Spider-Man: Miles Morales is Massively Underrated
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 16 окт 2023
- After the massive success of Marvel’s Spider-Man, it was obvious that Insomniac would want to follow up with a sequel. But what wasn’t as expected was the development of a sort of mid-quel to launch simultaneously with the PS5, Spider-Man: Miles Morales. And though the game is quite a bit shorter than its predecessor, it’s once again a perfect Spider-Man story, letting us experience Miles’ first major outing as Spider-Man, and setting the stage for the sequel. Spider-Man Miles Morales might not be as robust as Insomniac’s first Spidey game, but it packs a massive emotional punch and gives us a more intimate, street level experience as Spider-Man learns the ropes. It may venom shock you to learn that I adore Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and today I’m gonna tell you exactly why.
Edited by Joe Murphy @nazchoz798
SUPPORT ME ON PATREON!- / johnny2cellos
Follow me on Twitter: / johnny2cellos
Music:
Johnny 2 Cellos Theme Music - Norman Marston
Johnny 2 Cellos Theme Remix- @BlackTyeChi
Video Used:
Marvel's Spider-Man (2018)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (2023)
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted.
"Fair Use" guidelines: www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html 
Развлечения
Saving a bodega cat that is named after Spider-Man is definitely one of the best side missions in video game history.
Fr
Spider-Cat, Spider-Cat
Does whatever a Spider-Cat does
Can he swing from a web?
No he can't, he's a cat
Lookout! Here's comes the Spider-Cat
Anything is better than trying to get those god dawn pigeons lol
@@joeslater2390 Bro you telling facts
I love how much Teo learns to love this Spider-Man probably even more than the original that he named his cat after, just because Miles becomes such a strong pillar for their community.
The game’s major flaw is that neither Phin/ the Tinkerer or Simon Krieger are satisfying antagonists. But when you’re just playing the game, experiencing Miles as a character and as Spider-Man, and building a relationship with the community, it’s truly a masterpiece
Part of the issue with Phin is the fact that there have been multiple major antagonists motivated by revenge against a businessman by this point, so she ends up repeating a lot of the same character beats, and Krieger additionally lacks the depth that Norman Osborn had to make him compelling as a greater-scope villain.
Well put.
I thought that Phin was a decent antagonist because of her close relationship with Miles, not because of her powers, costume, agenda, or threat to the world, but Krieger was a typical bad guy so wasn't very intriguing.
Yeah the story was so underwhelming, but everything else about it was great
The thing that makes Phin a bad villain isn't any of her writing, it's actually the way people around her act to her actions. Instead of miles calling her out on her bullshit and talking to her about how she attacked his mom's rally and hurt her and others there, he constantly just apologizes for "lying" about being Spider-Man?
Tbf I'm not a fan of the entire 3rd act with Phin and Miles where every conversation goes:
Phin: You lied to me
Miles: I'm sorry for lying but listen to me
Phin: No because you're lying you liar
OR
Miles: Can't believe I lied
Ganke: You shouldnt have lied
Miles: Yeah I shouldn't have
I like that at 20:39 the camera slow rotates around Rio to show Jefferson's photo and it stays behind Rio the rest of the conversation, basically saying cinematically that his father would say the exact same thing if he was here. It's a simple but very effective way of communicating both his parents thoughts without having one of them be there.
Oh definitely agree. Insomniac's Miles Morales is one of the best stories Miles has seen. It really made me grow attached to his supporting cast.
Besides the obvious one, of course.
Disagree I think those spider verse movies wouldn’t be as good if Miles wasn’t the main character
Yes
@@harmonetheanimationaddict4419what one
@@2kx62it could
15:01 small correction: the underground gang existed before Phin became a member, they just didn't have all the technology she made
Yeah she didn't start the gang but her joining and creating the advanced tech gave them the ability to be a legitimate threat to the city
The first game is probably stronger overall, but Miles Morales is the game I've been going back to more often. If Spider-man 2 can combine all the best aspects of both games, than we're in for something really special.
