PS5 Spotlight - Spider-Man: Miles Morales

After COVID-19 resulted in the cancellation of this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), many gamers were left wondering what would fill the gap. PlayStation's answer: over an hour of announcements, teasers, gameplay and trailers. And what better way to kick things off than with Spider-Man: Miles Morales?

Much to the elation of eager fans, the celebrated Insomniac Games developers did not disappoint. The cinematic began by introducing us to an iconic black and red suit. Quickly, a venom strike ability broke it apart only to reveal a familiar face: our boy Miles, making a triumphant, powered-up return following the first game.

I, for one, was pretty hyped. Boasting numerous awards, Spider-Man on PS4 was one of the more celebrated exclusives. Plus, it remains one of my all-time favourite games. I am all set for a sequel.

The presentation showed some of Miles' new abilities in-game, as well as footage of him saving civilians and beating down bad guys, Spidey-style. A new spider-shaped logo debuted as well, backed by a soundtrack that sounded straight out of the animated Spider-Verse film.

It was assumed by many that Spider-Man: Miles Morales would be a full-on sequel to the original PS4 Spider-Man game, but it appears that this isn't quite the case. In an interview with The Telegraph, Sony's VP Head of European Business, Simon Rutter, clarified that this new project isn't a full game, but rather an "expansion and enhancement" of its predecessor.

Currently, no one is clear on whether this means a DLC for both PS4 and PS5, a PS5 exclusive, or a newly updated game altogether. We can assume that Rutter means some kind of remaster of Spider-Man PS4 using the PS5 technology and graphics, but with Miles Morales centric content added on. Either way, this does come as quite a disappointment, especially since the presentation did nothing to indicate the DLC/expansion nature of the project.

I'm happy that more Spider-Man content is on the way, but feel somewhat cheated and confused following the news. It's raised many other questions about the exclusivity and form of the project, but unfortunately, all we can do is wait. Thankfully, with a 'Holiday 2020' release window set, we shouldn't have long to go before more Spider-Man content is within reach.