The web-slinging hero seems to be more popular than ever, due in part to Insomniac Games' Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales PlayStation games. Not only has the developer delivered compelling gameplay, but also created an interesting and unique universe in which its games take place. This universe could be expanding with Wolverine, also being developed by Insomniac, but it won't be until after Spider-Man 2 comes out in 2023. The teaser for Spider-Man 2, which premiered at the recent PlayStation Showcase, brings the stories of Peter Parker and Miles Morales even closer.
The two have at least partially shared the in-game spotlight since the release of Spider-Man in 2018. Peter was, by and large, the main star of the game, but Miles and his family play a large part in its story, adequately setting up his spin-off that would come two years later. It felt as though a void had been left to be filled by an open-world Spider-Man game ever since the Spider-Man 2 from 2004. Web-swinging was a particular point of interest for fans, and now Insomniac has supplied two superheroes who fit the bill.
Insomniac also took the welcome approach of introducing a Spider-Man that was already a seasoned crime fighter. Peter is 23 years old and already out of college in Spider-Man, so the game doesn't need to spend time on an origin story. The first game does, however, double as a Miles' origin story, which sets up the second game to let players experience the growing pains of becoming Spider-Man without the necessary exposition bogging down the pacing. Between the two games, Insomniac has set up a story featuring two independently capable Spider-Men with a mentor/mentee relationship that should lead to an interesting encounter with Venom and Kraven the Hunter in Spider-Man 2.
Spider-Man: Mr. Negative And The Inner Demons
Insomniac's Spider-Man begins with the arrest of notorious criminal boss Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin. The collapse of Kingpin's syndicate leads to his properties being targeted by other criminal organizations. While investigating a break in at an auction house storing Fisk's art collection, Peter runs into MJ, his ex-girlfriend, and they both encounter a gang of masked burglars who are looking for information on a secret weapon called Devil's Breath. Failing to stop the gang from retrieving the files, Peter takes one of the criminal's masks and consults Martin Li on the subject. Li is the proprietor of the F.E.A.S.T. homeless shelter that Peter's Aunt May works at. Li tells Peter the masks are worn by members of a gang known as the Inner Demons.
The game goes on to introduce Dr. Otto Octavius - whom Peter works for as a lab assistant - and Norman Osborn - father of Peter's best friend Harry. Octavius and Osborn were once partners at tech giant Oscorp, but a disagreement ended their colleagueship. Octavius is now working on robotic arm prosthetics, while Osborn is the mayor of New York City. At a re-election rally for Osborn, the Inner Demons make their grand public entrance by blowing up the event and killing police officer Jefferson Davis, father to Miles Morales. During the attack, Li is revealed as the leader of the Inner Demons, Spider-Man's secondary antagonist dubbed Mr. Negative.
In the wake of his father's death, Miles joins F.E.A.S.T. and becomes close with Peter. Shocked by the attempt on his life, Osborn hires Sable International, a private security firm lead by Silver Sable. Silver Sable doesn't take kindly to Spider-Man, who now faces two enemy factions in Sable International and the Inner Demons. Li and the Inner Demons manage to steal Devil's Breath, a bio-weapon accidentally created by Oscorp, and attempt to disperse it in Grand Central Station. The plot is foiled by Peter and MJ, and Li is incarcerated in the Raft, a high-security prison near Ryker's Island that houses many of Spider-Man's enemies.
Spider-Man: Doctor Octopus And The Sinister Six
Throughout the first half of the game, Dr. Octavius has been growing increasingly angry at Osborn for withdrawing the grants that bankroll Octavius Industries' research into advanced prosthetics. Octavius begins experimenting with an untested neural implant, which allows him to control four of the prosthetics, but has an adverse effect on his mental state, driving him to seek revenge on Osborn. With the power of the prosthetics, Octavius becomes Doctor Octopus and mounts an attack on the Raft, freeing Mr. Negative, Electro, Rhino, Scorpion, and Vulture - forming the Sinister Six.
While Peter is dealing with Electro, Rhino, Scorpion, and Vulture, Doc Ock steals the Devil's Breath and releases it in Times Square. Meanwhile, MJ goes to investigate a cure for Devil's Breath that Oscorp is supposedly synthesizing. In Osborn's penthouse, she discovers that Devil's Breath was intended to be a cure for Harry, who is terminally ill. She also learns the nature of Mr. Negative's grudge: Devil's Breath was tested on Li, which gave him his powers and led to him accidentally killing his parents. With four members of the Sinister Six taken care of, Peter manages to form a loose alliance with Silver Sable, which allows him access to Oscorp, where he confronts Mr. Negative. Peter manages to win the fight, but not before Octavius arrives and escapes with the cure and Osborn, and leaving Peter critically injured.