Edit: It did
I think mechanically miles morlaes is better but story and impact wise is 1 imo still a great miles story
Mostly cause Miles game's story is a lot of repeats of the same kind of plot points from the first game and I say this loving both games but once you realize it it's kinda glaring
Lucky they actually made it feel different and didn't just completely copy and paste Peter's story for Miles. If anything I think it'll help Miles relate more to Peter and actually be able to console him properly in the future
The first game is the better game overall but Miles Morales is definitely better to revisit for things other than the story. The venom combat just adds so much, the camouflage is a blast, the bosses are more fun, it's a bit harder overall (and it has more ways of making you feel that difficulty than the first game which would kinda just crank up enemy health and damage without it being unique or interestingly challenging), and I like the suit mods as customization options more than the suit powers (the suit powers are a bit more fun overall but in terms of customization and balance the suit mods are definitely more objectively strong options)
I think what truly made Miles Morales feel special and what I love most about it is how so many of the side mission characters you help in game return during the ending. Really helps you feel like you actually helped a community of people, and they in turn show their support for you. Honestly makes the ‘he’s OUR Spider-Man’ line at the end hit all the harder.
Also, and while this is a somewhat different point, I do appreciate that they almost immediately reveal Phin is the Tinkerer. I kinda compare it to how Arkham Knight handles the Jason Todd reveal and how so many people felt disappointed by the story since it was heavily reliant on this mystery that was far too easy to solve yet dragged out the whole game. Since Miles figured out Phin is the Tinkerer pretty early into the game’s story, it allowed for the conflict to be more of a personal ‘how do I save my friend’ beat that made it easier to be on the same page as Miles’ emotional state. I would have liked to have more development from Phin so that her turn would hit harder (Doc Ock’s portrayal in the PS4 game is still my absolute favorite ally turned antagonist in any video game) but I think they ultimately did well with her, even if she may be a more controversial character for fans of the games
(Realizing now that you basically said the same stuff I did lol)
A man of culture I see: both a Spiderman and JoJo fan !
Hailey is wonderful representation for the deaf community. She’s not isolated from her community, Miles can communicate with sign language to her and she’s very community oriented in her quest line. She’s not any more or less advantaged because she can’t hear either, people who are deaf can see her and feel represented.
Also through community vs business we get the podcasts from J Jonah Jameson and Danika. Jonah keeps up his anti Spider-Man stance continually blaming Spidey for everything that happens while looking for ways the actual villains aren’t at fault even as his guests poke holes in his reasoning. In contrast Danika is far more community focused, with tips people can use in their everyday lives and showing up JJJ in a debate when she guest stars on his show.
Personally, I found Danika to be kind of irritating. an issue that I have with all of the Miles Insomniac stuff (not miles himself I think he's good) is that everyone is too nice? there's like, zero drama. and even with Phin it just kinda falls flat, I never bought her character or the way people respond to her character.
Danika was a great inclusion, a much need breath of fresh air and a good foil to Jonah
In terms of overall combat I like miles more. The venom attacks are so satisfying and they add something fresh and new to the combat
Funny, that's actually the weak point for me. Not the venom, but the combat. My reason is this: In the first Spider-Man game, the powers you had on the wheel were mostly spider-like powers. Outside the Web Shooters, you had the Web Blasts or whatever they are named, the Web Bombs, the Trip Wire webs... Meanwhile, Miles had robots you summoned to fight with you and electric mines! Really NOT Spider-like! And, sure, Spider-Man in the original game also had weird powers like the Spider Drones or the thingy that remove gravity, I'm aware: I don't like those either! But at least Peter had enough Spider-like powers in his wheel to make it interesting, but Miles only had the Web Shooters...
Hopefully that's gonna change in the upcoming game!
@@ChevaliersEmeraudeyeah, I really disliked options for miles’ web shooter. Only 4 options, and most of them were kinda boring. The holograms are just completely brainless and boring, with no real way to use them strategically. However, I still found the combat to be an overall improvement (if only a very slight one).
