Ranking the Best Spider-Man Games

Most superhero games aren’t able to capture the same magic as reading comics or watching movies. This makes sense, since players are filling the shoes of the same heroes they love, so expectations are through the roof. However, some of the best Spider-Man games have translated that same feeling.

This article highlights our picks for the five best Spider-Man games ranked from worst to best. All five of these games are the cream of the crop, and all of them really make you feel like you’re the beloved web-slinger himself. 

5: Spider-Man (2000)

Neversoft’s Spider-Man is the character’s first appearance in a 3D game. It has a simple story where Spider-Man has to clear his name after getting framed by a criminal. Numerous villains appear in this game, including Scorpion, Rhino, Venom, and Mysterio, and it feels like a comic book story. Stan Lee narrates the story, adding charm.

The gameplay is simple. Spider-Man can land 3-hit combos on enemies as he travels on a linear path. One special thing about this game is that Peter can use his webs for a variety of functions such as shooting web-balls, creating web-cocoons, or wearing web-gloves. The web swinging is almost automatic, basically a button press that lets Peter move across buildings. Although the visuals are blocky and not detailed, they haven’t aged as badly because of its comic-book art style.

4: Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Spider-Man 2 is considered one of the best Spider-Man and comic book games of all time. The game loosely follows the movie’s plot while sprinkling in comic book villains and different situations that complement the main idea about Peter’s inner struggles about being Spider-Man. One glaring problem is that the game has weak voice acting performances.

This was the first Spider-Man game to go open-world, and it introduced the physics-based web-swinging that fans love. The swinging and combat still hold up, and players can upgrade their kit at the shop. Spider-Man 2 introduced a dodging and countering mechanic that feels like an inspiration to the Arkham games. The graphics have aged, but it’s still a really fun game to play through.

3: Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows has become a cult classic among the community over time. In the story, Spider-Man gets the symbiote at the start and then slowly witnesses the downfall of New York City. Players get to see how Spider-Man and other Marvel characters react to escalating situations. What WoS does differently from other Spidey titles is giving players the choice between good and evil paths during key story moments.

The main highlight of this game is its gameplay. It uses the same web-swinging as Spider-Man 2 while adding new features like the Web Strike, which lets Peter fight on walls or in the air. Players can also swap between the classic and symbiote suits whenever they want, with both having different fighting styles and combos. The graphics are average, and the game can feel janky at times, but it’s still a worthwhile playthrough.

2: Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018)

Many fans believe that Marvel’s Spider-Man is the best Spider-Man game ever. It has an incredible story that showcases how being Spider-Man affects Peter Parker and the collision of both worlds. The characters are written well, and everyone, especially Yuri Lowenthal as Spider-Man, delivers excellent performances. The game’s so good that even fans believe that Insomniac won’t be able to replicate it.

The swinging in this game takes notes from Spider-Man 2 and makes it more accessible for newcomers by adding new abilities like point launches, auto-wallrunning, and more. As for the combat, it takes heavy inspiration from the Arkham games, where players are encouraged to keep their combo streak. It is also the only game besides Miles Morales to feature a gadget wheel, where Spider-Man can use different types of devices for stealth and combat. The original game still looks great, and the remaster adds more improvements on top of it, like ray-traced reflections.

1: Ultimate Spider-Man

Ultimate Spider-Man is based on the comic series of the same name, with Brian Michael Bendis writing the story. The story is about Peter and Eddie’s relationship as they deal with other Marvel characters and villains like the Green Goblin, Electro, Rhino, Wolverine, and more. The game’s biggest twist is that players also play as Venom, letting them see his side of the story. The story is shorter than most other Spider-Man games, so it’s extremely focused.

Spider-Man’s traversal is the same as Spider-Man 2, with combat being as simple as punching, kicking, and webbing. The main addition is Venom, who focuses more on lethal attacks and pure strength, and can grab enemies and throw cars. Players are forced to consume civilians and enemies as Venom because he’s constantly losing health. The cel-shaded visuals have aged well, with comic panels and sound effects popping up on the screen during cutscenes.