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Numerous fans are eagerly waiting for the arrival of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which drops on 20th October for the PlayStation 5. The game brings tons of new features such as swappable protagonists, new quests, multiple main storylines, etc., most of which were never seen before in a Spiderman title. If this got you wondering about the previous installments in the franchise, we have got you covered with our curated list of the best Spiderman games of all time. Let’s dive right in and take a look.
11 of the Best Spider-Man Games of All Time
11. The Amazing Spider-Man: Web of Fire (1996)
This side-scrolling action-adventure title was developed by BlueSky Software and Zono for Sega’s 32X console. Players get to control Spiderman as he battles against, Hydra, a terrorist organization that has taken all of New York City and its inhabitants as hostages by setting up a colossal high-voltage grid. This is one of the first Spiderman games to feature web-slinging and wall-crawling. This was the last title released for the 32X console.
10. Spider-Man (2002)
This game was based on the iconic 2002 Spiderman film starring Tobey Maguire, William Dafoe, James Franco, and more. The title closely follows the movie’s plot where Peter Parker must stop Dr. Octavious who has lost control of himself and gone rogue due to the metal arms attached to him. It also expands on it by featuring villains and boss fights that weren’t present in the film. It received several praises from critics for its realistic depiction of Manhattan and also for its open-world exploration.
9. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
This 2004 game was once considered the pinnacle of Spider-Man games, due to its web-slinging mechanics which was revolutionary in the early 2000s. The game was developed by Treyarch Studios for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube. Similar to its predecessor this game also focuses on the events of the second Spider-Man movie where Peter Parker attempts to stop the diabolical Dr. Otto Octavious from re-creating the fusion power experiment. The characters in the game are also voiced by their movie counterparts with Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, and J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson.
8. Ultimate Spider-Man (2005)
This title was developed for several platforms such as PC, PS2, Xbox, Nintendo DS, and even on mobile. Although the mobile and handheld versions were mediocre at best, the ones that stood out were the PC and console versions which showcased an outstanding cell-shaded world with open-world elements. The web-slinging and acrobatic attacks also felt intuitive and easy to use. Ultimate Spider-Man received mostly positive reviews and is widely regarded as one of the best Spiderman games ever made.
7. Spider-Man: Friend or Foe(2007)
This 2007 beat’em up platform game was published by Activision for a wide range of platforms such as PC, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and PlayStation Portable.
The game also featured two-player co-op where the host controls Spider-Man with the guest taking over as one of his allies. Each of Spider-Man’s allies has their own unique combat mechanics and abilities. This title also allowed players to switch between the traditional blue and red suit and the black symbiote suit at any point in the game.
6. Spider-Man: Web of Shadows (2008)
Developed by the same Treyarch Studios, this game also features similar elements to previous entries like Spider-Man 2, Ultimate Spider-Man, etc. Apart from mechanics like crawling, web-slinging, zipping, etc., the game also allowed you to use Spidey Sense to lock onto your adversaries. It also introduced Web-strike, a mechanic that allows Spider-Man to attach his web to an enemy and pull himself towards them while landing an attack.
5. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (2010)
As the title suggests this Activision-published title features four different iterations of Spider-Man, each of them originating from a different dimension who were ultimately a part of the Marvel Comics Universe. The core gameplay revolves around each Spider-Man’s unique abilities and distinct combat styles. The story revolves around an artifact known as the Tablet of Order and Chaos which shatters and interferes with multiple realities. Madam Web recruits three other Spidermen (Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Man 2099, and the Ultimate Spider-Man) to restore balance and return back to their original dimensions.
4. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Similar to the 2002 Spider-Man game, Amazing Spider-Man was also based on the 2012 movie starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Stan Lee, playing a Cameo as a Librarian. This title was developed for the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PC. Although this title had all the elements of a Spiderman game, it did not necessarily stand out from the crowd and served as more of a next-gen graphical update.
3. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
This sequel attempted to fix many of the issues present in the first game which did not really stand out from the crowd of other superhero games. The main emphasis was to make the web-swinging feel a lot more intuitive and enjoyable. Although the main campaign is pretty linear, players are free to explore through NYC and engage in various side quests whenever they are not focused on the storyline.
2. Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018)
Initially released for the PlayStation 4, this title portrays an original narrative based on Marvel’s comics. This is a modern Spiderman game in every way with the option to upgrade your skills, unlock new gadgets and suits, interact with NPCs, etc. The main emphasis is on traversal and free-flowing combat which Insomniac games have certainly delivered. The game was also remastered and released on PC and PlayStation 5 with updated graphics, Ray tracing, and more.
1. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020)
Miles Morales is the latest entry in the series, at least until Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 releases in a couple of weeks. This title features identical gameplay elements to its predecessor but with a brand-new storyline featuring Miles, a teenager struggling with his identity as the newest Spider-Man in New York City, while following the footsteps of Peter Parker. When his home (Harlem) is threatened by a war between Roxxon Energy Corporation and the underground, a criminal army led by the Tinkerer. Although this title is considered a spin-off, it continues to improve upon the successful formula of the 2018 game. Miles Morales was introduced as a launch title for the PlayStation 5 and it also made its way to PC in November 2022.