@@ChevaliersEmeraudethank you I agree so much.But nooo….. we get mechanical spider arms now for Spider-Man and over designed techy suits ( I know. I’m a complainer )
@@ChevaliersEmeraudeBro what
@@Saint0999 Short version of what I said: The wheel powers, the ones you get by pressing L1? In the Miles Morales game none of them are spider-like powers, outside of basic web shooters you initially get, while the OG Spider-Man game, only some of those powers are not spider-like powers; half of them still feel like what a Spider-Man could do.
Finally more attention to this game! I really loved this Miles story, especially this version of Aaron that tries to help his nephew once he learns hes a superhero, even making the Purple Reign suit out of his own tech as a gift. i really prefer this dynamic out of all the other interpretations so far
Also Hailey's character, and Miles casually being fluent in ASL. I think that makes him the only version of Miles thats TriLangual, and i really love that as a superhero he can communicate with so much of the population of New York.
@@sierrajohnson717yeah. It really helps sell the themes of community. He’s able to communicate with all members of his community making him “their spider-man”
Way to put my exact feelings of why I love this game into words. I never understood why people didn't like this as much as the original. The story is phenomenal and this version of Miles is probably my favorite
Spider verse miles >>>>>
Main reason is how it repeated the same beats as the first one and how unengaging Phin and Krieger were as antagonists.
-Big business creates deadly substance
-Main antagonist tries to get the substance to use against business
-Private Security VS Advanced Street Thugs
-Substance resulted in death.
There's some similar story Beata and Krieger was "Big Business Villain" for the sake of there being one.
One other thing I feel like they did wonderfully was how they managed to implicitly tie in strong themes of black community. On the surface I feel like it can be overlooked because the explicit ties are to the themes of community you mentioned, but the fact that they chose harlem specifically really helps solidify that they acknowledge Miles as being such a big name for black superheroes. I also think this gives a ton more deeper meaning to "He's OUR Spider-Man"
And I absolutely LOVED the BLM mural you get for doing the side quests
They did it in a way that felt natural and not corporate pandering
They renamed one of the streets closest to the Wakanda Embassy "Boseman Way" after Chadwick Boseman along with a ending tribute to the man.
My biggest problem is that there is alot more focus on him being black than his hispanic heritage.
@@megamonmonWdym? There’s Puerto Rican flags everywhere, he speaks Spanish throughout the entire game, you can literally salsa dance with pedestrians. The only focus on his “black side” is the BLM stuff, and that’s only a costume and side mission. If anything his Hispanic heritage got way more shine.
@@justushightower8316 He even QUIPS in spanish when he's fighting and it's awesome! And I heard from a reviewer that Miles's Afro-Puerto RIcan heritage is going to get an equal amount of focus for both sides of his culture in a lot of his side missions in Spider-Man 2 and I'm VERY EXCITED for that!
Too many people criticize the story for what it is, rather than take the full aspects of the story to heart and understand how emotionally & community based it truly is. I was very pleasantly surprised to hear someone share that
Miles Morales is honestly right up there with Peter Parker for me. I relate to different aspects of both of them but this game especially showcases the human side of being Spider-Man better than most of the movies honestly. Specifically the line “He’s OUR Spider-Man”, the game does such a perfect job getting you to care about the people you’re helping and it makes you feel like Spider-Man in a whole new way. I love that the Insomniac universe can have Peter and Miles share the mantle. Miles doesn’t replace Peter and there’s room for them to coexist. You get to have Peter as the refined adult Spider-Man and Miles as the youthful Spider-Man learning the ropes at the same time. It’s a great sense of duality and it’s the best of both worlds. I’m so happy the sequel seems to be leaning into this. I’m prepared to see Peter and Miles continue on their adventures together.
"Didn't you hear? Spider-Man is looking out for Harlem"
This line gives me chills, such a grear delivery, I love clearing that quest just to listen to it
fun fact: one of my college professors is married to the actress for hailey, the deaf lady. he and her are both actually deaf. this inclusive hiring process is really great to see from insomniac and the gaming industry in general!
and if you’re wondering, they’re both super excited for spiderman 2 lol
i think the focus on community and how the game approaches it makes miles morales kind of endlessly replayable in a way no other spiderman game has been before. it feels soulful in a way i dont think this franchise will ever be able to match again
I love how different yet similar Insomniac Miles’ story is to Miles in ITSV. It shows how the core of Spider-Man and his story can be changed in small or big ways but can still work to tell a beautiful story. The theme of community works so well here!
