Spider-Man: Miles Morales is not a new game by this point, but it’s one that still surprises me.
Spider-Man is one of my favourite superheroes, so I obviously couldn’t wait to play Insomniac’s Spider-Man back when it came out in 2018. The smooth freedom of web-swinging around New York City certainly released my inner friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. However, the fast-paced combat and intense use of every button on the controller generated frustrating barriers that ultimately denied me full Spidey immersion.
As a disabled gamer, I carefully manage my energy levels, so I don’t quickly experience fatigue which eventually decreases game time. This game was energy sapping, due to lacking options such as button remapping, aim snapping or toggles. These accessibility omissions meant that boss battles against two enemies working together, such as Electro and Vulture or Rhino and Scorpion, were nearly impossible and constantly reminding me of my limited abilities instead of offering a sense of escapism. (I must admit though that Spider-Man doesn’t have a complicated control scheme in comparison to some of my favourite games, like Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA 5 and Cyberpunk 2077.)
So I was nervous about Miles Morales. Should I have been? Happily, that famous line about great power and responsibility has infiltrated the mindset of Insomniac, just as Miles Morales steps up to the mantle of Spider-Man. Insomniac used its great responsibility to design Spider-Man: Miles Morales for accessibility, whilst granting disabled gamers great power through next level accessibility features.
Spider-Man Miles Morales Review – Spider-Man Miles Morales PS4 Gameplay Watch on YouTube
In fact, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a true accessibility evolution of the superhero genre, reaching right down to the story itself, which explores ideas of belonging and acceptance, which greatly aligns with accessibility. More importantly, Insomniac didn’t drastically tinker with the original controls, but the team cleverly implemented accessibility features on top of them. What a Shocker?