Update 1:20pm: This story has been updated with comments from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier clarifying the type of game that Spider-Man: Miles Morales is. Insomniac Games has also confirmed that it's a standalone title.
One of the most exciting announcements of Sony's PS5 Future of Gaming showcase was Spider-Man: Miles Morales: A follow-up to Sony's 2018 web-swinging hit starring the beloved younger Spider-Man from recent comics and movies. However, a recent interview reveals that the "new" Spider-Man game may not be very new at all.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph (via Eurogamer), Sony Interactive Entertainment EVP of European Business Simon Rutter clarified that Spider-Man: Miles Morales is an "enhancement to the previous game" rather than a fully-baked sequel.
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"There's a substantial Miles Morales component - which is the expansion element," said Rutter. "But also within the game as well there's been major enhancements to the game and the game engine, obviously deploying some of the major PS5 technology and features."
That's a bit disappointing for fans expecting a complete new Spider-Man adventure this holiday season, especially since the game's trailer describes it as "a new adventure from Insomniac Games." Sony releasing an expanded remake over a true sequel is reasonable given that Marvel's Spider-Man has been out for less than two years, but the company could have been a little more direct about what the Miles Morales game actually is.
However, in the wake of these Sony comments coming to light, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier has chimed in with an update. Citing a source, Schreier says that Miles Morales "is *not* an expansion or enhancement or remaster," and is instead a standalone game in the vein of Uncharted Lost Legacy. That might peg the Miles Morales game as a shorter $40 spin-off title, rather than a full-on $60 sequel.
NEWS: Spider-Man Miles Morales is *not* an expansion or enhancement or remaster, despite a Sony executive's comments this morning, a source tells Bloomberg News. Nor is it Spider-Man 2. It is a brand-new, standalone game similar in scope to Uncharted Lost Legacy.June 12, 2020
Insomniac Games followed up shortly to assure fans that Miles Morales is a standalone game.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is the next adventure in the Marvel's Spider-Man universe. We will reveal more about this standalone game at a future date. #MilesMoralesPS5 pic.twitter.com/GOTAvNhUaFJune 12, 2020
Regardless of how big it is in scope, there's plenty of reason for new and existing Spider-Man PS4 players to get excited about Spider-Man: Miles Morales. If the trailer is any indication, we'll be getting more of the same delightful web swinging and fluid combat that made the original such a joy, as well as a new winter setting with realistic snowfall.
And Spider-Man could benefit hugely from the PS5's upgraded technology. Sony already teased the console virtually eliminating fast travel load times in a previous Spider-Man tech demo, and it's easy to imagine the DualSense controller's advanced haptics being used to more accurately simulate the feeling of swinging from building to building.
If the Miles Morales component is meaty enough, and if Insomniac makes full use of the PS5's beastly graphics capabilities and blazing SSD, Spider-Man: Miles Morales could still be a must-have for PS5 owners this holiday. Just make sure to have your expectations in check.