It's wild to me how many people just don't talk about this that much because it feels like a vast improvement on the first game in every way, especially story.
I think Phin gets entirely too much hate as Tinker, i often see her motivates labled as weak or the reveal was obvious. It never felt like they were hiding who Tinkerer was from anyone BUT Miles. Sometimes I do wish there was more time to flesh out her character it doesn't make her motivations or relationship any less sincere than Otto and Peter imo
You’re ignoring the issue here
For me, its not about her reveal but its about how other characters react to her actions, she consistently blames others for her own mistakes and puts way too much blame on Miles for things she did
She talks about the attack on Rio’s stand being Spiderman’s fault while she has no problem destroying other bystanders properties alongside potentially hurting them
It’s coignitive dissonance at its finest dude
I just really don't like her as a villain, and I know villains are meant to be hated...but she was meant to be a sympathetic villain, and yet it's so hard to be sympathetic towards her
I just connected with this one a whole lot, having had a sort of similar dynamic with Miles and Phin. It’s saddening seeing how many people just didn’t get it
People have no media literacy and I believe that's a problem.
Outside of how gorgeous and fun the game is the story really does stand on its own to help set miles up a true hero. That guy painting the mural in the start and he’s like you guna add the new guy and he says probably not. Then in the end that guy helps protect his identity and says that guy is our Spider-Man! It always gets me pumped to just see the city embrace him and are thankful for him saving them.
We all need a guy in the chair like Ganke!
i completely agree that the community focus of all the side missions is absolutely one of the best parts of the game! it's so wholesome and, like you said, a perfect showcase of spidey's impact on and connection with his community
Just beat the game earlier today in anticipation for spider man 2.
I really loved Miles Morales. They cut a lot of the bloat from the first game and made it feel lean and mean with very little wasted play time.
For 50 dollar thought.
@@JoaoVictor-rg5ix I think it's more of a victim of the "New games are now $70" trend. Just a few years prior it would've been a $40 game. Also, it's pretty easy to find a used copy if you're on PS4/5 and it goes on sale often on PC.
I Never Thought that I would see Spider-Man: Miles Morales this way, I always thought it was great but after realizing that the small plots had major impact like when miles promised Phin that he would still make time for her even in different schools he never did because of what happened with his dad’s death, moving to another neighborhood and spider-training took up so much time that he did not make time for her and when she lost rick it literally broke her in absolute and making underground was her at her lowest was just tragic this game is very underrated for sure!
I really hope they keep that community feeling in SM2. It really does make the side missions feel important and impactful on a personal level. The plethora of content in the first game was nice, but it made Peter feel like a “SUPER” hero rather than a “Friendly Neighborhood” Spider-Man.
Tbh I agree, it’s so underrated! Thanks for all the vids. Love it all, the newer Spider-Man stuff, the bojack stuff, the Futurama episode reviews. Thanks so much
Something I noticed about MM’s version of Harlem is that it seemed more like an amalgamation of the real Harlem and Washington Heights, most likely since the later isn’t actually included in the game.
I grew up in Washington Heights so it makes me a little sad my old neighborhood isn't in the game
Been excited for this one for a while. Can't wait for Marvel's Spider-Man 2!
LOVED the story and playing as miles he IS spiderman
Mmmm he’s a Spider-Man. But not the Spider-Man
@@Hegland1well said
Story was mid af, but I do love being able to play as Miles
@@tristanpotter2183 it wasn't mid tho, not a masterpiece, not the best miles story, not better than Spider-man 2018, but mid, no it's not
@@ender_z4nd3r83 it was definitely just an ok story. To be completely honest the story was more bad than good. All the stuff between Miles and Phin was kind of garbage and drawn out for no reason. The story was mid, I loved the character interactions with the side characters but the main story was ok at best.