Prior to the final showdown with Doc Ock atop Oscorp Tower, Peter designs an armored suit, which protects him as he defeats his former mentor and secures the Devil's Breath cure. Aunt May was infected by the Devil's Breath in Times Square, but Peter makes the difficult decision of using the small dose to create more, rather than saving his aunt. Spider-Man's ending involves Aunt May's funeral, and Peter rekindling his relationship with MJ.
During the game's credits, Miles reveals to Peter that he was bitten by a spider while volunteering at F.E.A.S.T. and now has Spider-Man's powers, and Peter in turn reveals his secret role as Spider-Man. The rest of the credits are followed by a scene teasing Venom's upcoming appearance in Spider-Man 2: Norman Osborn places his hand on the tank where Harry is submerged to keep him alive, and a black, viscous substance reaches out on the other side of the tank wall.
Spider-Man Miles Morales: Roxxon & The Underground
Spider-Man: Miles Morales opens with Miles and Peter apprehending Rhino after he escapes during a prisoner transport. Miles is then informed by Peter that he and MJ are traveling abroad for a few weeks, leaving Miles to protect New York alone. A short time later, after beginning Peter's holographic training program, Miles responds to his friend Ganke telling him there's been a break-in at a Nuform reactor site, a new type of energy source developed by the Roxxon Corporation. Miles discovers and deals with a group of high-tech criminals known as the Underground attempting to steal tech information from the Nuform site.
Following the first encounter with the Underground, Miles Morales introduces Miles' childhood friend Phin, who Miles hasn't seen for a long time. In subsequent interactions with Phin, Miles struggles with keeping his identity as Spider-Man a secret, while he simultaneously suspects Phin is also concealing something. With Miles looking to fill in for Peter while he's away, Ganke develops a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man App, where NY locals can post requests for the web-slinger. It's through an app-related mission that the game brings in Miles' uncle, Aaron Davis, who easily deduces the new Spider-Man's identity as his nephew.
The conflict between Roxxon and the Underground heats up when Rio's rally for her nomination to City Council is interrupted by a masked person called the Tinkerer declaring Simon Krieger, CEO of Roxxon, a murderer. Members of the Underground attack Roxxon security forces, and Miles intervenes as the Underground tries to steal a shipment of Nuform. Miles' bioelectric powers accidentally cause a Nuform explosion, but not before the Tinkerer's identity is revealed to be Phin.
Miles Morales: The Prowler And Rhino's Return
Miles attempts to figure out why Phin became the Tinkerer and learns that Krieger killed her brother when he tried to disable a Nuform reactor, which was making people ill. Miles also runs into the Prowler, a masked vigilante who reveals himself to be Miles' uncle. Aaron suggests that Miles should infiltrate the Underground, feigning interest in Phin's organization to see what their plans are. Following his uncle's advice, Miles finds the Underground converting the stolen Nuform into a bomb they intend to use to destroy the reactor where her brother was killed. A subsequent fight reveals to Phin that Miles is Spider-Man.
Phin and Miles plan on meeting at Trinity Church to discuss their conflict, but their location is divulged to Roxxon by Aaron, who Miles confided in. Roxxon releases an upgraded Rhino, who was taken into the company's custody after he was reigned in at the beginning of the game. With Miles' bioelectric powers ineffective against Rhino's new armor, both Miles and Phin are captured and taken to Roxxon headquarters. While escaping, Miles learns of two things: his uncle's betrayal, and modifications made to the Nuform reactor that would ensure the destruction of Harlem if it was tampered with. After barely escaping another confrontation with Rhino, Miles returns to his apartment seriously injured and his being Spider-Man is revealed to his mother Rio.
While Rio and Ganke begin evacuating Harlem in case of a Nuform explosion, Miles goes after Phin but is waylaid by his uncle, who claims to be restraining Miles for his own safety. After Aaron's role in Miles' capture by Roxxon is revealed, Spider-Man and the Prowler fight it out, with Miles leaving his uncle injured and webbed in an abandoned subway tunnel. Miles pursues Phin and eventually confronts her trying to use an energy converter the two of them designed for an Oscorp science fair to overload the Nuform and destroy the reactor. Phin does not listen to Miles' claims that it will destroy Harlem and leaves to enact her plan while Underground henchmen attack. The Prowler arrives, recently freed from Spider-Man's webs, to redeem himself and help Miles, who follows Phin to the Nuform reactor site, where a fight ensues.
After besting Phin, Miles tries to absorb the energy of the overloading reactor but is unsuccessful. Phin - realizing her error - takes the reactor, and launches herself into the air, dying in the explosion and sending Miles careening back to the ground. Spider-Man's identity is revealed to his neighbors, who shield him while he puts his mask back on and swings away. The Prowler continues his redemption arc by releasing information on Roxxon that leads to Krieger's arrest. Peter eventually returns to New York in the aftermath of the Roxxon and Underground incident setting up Miles Morales' cinematic final shot, and the post-credits scenes once again tease Venom for future Marvel's Spider-Man games and show Miles mourning the loss of Phin.