Is Spider-Man: Miles Morales Still Worth Playing on PS4 in 2024? An Unequivocal Yes!

ByJames Dorn Last Update on

As a long-time superhero fan and gaming content creator with over 50k subscribers, I get asked this question a lot – "Is it worth playing Spider-Man: Miles Morales on PS4 in 2024?"

My answer? An unequivocal YES!

Despite being a launch title for the PS5 over 2 years ago, Miles Morales remains one of the most visually stunning, emotionally gripping and downright fun comic book games you can play right now. Here‘s why you should absolutely experience this underappreciated gem on PS4 even today.

A Deeply Personal Story That Resonates

Let‘s start with the story and characters that form the heart of any good superhero yarn. Miles Morales casts players as a teenage Miles struggling to follow in the footsteps of his mentor Peter Parker as the new Spider-Man protecting New York.

  • Over the course of 6-8 hours, you witness Miles evolve from a reluctant, unsure rookie to a confident hero who steps out of Peter‘s shadow.

  • Miles isn‘t swinging around the city just for thrills – he has very grounded, personal motivations tied to his family, friends and neighborhood. This lends a level of emotional weight rarely seen in comic book tales.

  • For example, Miles‘ cop uncle Aaron Davis dies early on, leaving him devastated. This loss haunts Miles, driving him to live up to Aaron‘s ideals of justice. This level of character depth is remarkable for a compact game.

  • Overall, expert critics almost universally praise Miles Morales‘ cinematic storytelling and heartfelt character moments. Popular review site GameRevolution calls its personal tale "arguably the most emotional and compelling story Insomniac has told so far".

Gameplay Innovation: Miles‘ Bio-Electric Venom Powers

Fans worried that Miles Morales may just be glorified DLC for 2018‘s Spider-Man can rest easy. This game retains the award-winning traversal, combat and open world sandbox of its predecessor while notably expanding in key areas.

Exhibit A is Miles‘ unique bio-electric Venom abilities that infuse his fighting moves, navigation and puzzles:

  • Venom Punch: Miles can charge up his fists with energy for concussive blast attacks, adding punch to melee sequences.
  • Venom Jump: He can leap higher and air-dash using Venom energy for new traversal possibilities.
  • Camouflage: He can also turn invisible to evade enemies temporarily.
  • Venom Sense: This allows for electrical tracking of key items and clues critical to missions.

These fresh mechanics blend seamlessly with signature Spider-Man abilities for a balanced playstyle. They push the creative envelope further, keeping action from ever feeling repetitive like some open-world games.

Jeff Cork from Game Informer captures the magic perfectly in his review, "The new Venom abilities give you options to customize Miles’ approach. Web-swinging feels as good as it did in the first game, and combat gets some nice upgrades thanks to the Venom Punch and Camouflage."

Rendering a New NYC Playground

As an avid gamer, I can‘t overstate how visually splendid and sonically immersive Miles Morales is, even on the aging PS4 hardware. The fact that the developers delivered such a technical feat deserves applause. Let‘s break down the brilliance:

  • Miles‘ New York playground is an eye-popping marvel in terms of effects, lighting and assets. Ray-traced reflections with accurate light bouncing bring its neighborhoods to life. Winter snow blankets the concrete jungle in glittery splendor unlike anything seen in 2018‘s Spider-Man.

  • Cherry on top is 60 FPS performance achieved fairly consistently in the Fidelity graphics mode, ensuring combat and locomotion stays silky-smooth always! Considering the level of visual quality here, getting both 60 FPS and near-ray tracing on PS4 is ridiculous sorcery.

  • The audio excellently captures New York‘s ambience too – from subway announcements to lively neighborhood chatter to cars honking in traffic. It‘s so well done that I often stop briefly while web swinging just to soak in the urban vibe.

  • Destructibility has been amped up as well so that the environment reacts more profoundly to your actions. Overall, it‘s shocking how beautiful an original PS4-era game can look in 2022.

A stellar 85 critic average score on Metacritic says it all regarding Miles Morales‘ technical brilliance as a cross-generation title.

Bang for Your Buck: Packed With Content

I want to quickly dispel accusations that Miles Morales is just glorified DLC due to its 6-8 hour campaign runtime. There‘s a deceptive amount of content here spanning story, gameplay and collectibles:

  • Aside from a full single-player campaign, you have Challenge modes focused on combat, traversal and stealth. These test mastery of mechanics in creative ways.

  • Collectibles include Time Capsules that provide insight into Peter Parker‘s early years as Spider-man as well as Postcards referencing iconic Marvel storylines.

  • There are tons of unlockable Suits tied to completing objectives, from the 2020 Into the Spiderverse Suit to the classic Track Suit from the original PS4 game. These change suit mods and powers.

  • New Game+ mode lets you replay the campaign from scratch with all collectibles, unlocked skills and suits. You can try new playstyles for fresh challenge.

Add up everything above alongside some fun Easter eggs and you‘ve easily got 15-20 hours of Spidey goodness! That‘s outstanding longevity given its budget-friendly $49.99 price tag.

Fellow players consistently praise just how much value Miles Morales provides today. One Steam user nails the appeal: "It may be a shorter experience than 2018’s Spider-Man, but there is plenty of content here to justify the purchase".

The Perfect Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Tale

So there you have it friends – I wholeheartedly believe Spider-Man Miles Morales remains an absolutely outstanding PS4 experience even in 2024 for several compelling reasons.

It delivers a deeply touching personal story, enjoyable gameplay innovations via venom abilities, jaw-dropping technical chops combined with meaty content offering amplified bang for buck.

Miles Morales is arguably the perfect distillation of the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man fantasy gamers cherish. Its smaller scale allows its meaningful themes, relationships and emotions to shine brighter than ever.

As long as you temper expectations on length going in, I guarantee Miles Morales will spin an unforgettably fun, heartstring-tugging web – on PS4 or PS5!

So those were my passionate thoughts as a seasoned gamer and creator on why Miles Morales is absolutely worth playing on PS4. I‘m curious to hear your own views in the comments below! Do you agree it remains a must-play Spidey adventure after all this time? Let me know!

James K. Dorn, a passionate gamer deeply immersed in the world of video gaming. My journey in gaming is not just about playing; it's about exploring every facet of the games I love. I am particularly fascinated by the intricate worlds of role-playing games like "The Witcher" series and "Elder Scrolls: Skyrim," where every decision shapes the story.

As a strategy game enthusiast, I spend hours devising tactics in games like "Civilization VI" and "StarCraft II," always eager to share my strategies with fellow gamers. I'm also an ardent follower of the ever-evolving landscape of indie games, finding gems like "Hollow Knight" and "Celeste" that offer unique, compelling experiences.

My content isn't just reviews; it's about deep dives into game mechanics, storytelling, and the art of game design. I love dissecting the narratives of games like "The Last of Us" and discussing the innovative gameplay of titles like "Death Stranding."

Being at the forefront of gaming news, I eagerly anticipate and share insights on upcoming releases like the next big open-world adventure or the latest in the "Final Fantasy" series. My goal is to build a community where we not only play games but also appreciate the artistry and effort behind them. Join me in this gaming journey, where every session is an adventure, and every game is a story waiting to be told.

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