Facts ! It was overlooked for "understandable" reasons (shorter game, not much changes in gameplay, limited content, midquels) yet it has so much heart: it's a more intimate yet just as impactful story, Miles and the Tinkerer are compelling characters and their dynamic is amazing... (you already summarized why it's a great game lmao). So thank you for talking about this underrated gem.
I beat this game about a week ago. Seeing how many good changes they made for Miles Morales made me even more excited for Spider-Man 2.
One of the best things is the animations. They could have easily made this a cash grab and reused swinging animations and combat from the first game. But they don’t. Everything is different and it makes all the difference. Miles is a different person than Peter. He’s going to swing differently and use different moves in combat. Loved this game and can’t wait for the sequel. Also the costume where you take cat Spider-Man around with you is the best costume!
I love the suits in Miles Morales. The Daft Punk style suit you get from completing Peter's training simulations is easily my go to whenever I play. That whole quest line is also a ton of fun. They basically take the Taskmaster missions from the first game and give them this wholesome low stakes spin that are a great palate cleanser from some of the more bombastic main missions. Plus it lets Yuri Lowenthal get a bit silly as Peter and that is always a treat
It was one of the best Video Game stories I've seen play out in real time.
Everytime I see these videos about Spidey. I can hear the love, admiration and joy you have for Spider-Man. I love that! Whether it’s Peter or Miles, you’re all in! I absolutely looove that!! Thanks for making this video Johnny. Please keep making more Spidey videos.🥺🙏🏻
I love watching them!🥹🥰💜💜
I’m surprised people didn’t like PhinZ I thought her story and ending were beautiful, thoughtful, and ultimately relatable
I loved it and had a blast finally playing Miles Morales almost a year ago in November. Phin is a great character and I loved how she went from obscure Spider-Man villain who is honestly really boring in execution to becoming a really cool villain that can be a fantastic character and her being a personal villain for Miles was amazing!
I finally played Miles Morales and then played Remastered recently. MM is MILES ahead of the original. The game is so much more refined, and I like the shorter story. Suffice to say MM actually made me way more excited for SM2. I just hope SM2 comes to PC sooner rather than later since back when the OG came out I bought a PS4 for it and barely used it much after.
I straight up cried at the ending I just finished the story for the first time. This game has been a godsend for me to get out of my overwatch addiction thank you insomnia for this game🎉
Dude you made me cry again. Love your content!
I love how deep you get into these videos you make me think I played a different game sometimes 🔥
Thank you for this video! I'm glad this is getting more appreciation because I love the smaller more community focused story. I cried at the end like I did with the first game, just for a different reason. Also, nice to see such an attempt to understand Phin as a character.
Thanks so much for this video, I loved Spiderman 1 and Miles Morales, but you made some points that I didn't appreciate about Miles Morales and it makes me love it even more.
Another amazing video well done mate back to back uploads
Man this video reminiscing on my experience and the previous Spider-Man game before this had me tearing up. I’ve been a Spider-Man fan essentially since birth and seeing these two games build something so beautiful from that legacy is truly special. I’m so excited for the next game, I just got a job and I’m hoping to save up for a PS5 and the Spider-Man 2 game so that I may be able to experience this new experience for myself. I can confidently say louder than ever, that I am a Spider-Man fan.
Damn, another great video. Miles's connection to the community is wonderful and I enjoyed seeing him in the game. Miles is my favorite Spiderman.
YESS! THANK YOU! I Haven't even watched the video yet, and i already appreciate its existence
Thank you so much for this video. You were able to put into words how I felt about this game and even open my eyes to new things that I did not see to the point that it makes me want to revisit this game. Thank you so much. This is what RUclips is for
Phin also has her hatred motivated because she doesn’t have the evidence to bring down Krieger, which she thought she did at the time. The last hope for Rick’s redemption and it wasn’t there, even worse that Miles accidentally ruins it during the main story in another way he lets Phin down without intending to.
Not as important but the purple and green prowler themed suit you get from Aaron in the game is so nice probably my favorite in the game.
it’s probably my favorite out of both games, maybe tied with the black & red suit peter gets from felicia after her little side questline
@@yourehereforthatarentyou Saaame
Love your vids, can't wait for your Spider-Man 2 analysis.
