Marvel’s Spider-Man is back with a highly anticipated sequel, and if initial impressions are anything to go by, it’s as visually stunning as ever. Developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is set to be bigger and better than its critically acclaimed predecessor.
In a recent review by Kotaku’s Ethan Gach, he praised the new Spider-Man game, going so far as to say it’s even better than the previous games. After spending two weeks with the game myself, I can’t help but agree. At a glance, the sequel appears to be a complete improvement over its predecessors, but upon closer inspection, there are some interesting observations to be made.
Thanks to a direct comparison video from YouTuber Nick, we can see some of the improvements made in Marvel’s Spider-Man. One notable enhancement is the increase in traffic density. When comparing the new game to the original, it’s almost comical how few cars can be seen in the first game, making the city feel like a ghost town in comparison.
Character models and textures have also received a significant bump in quality, with improved ray-traced reflections throughout the city. One notable improvement I noticed while playing was the realistic building reflections. Buildings now reflect other buildings, giving the city a more authentic feel. The rivers in New York City have also seen improvements, with better reflections and more lifelike physics when objects interact with the water.
However, alongside these improvements, there are also some cutbacks and tweaks. One such compromise is the reduced number of pedestrians in certain areas. While exploring the city, I found some areas to be surprisingly empty, lacking the bustling crowds I had come to expect. This change was likely made to add more variety to the crowds, a decision that went unnoticed by most players.
Additionally, smaller details such as soda cans in trash bins or newspapers lying on rooftops aren’t as visually impressive up close as they were in the original game. The level of detail in the city itself also seems to have taken a hit. When climbing skyscrapers and looking out, I noticed that objects like distant radio towers, AC units, and trees were either missing or of lower quality compared to the first Spider-Man game.
It’s important to note that these changes were likely necessary due to the increased map size of the sequel. With the inclusion of Brooklyn and Queens, the playable space in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales has nearly doubled. To maintain smooth performance, certain aspects were likely tweaked or removed, allowing resources to be allocated elsewhere.
Update: In a recent tweet, video creator Nick mentioned that there may be a bug in the game’s engine, specifically related to the level of detail system. This bug seems to occur when the game is installed on a secondary drive, resulting in certain details not rendering correctly.
Overall, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales offers a visually impressive gaming experience that builds upon the success of its predecessor. While there are some compromises and cutbacks, the improvements made in terms of graphics and gameplay outweigh these minor setbacks. Fans of the original game will undoubtedly appreciate the attention to detail and enhanced visuals in this highly anticipated sequel.