Sony recently announced Spider-Man: Miles Morales as a release title for the Playstation 5. Stealth gameplay was a major part of Marvel's Spider-Man on the PS4, and the second-generation web-slinger’s unique powers could be all set to spice up those sections in the sequel.
Miles’ character was originally introduced in the Ultimate Spider-Man comic series back in 2012. Fans have taken quite the liking to him in the near-decade since his debut, and now he’s only become more popular thanks to his appearances in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Marvel's Spider-Man. Both the movie and the game were incredibly well received. Spider-Verse won an Academy Award for best animated feature in 2019, and in the same year Marvel's Spider-Man overcame Batman: Arkham City as the best-selling superhero video game of all time. However, neither the film nor the video game depict Miles Morales as having full mastery over his powers. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is focused entirely around Miles as a new Spider-Man, and has a chance to show players what he is really capable of when he has training and experience on his side.
Miles and Peter (who will appear in the new game) share the same basic powers that everybody already knows, although there are some minor differences. Both characters can climb on walls, swing from webs, sense danger, and possess superhuman athletic abilities, but Miles actually has a host of impressive powers that only he can use. Some of these abilities are shown briefly in the game’s official announcement trailer that Sony presented at their PS5 reveal event. However, the Spider-Man: Miles Morales trailer only gives players the tiniest idea of how they are used during gameplay. This is incredibly important, especially when regarding the game’s stealth sections, because many of Miles’ unique powers are practically built for being sneaky.
Spider-Man fans already know Miles is a master of stealth, as he did quite a bit of it during Marvel's Spider-Man on the PS4. However, Miles' Predator-esque camouflage ability opens up a lot more options to him, and by extension, the player. Pulling off stealth takedowns will be much easier while invisible, to say the least, and so will escaping. The potential for sneaky shenanigans becomes even greater when you take a look at Miles’ bioelectric powers. Like a watered-down Thor, Miles can essentially taze enemies or empower his attacks with electric energy. At the simplest level, the abilities could be used as replacements for abilities which appeared in the last game, like the electric web. However, they are also opportunities to make stealth gameplayin Spider-Man: Miles Morales more empowering. Imagine using Venom Blast to quick-stun enemies or using Venom Strike to take down armored guards that Miles may not usually be able to dispatch with ease.
Other powers Miles wields are his energy threads (strands of bioelectricity he can emit from his fingers, and which behave a lot like webs) and his energy release ability. While under great stress, Miles can become a living bomb and release a massive burst of energy. Powers like these could add to Miles’ array of traps for stealth, and his energy burst could act as a panic button of sorts. Get caught, and Miles can let off a blast that incapacitates enemies and gives him a chance to escape. The possibilities Miles’ new abilities present in Spider-Man: Miles Morales could offer a toolkit wildly different from Peter Parker’s, yet rooted in the same web-swinging, wall-climbing abilities that make Spider-Man games so attractive. With a brand new character, Insomniac games could give fans entirely new reasons to play a Spider-Man title.