Great video can’t wait for the sequel
"I can't turn my back when people need me" and "because I am Spider-man" are the best quotes from this game
great video essay johnny
Thank you for this video, it's what this game needed. it's what I needed.
Great video. You nailed why I love Insomniac's Spider-Man games, their ability to craft a story with heart and soul.
I like your approach to discussing video games. It is refreshing to hear someone focus mainly on the narratives being told in the gaming industry.
Specs, performance, gameplay... while important, I'm just not going to get as invested in a title if it doesn't weave a compelling tale as well.
Thanks for sharing your voice on the matter.
Man I’m so glad someone finally made this video. I’ve been feeling the same way since I played this game years ago. I actually enjoyed this game more than Spider Man PS4. Great Video man almost makes me want to go back and replay it but Spider-Man 2 is 1 day away so hopefully we get new great Miles stories to connect too!
I lovd how well this game fixed one of the characters, I never hated him but his writing during the bendis comic books he felt like dry bare bones pizza.
But now especially after new writer's, give miles his own ray of thinking along with more aspects differenting from peter parker.
Friday is so close you can taste it. Great breakdown of this excellent little game.
I love Hailey Cooper! I can’t wait for more of her!
WOW... Even though I already love this game, through your video I am able to appreciate it more. Thank you!
I haven't beaten this one yet but just wanna say this is one of your prettiest thumbnails, I loooove it
Man, i was one of those people that heavily criticized Phin but this video really made me see that light. The interpretation and analysis here really elevated the character for me, it was the one part of Miles Morales that never really clicked with me but this added a whole new layer of nuance
That said, im a bit disappointed the scavenger hunt post game wasnt mentioned. That mission was absolutely beautiful and easily the best oart of the game for me. Gets me choked up every time
Fantastic review. 🕷️⚡
This is still in my top 3 favorite games of all time I loved everything about the game from the first to trailer seeing the way his swings and everything else is peak👌🏾
people will defend sasuke’s excessive vengeance but will say tinkerer is too irrational. one time i called someone out on it and they just straight up said they don’t like her cuz she’s black. at least some of you guys are honest
Lettsss goooo been waiting for this 🔥
I love the fact that this video beautiful talks about all the good things about this game rather than trying to point out all the bad stuff. I feel like this game already has to live up to the first one but also has to live up to Miles Morales as a whole with Into The Spiderverse coming out a few years prior. I just feel like there are so many people overly critical of Miles in general and it sucks that a lot of the good things are ignored or overshadowed. This game really spoke to me and it just hit so different. Yeah there are a lot of things I'd like to change but I could say the same for most games I play. For what it's worth, this game truly felt like the Insomniac Spider-man series was moving forward and made me more excited for the sequel.
just beat this game today and it was amazing. i actually decided to start with miles because its christmas themed but now i really want to play spiderman remastered
i think it's cool that you got somebody to do a song for your outro!
Great video, Johnny! I find your analysis of Phin's anger toward Miles fascinating, as I had never before thought that perhaps her anger was not just at Miles lying about Spiderman, but lying about staying in contact as well. Personally, I do not particularly like Phin's characterizations in this game, and I do have a few disagreements regarding your defense of Phin. I think Phin's biggest problem is it feels like the writers didn't know which direction they wanted to take her character. She flip flops often between sympathetic, misguided anti-hero to full on villainous terrorist.
1. Phin doesn't see the Underground as a new family or 'community'. She makes it very clear to Miles that she is only using them and providing them with tech that she created so that they will help her enact her revenge against Roxxon. This is further proven by the fact that Phin is made aware that multiple members of the Underground are getting sick around the Nuform they captured. Keep in mind that these people are getting sick with the same type of energy that made her brother sick. She had to watch her brother get slowly sicker and sicker, and yet she is completely uncaring that multiple members of the gang she is using are getting sick. While I know the Underground are particularly nefarious, it still seems off that Phin would be so unnafected and callous about multiple members of the gang she is working with getting sick with the same illness that would have killed her brother had Krieger not gotten to him first.
