Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales have proven to be instrumental in defining the modern PlayStation exclusive games catalog, providing players with experiences packed with thrilling gameplay and satisfying narratives that wouldn't feel out of place in a big-budget superhero blockbuster. Spider-Man players on PS4 and PS5 have gotten two complete stories to sink their teeth into, not to mention the additional DLC that serve as self-contained epilogues to the first game. Not much is known about how villains like Venom and Kraven are in Spider-Man 2's plot, but the quality of Insomniac's two previous outings with the Webhead has inspired confidence for many fans.
The story of 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man is a mostly standard Spider-Man adventure that has elements that even the most casual superhero fans will recognize; Peter Parker has a fraught relationship with long-time love interest Mary Jane, he has to juggle his life as Spider-Man with his other responsibilities, and he faces off against iconic villains like Doctor Octopus and Electro. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a bit more unique, as it is a Spider-Man story with almost no Peter Parker, instead following the titular Miles Morales as he learns about the burdens and trials of assuming the Spider-Man mantle.
While these games are different in many ways, they both have engaging and entertaining stories that players will love. Fans are still finding hidden details in Marvel's Spider-Man, and this same granular level of attention and polish was given when crafting the stories of both entries. Indeed, the plots of Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales are jam-packed with twists and turns that will take many players by surprise.
The Devil's Breath Bioweapon Was Designed to Cure Harry Osborn In Marvel's Spider-Man
As the best friend of Peter Parker and the son of long-time Spider-Man villain Norman Osborn, Harry Osborn was expected to make an appearance in Marvel's Spider-Man. Instead, he is conspicuously absent during the story, although he is mentioned fairly early on by Mary Jane and Peter, who believe that he is traveling across Europe. It turns out that Harry's trip to Europe is simply a cover-up story given to hide the real reason for his absence: he is dying from a rare and incurable disease.
Although this disease plot is unresolved - with some theorizing that Peter will use the Symbiote to save Harry in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - it plays a major role in Marvel's Spider-Man. Given his considerable resources and the power he wields as the current New York Mayor, Norman Osborn spares no expense attempting to develop a cure for his son. It is through rigorous and unorthodox experimentation that Devil's Breath, a fatal bioweapon, is unintentionally brought into the world. Devil's Breath is extraordinarily powerful, granting Martin Li his Mr. Negative abilities and causing the catastrophic event that the game's climax hinges upon.
Peter Sacrifices Aunt May At The End Of Marvel's Spider-Man
Marvel's Spider-Man villains like Vulture can pose a major threat to players, but it would be hard to argue that any of the game's antagonists cause Peter Parker as much emotional damage as Doctor Octopus. As part of his vengeance plot against his former business partner Norman Osborn, Doc Ock releases the highly deadly Devil's Breath onto Manhattan, infecting countless citizens, including Aunt May. Spider-Man and company triumph over Doc Ock and obtain a cure for Devil's Breath, but things are not so simple. Aunt May is at death's door from the bioweapon, and there is only enough of the cure to either save May or reverse-engineer it for mass-production. Faced with an impossible choice, Peter unmasks himself to May, who surprises him by revealing that she already knew of his secret identity. Aunt May ultimately accepts her fate and urges Peter to hand over the cure to be studied for the greater good.
Although May lives on in funny Spider-Man mods, this moment will certainly be a tearjerker for many fans. Aside from being tragic and unfair, it is also thematically resonant and consistent with many of the most iconic Spider-Man stories. Spider-Man is a character defined by responsibility and selflessness, so having to let go of a woman who is essentially his surrogate mother in order to ensure less suffering is a monumental and shattering experience for him. The fact that this experience is delivered so far into his career as Spider-Man makes it all the more heartbreaking, as it proves that no amount of expertise can keep evil or tragedy at bay forever.
Miles's Childhood Friend Phin Is The Villain Of Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Miles Morales's spin-off game may be shorter than Peter Parker's (possibly due in part to the deleted scenes of Spider-Man: Miles Morales) but it's just as full of surprising moments. In the opening hours of Spider-Man: Miles Morales, players will be introduced to Tinkerer, a mysterious antagonist fighting against tech giant Roxxon and incurring a considerable amount of collateral damage. It doesn't take long for Miles to discover that Tinkerer is an old friend of his by the name of Phin, who is fighting against Roxxon to avenge the death of her brother Rick. This leads to a lengthy back-and-forth between the pair that culminates in the game's climax, during which Phin realizes the error of her ways and sacrifices herself to keep the Nuform Reactor's power from destroying Harlem
Spider-Man: Miles Morales serves as an origin story, so it was important for the game to impart a crucial lesson onto Miles - something that could happen again in a possible Miles Morales sequel following Marvel's Spider-Man 2. In the end, Miles learned that anger and resentment can corrupt even the most brilliant and kind-hearted individuals, and that the road to evil deeds is paved with good intentions. However, Phin's sacrifice also taught him that it is never too late for someone to redeem themselves, which could play a role in his future development.
Insomniac Games has proven itself as a AAA powerhouse and a worthy feather in Sony's cap of first-party studios. Much of this success can be attributed to the developer's focus on storytelling, which can be observed in both Spider-Man games, as they each offer entertaining, blockbuster narratives that complement their finely tuned gameplay mechanics. Marvel's Spider-Man was tasked with creating a new iteration of an iconic superhero while keeping in line with the spirit of the Spider-Man mythos. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, despite deserving DLC, still knocked it out of the park from a narrative standpoint, and succeeded in keeping fans excited for the third entry in the series. If Insomniac Games can once again meet or exceed storytelling expectations, gaming and superhero fans will be in for a treat.