suggest Peter shouldn't still play a role in a hypothetical Miles Morales 2. The teacher-student dynamic between Peter and Miles in Spider-Man: Miles Morales gives the story a lot of heart and seeing that relationship evolve over the course of the game is rewarding. Seeing their relationship shift as Miles and Peter partner up on equal footing in a sequel would be even more rewarding. In addition to adding heart, it would add spectacle. There are already glimpses of that in Miles Morales, but having the pair work together more would evoke a sense of awe and open the door for high-octane superhero action and setpieces.
Gameplay Possibilities
From a gameplay perspective, Miles is just more engaging than Peter. From his venom powers to his camouflage and gadgets, Miles has a large toolkit. It opens up so many possibilities in terms of combat, stealth and even traversal.
There's an added layer to the gameplay in Spider-Man: Miles Morales that really makes it feel special, even if it's just iterating upon Spider-Man 2018's foundation. So, extrapolating that out to a fully-fledged sequel, Miles' powers and gadgets could play even more of a role. Insomniac has a real talent for developing flashy, compelling combat abilities and encounters, so a Miles Morales 2 could certainly make these already excellent systems even better.
Much like the point about narrative, there is room to factor Peter into a Miles Morales 2 from a gameplay perspective as well. One option is to take a page out of the upcoming Gotham Knights playbook and allow for co-op. While that would add a new dimension to the gameplay, the strength of Insomniac's Spider-Man titles -- much like the previous Arkham games -- is tight, single-player design. As such, Peter could instead be woven into the narrative in a way that opens up possibilities for side missions where the player could take control of him. This is what happened with Miles and MJ in Marvel's Spider-Man, so there is already precedence in the series.
Regardless of how Peter is integrated into the story, the next Spider-Man game should be squarely focused on Miles Morales. Peter Parker has spent so long in the limelight that it's time for a new face to step up.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse showed Miles has star power, and Spider-Man: Miles Morales proves he has staying power with a relatively small story. The game can be finished comfortably within 10 hours and Miles has so much more in him than that. Insomniac Games has cemented itself as one of the industry's best, so whatever comes next will be fantastic. Hopefully that next step continues what Spider-Man: Miles Morales started.
Developed by Insomniac Games and PlayStation Studios, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is now available on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.