2. The reason why people are so critical of Phin isn't necessarily because she hounds Miles about lying to her, but that she lies to him as well multiple times in the game, and it makes a lot of people feel she is being hypocritical in calling Miles out for lying about being Spiderman when she had just also lied to him about being the Tinkerer.
3. The scene after the final Rhino boss fight where Phin beats Miles half to death and threatens to kill him if she sees him again is where she completely loses me as a character. Not five minutes prior, there was a beautiful scene where Phin has a heart to heart with Miles, expressing her disappointment at his absence in her life and how she saw him as a brother. It was touching, and it really connected me with her character. But that connection was whiplashed away from me when she almost killed him a few minutes later. It just feels so out of character for what Insomniac's writers were trying to get across with Phin's character. This is exacerbated by Miles' lack of holding Phin accountable at all. One of the best parts of Peter's final confrontation with Octavious in the first game is how once the fight is over, Peter YELLS at Octavious, practically screaming at him about how he was everything Peter wanted to be. It was cathartic as well as emotionally resonant to see Peter yelling at the person he cared so much for. We never get this scene with Miles-in fact, we get the opposite. When Phin finally apologizes for her actions when she realises her plan is about to destroy all of Harlem, Miles responds with, "It's okay." It left such a sour taste in my mouth. No, Phin, it's not okay... A better line would have been, "I know." It's frustrating to see Miles refuse to ever hold his friend accountable for any of her actions, never attempting to call her out for her terroristic actions, and instead choosing to apologize to her over and over for lying to her twice. If that scene where Tinkerer beats Miles had been rewritten to a heated argument where Miles calls Phin out for her actions while she calls Miles out for his actions, then perhaps ending with Tinkerer knocking Miles away with her fist rather than nearly killing him, it would have done a huge service to her character. I believe that particular scene in the train tunnel is the focal point of many people's (including me) distaste for Phin.
4. Another smaller issue I have with Phin is that she is upset with Miles for abandoning her, but she also made no attempt to contact him after his father died. Maybe one could argue that she was mad at Miles at the time, but if she really saw Miles as a friend, I don't feel her anger would have overwrited her need to make sure he is okay. Miles would have dropped everything to get to Phin if he had found out about Rick's death earlier, so it seems strange for Phin to act like Miles is such a bad friend (though you did make a good point in Miles promising to see her then breaking that promise) when she never went to him in his lowest moment. (Though, to be fair, the actual reason for this is because Insomniac likely didn't even have plans to have Phin in the game)
Also, unrelated to Phin, but I absolutely hate that Ganke goes on Danika's show and admits to WORKING WITH SPIDERMAN ON AIR, GANKE WHY??? And then Ganke goes on to list a bunch of other people's names that helped Spiderman as well. I don't know why that scene is even in the game, and unless there is some sort of consequence to Ganke doing that in the second game, it will forever be a huge nitpick of mine in this story!
All that being said, I do think that Miles Morales's story overall is beautiful, especially with how the side missions increase the emotional impact of the final scene with the people of Harlem. While I think Phin is poorly characterized to the point of being frustrating and Krieger is kind of a vanilla pudding villain, I think the true heart of Miles Morales' story is Harlem, the people of Harlem, Miles, and his family. There really is a lot of love put into the rest of the characters in the game, even Danika. And it's rare for me to play a game that has such a fantastic emotional payoff as the final scene with Harlem protecting Miles from the media and saying "He's our Spiderman", especially when doing the side missions!
Sorry for the long-winded rant. I just have such a love/hate relationship with this game's story. I believe it's one of the better video game stories, but I also believe the weight of Phin's poor characterization tries it's hardest to drag it down.
16:05 one thing I noticed while doing my Ultimate playthrough recently with Tinkerer, is that Phin as a character competes a lot against Miles, whether it's intelligence or whatnot. She always corrects Miles on stuff regarding their science, and is insistent about it. She's dogmatic, someone who always has to be right, even when she's so far down with her goal with using the NuForm and the Reactor to fuck with Roxxon, even if it might do more harm than good, because she needs to be correct, something she realises at the end. That's a big part of her character that I don't see many mention.
