Spider-Man: Miles Morales opens with a smooth rumble of the Dual Sense controller and into 125th Street subway station, Harlem. The follow-up to 2018’s Spider-Man, knows exactly where it needs to place Miles to set the stage for a world that celebrates its title character’s culture. As Miles sets foot into the neighborhood he will soon fight to protect, we immediately see what sets this Spider-Man apart. Effectively known as the “Main Street” of Harlem, this neighborhood is known as a center of commerce, brimming with cultural significance. It’s where we first see Miles Morales take center stage. We’re greeted with the ice and snow-packed streets of New York at Christmas, and a thumping beat that Miles bops his head to. There is a sense of community and culture that Insomniac has taken meticulous care to craft.
Each detail and layer subtly represents Miles Morales’ Puerto Rican heritage in a way that feels authentic and indebted to it. Insomniac has worked to celebrate Miles and those cultural elements that set him apart from his fellow heroes. It’s in Spider-Man: Miles Morales where Insomniac is not just choosing to tell Spider-Man’s story, but Miles’ story – a Puerto Rican’s story. In doing so, Insomniac needed to ensure that they nailed the culture of its title character.
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (also referred to as Latino Heritage Month), we’re taking a closer look at what Spider-Man: Miles Morales gets right about the Puerto Rican experience.
Spider-Man In the Streets of Harlem
As Miles steps out of the subway, he’s greeted with a message from his mother, “Can you pick up groceries for dinner? I’ll text a list.” We later learn an important part of this list includes coconut milk. Normally drunk during the Christmas season and Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), Coquito is a traditional holiday drink in Puerto Rican culture that contains coconut milk. Similar to eggnog, Coquito is a sweet and creamy drink spiked with Puerto Rican rum. It’s a subtle nod to a tradition, the kind of if-you-know-you-know moment that would make a Puerto Rican smile in acknowledgment. This is just one example of how Insomniac expertly places references within Spider-Man: Miles Morales to show their dedication to understanding the culture it wants to showcase.
While Miles swings through the streets of Harlem, a sharp eye will take note of the business signs spread amongst a backdrop buzzing with vibrancy. “Teo’s Grocery”, “Carniceria” (butcher), “Farmacia” (pharmacy) all help paint a picture of a setting that represents the people who inhabit it and have made it their home. The Puerto Rican culture that paints the set of Spider-Man: Miles Morales ensures that the player inhabits an authentic space. Some of the best open-world games are those that make their settings feel authentic and lived-in, stained and scarred by those who chose to express themselves outwardly. Passion spills onto the walls as muralists proudly emblazon “El Barrio” or “Spanish Harlem” onto the walls of bodegas and brownstones. Take a moment to walk the streets of Harlem, instead of swinging, and Miles will often ask for “Permiso” (excuse me) as he bumps into pedestrians. During an intense fight with some thugs, Miles attempts to match his counterpart Peter Parker with his own trash talk by yelling “Dale”, egging on his combatants.
Miles Morales at Home
After an action-packed set piece opening in which we see Miles and Peter Parker fight through the streets to tame a rampaging Rhino, things take a softer turn as the game slows down to fill in the spaces of Miles’ character. Miles has just moved into his Abuela’s apartment, and the player is guided through her old bedroom. It’s one of the most detailed scenes of the game, one that feels as if you’re walking through your own Abuela’s bedroom. White lace covers the dressers and television set, a common sight in a Puerto Rican grandparent’s household. Coquí (a small frog species native to Puerto Rico) statues line the walls of the apartment. The symbol of the Coquí is commonly used to reflect the island of Puerto Rico’s beautiful beaches and colorful wildlife. The Coqui also lends its vocals to warm nights on its native island with its trademark “ko-kee” sound.
As the player is provided the opportunity to further explore the Harlem apartment, Vejigante masks can be seen adorning the walls. The Vejigante masks are a popular cultural symbol, normally seen during Carnival festivals with particular significance and passion to the Ponce region of Puerto Rico. Typically made from various materials such as papier mache and plastic, these masks were a common scene in my own household as a child.
It’s enough to bring tears to the player’s eyes as the Nochebuena dinner is spread across the kitchen counter. I was shocked to see the attention to detail taken with the customary food during a night of celebration. There are the steaming Pasteles still wrapped and bow-tied with the strings required for this labor-intensive meal and the tostones frying in the background. And, of course, no Puerto Rican dinner could be complete without flan, the dessert of choice. Even seeing them built here from pixels, I can still recall the taste from my own childhood.
Speaking to my playthrough and time with Spider-Man: Miles Morales, I couldn’t recall a more engrossing cultural experience within the medium. My playthrough was full of moments that made me smile and recall pieces of my own experiences as a Puerto Rican. Miles and his mother often speak with each other in a mix of Spanish and English, both languages bleeding into one another to create an experience unique to the Puerto Rican growing up in the mainland States. Nadji Jeter, voice actor for Miles, does not often nail down the accent; but that’s okay. Many Puerto Rican kids oftentimes develop their own sound for the vowels and syllables they’ve adopted during their time with the language. It’s a move reflective of the reality of the modern-day experience for today’s Puerto Rican.
Becoming the Hero of Harlem
In the end, Spider-Man: Miles Morales becomes a personal story of a young man finding his own identity in the shadow of a great hero. The challenge Insomniac faced with creating a Miles Morales game and original story was how could this character not just stand alone, but also shoulder to shoulder with the cultural icon that is Peter Parker. The answer to this dilemma, it would seem, turned out to be accessing and proudly displaying what makes this character unique. There would be no need to embellish an intricate backstory, because all of the tools were available to begin with as Insomniac chose to tap into the rich culture that Miles represents.
During an emotional final act, Miles faces off with a childhood friend, Phin, who is revealed to be the Tinkerer. Miles has absorbed the massive energy spill from Roxxon’s Nuform reactor to prevent it from exploding across Harlem.
In an instance of quick-thinking, Phin realizes she has but one choice and shoots for the stars, an act which proves to be ironic as both she and Miles dreamed of one day traveling to Space. Harlem’s son is asked to “let go”. Phin has made a choice that she understands will only end one way. In an outward burst that lights the New York skyline, citizens look on in shock and horror as Miles then falls from the sky in a fiery flame. Battered, bleeding, and his suit torn to shreds, reporters are already circling to meet the Spider-Man who saved Harlem.
It’s a scene that encapsulates the experience that is Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Insomniac, up to this point, has worked to build upon the idea that this is a community more than a setting. Every mural, every grocery sign, and every “Dale!” Miles yells through the air during a fight, all were built to serve as the foundation for an authentic ending; representing a people and culture. Brown and Black faces look on in surprise of the young Black Spider-Man. They then unite to give Miles just enough time to slip away before a reporter asks, “Who is he?”
The muralist, responsible for coloring the city in cultura replies, “That guy? He’s our Spider-Man.”
Alex Centeno is an Account Executive for IGN’s games’ media. He is an RPG and Action player enthusiast, dog dad, breakfast burrito aficionado, and coffee addict.
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