Insomniac Games recently announced that Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition will feature a different model for Peter Parker in the included remastered edition of Marvel’s Spider-Man. A statement that undoubtedly shocked the netizens and simultaneously citing controversy.
For a game that is considered one of the greatest titles to grace the PS4’s catalog, original model John Bubniak is effectively the Peter Parker embedded in the gaming community’s mind—known particularly for his brushed-up hairstyle and comparatively exquisite facial details. And, of course, a personality that comes attached to it.
A differently-looking Peter Parker
However, the remastered version sees an altogether different looking Parker in that his face now resembles that of actor Ben Jordan. As many claims, he quite resembles Tom Holland. Who, coincidentally, plays the role of the teenage Spider-Man in the franchise’s recent films and cameos.
While Insomniac Games did not deny the claim, its community director James Stevenson suggests that there’s more to the move.
“We loved working with John Bubniak on the original game.”
“To get a better match to Peter Parker/Spider-Man actor Yuri Lowenthal’s facial capture, we have cast Ben Jordan to be the face model for Peter Parker on the PS5 console. He looks incredible in-game, and Yuri’s moving performances take on a new life.”
Bubniak was not particularly a bad choice to represent Peter Parker originally. But it appears that the model is less of a fit when considering actor Lowenthal’s role in it. Which, ultimately, boils down to the more important aspect of the change—taking advantage of next-generation technology, according to Insomniac.
A bold move
The reasoning behind the initiative does make sense if one sees it from a creative standpoint. But it also comes off as particularly odd, considering that not many take a similar risk. One as to alter a game that many already know and love to suit a specific creative pursuit.
But, then again, there are indeed those people who indeed had fallen too intimate with the game. So much so that the idea of recasting Peter Parker for someone else has become of a transgression. Much to their disdain, to the point of them demanding to bring back John Bubniak’s image. The prototype for Peter Parker that is.
Aside from the questionable choice about Peter Parker, other changes to the improved version of Spider-Man is expected to see massive improvements. Not only will the game be significantly faster than it was on the PS4, but it will also display visual enhancements that were never possible on the current-gen console.
Image used courtesy of IGN/YouTube Screenshot