Phin “I’m sorry” is so heartbreaking
I was surprised at how many people complained about the main quest’s length being too short.
I mean, Infamous Second Son’s main quest was about the same length and no one seemed to complain about that game. So 🤷♀️
And you get NG+ with Miles Morales, some skills and costumes accessed only on that mode.
0:56 not venom shocked Johnny! Loved the game too!
Bro I cannot wait for your Pantheon Season 2 episode
“I’m mostly here for the AMAZING SPIDER-MAN stories and experiences.”
I see what you did there and I love it.
But to be serious I love this game and am excited to get my hands on Spider-Man 2 and play it. It’s going to be great.
I can’t wait for you to talk about Marvel’s Spider-Man 2😊
Haven’t played this but I gotta say the guy voicing Aaron is so good!
Phin was so compelling. I loved the whole story with her. ❤
I’ve seen quite a few miles morales game reviews, I gotta say this is my favorite one. Your fin and miles breakdown is great. Miles did lie to fin (although unintentionally) he still lied a few times, a lot of reviewers saw it as surface level-just lying about joining the underground
6:58, Mile’s return to his apartment for Christmas dinner was about the time the game began to click for me. Getting a sense of what his home life is like and the history behind it, seeing Miles getting to be a regular person enjoying the company of others and seeing Jeff’s lingering presence in his picture and his stereo (which plays Moanin’ by Art Blakey). After a chaotic opening section that quickly leaves Miles overwhelmed (and for players that may have been separated from this game universe’s mechanics for a while, as I had been, a bit disoriented while trying to remember how to play again). This section offered a welcome reprieve and begins to establish the theme of community vs isolation that permeates the story as Miles’ path out of doubt and shame over his past failures lies in the people Miles is close to and the community he fights for (while Krieger, Phin and Aaron only act to serve their own interests and eventually begin paying for it, Krieger being arrested, Phin nearly destroying Harlem by mistake after nearly killing her friend in a fit of spite and Aaron losing connection with family after using his cynical attitude as an excuse to indulge his own greed).
This is one of the few games I’ve actually felt inspired to 💯%. Like Johnny said, if you don’t 100% this game, then it doesn’t feel like you’re playing it right.
THANK YOU! I absolutely loved this game, and while it has its flaws, the story overall is spectacular! I cannot wait for this Friday, I'll play so much Spiderman 2, it might be morning when I stop haha
there will be 100 other channels doing rick and morty episodes over the next two months. if this is the content we are getting from you as opposed to that, im absolutely here for it. pure quality content:)
Peter also always cares about the people he is the original fnsm and he is NOT just a spider-cop (it was only a small joke in the first game) both him and miles are amazing and i can't wait the play the next game very soon!
Good video btw liked it alot!
Dude awesome video and I know you gotta make your money but three ads before the halfway point is insane
20:44 damnit I almost started crying re-watching that scene 😭
Don't forget about Miles's "exaggerated swagger of a black teen!"
Got it for Christmas on release with the PS5 and am replaying it in anticipation. For a short story it gives you everything the “true believers and newcomers alike” could have asked for. Christmas in NY is a perfect introduction to the idea of the ever important idea of family and community in the spidey-verse
Finally, some delicious Spider-Man content
She didn't form the gang she just joined it and rose to leadership through her technology.
The bodega cat skin is my main
The only thing is that you really cant call something that is universally praised "wildly underrated"
Arkham Origins is another brilliant underrated Christmas follow up.
We could get a mid quel for cindy moon if she shows up in any of the dlcs as well
I re-did Miles Morales from start to finish just in case before playing Spidey 2, and it made me enjoy Miles appearances even more…the consistency and connection between the last 3 opuses is crazy good and enjoyable. Miles character is adding so much to the series, and the execution is just stellar
Something else interesting about this new interpretation of Phin Mason is her relationship to Rick Mason. In the comics, Rick Mason was the Tinkerer's son, but this was changed in a way not only makes more sense for a younger Tinkerer, but also creates more emotional context for her actions