Spider-Man Games With The Best Stories, Ranked
Combat, web-swinging, and spectacle are all well and good, but the best Spider-Man games also have decent-to-great stories that respectfully adapt elements from Marvel Comics. Throughout his storied gaming history, the wall-crawler has often found himself in ambitious romps that try to capture his personality, sense of humor, and legacy, all the while bringing to life some of the most famous villains in fiction. A good Spider-Man game does not need a brilliant story, but a great one does.
Whether cast as Peter Parker, Miguel O’Hara, or Miles Morales, players get to see the world through a hero’s eyes, living a superhero life defined by responsibility, tragedy, and triumph against seemingly insurmountable odds. Therefore, let’s look through Spider-Man’s extensive video game library to pick out his best stories.
10
Spider-Man (2000)
Cheesy In The Best Possible Way
Spider-Man
- Released
-
September 1, 2000
- ESRB
-
E // Animated Violence
Tight and enjoyable gameplay is what stands out with the original Spider-Man game for the PS1, but there is fun to be had with the thin story. The best highlight is seeing Spider-Man and Venom eventually work together as the worst best partners in a buddy comedy, similar to Midnight Run or Deadpool & Wolverine.
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For a simple action game, the story feels akin to an actual Spider-Man comic with a lot of villains, witty banter from Spider-Man and Venom, and a lot of Marvel characters. Spider-Man remains a beloved classic for the PS1 for many reasons and the plot is one of them, even if it’s silly and campy.
9
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Dungeon Crawling & Great World Building
Though it may not have Spider-Man in the title, Spider-Man is at the forefront of Marvel Ultimate Alliance. This classic dungeon-crawler RPG is as classic a comic book adventure as one can get, with four Marvel heroes of the player’s choice going up against the nefarious Doctor Doom and the Masters of Evil.
The story for Ultimate Alliance is pretty thin overall, but the world-building is strong. It’s clear that a lot of love for the Marvel universe was present while making the game, because the player travels to so many worlds and meets so many characters that help the universe feel alive and lived in. Heroes such as Spider-Man even get exclusive dialogue depending on which villains and heroes they encounter.
8
Ultimate Spider-Man
A Faithful And Ambitious Attempt To Tell A Canon Spider-Man Story
Although all Spider-Man games take inspiration from the comics, they generally set up their own universes, giving them the freedom to take notes without having to adhere strictly to the source material. Ultimate Spider-Man opted to go in the opposite direction by firmly setting itself within the, well, Ultimate universe. The cel-shaded art style is a perfect fit for this timeline, and the story is set a few months after the comics’ Ultimate Venom arc.
The game goes out of its way to try and deliver a canon-esque adventure, even though its events were mostly ignored by the comics. Outside this aspect, Ultimate Spider-Man tells a solid, albeit rushed Spidey AND Venom storyline, one that ties into the overall mythos well. Unfortunately, the campaign ends too quickly to completely actualize its potential, but what is included is good.
7
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
Four Legacy Spider-Men Together
Today, multiverse Spider-Man adventures are quite common, but before there was the Spider-Verse event, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions was one of the first times multiple variants of Spider-Man joined forces. Spider-Man, Ultimate Peter Parker, Spider-Man Noir, and 2099 work together to stop Mysterio’s chaos across dimensions.
These four famous Spider-Men are all voiced by actors from various Spider-Man animated shows of the past: Josh Keaton, Neil Patrick Harris, C.D. Barnes, and Dan Gilvezan. Similar to Ultimate Alliance, it is not a deep story, but it is a strong one that keeps the player engaged as the Spider-Men fight different villains to save the Web Of Destiny.
6
Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows
Choose Between Light And Dark Destinies
Spider-Man is constantly given moral dilemmas in the comics, and Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows accurately presents such dilemmas to the player. Though not as extensive as games like Detroit: Beyond Human, the fates of characters and events can be altered depending on certain choices made throughout the story.
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Never before had a Spider-Man story delivered such complexity in the story as in Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows. With different Marvel heroes thrown in as a bonus, an always-evolving open world, and different abilities for the red and symbiote suit for Spider-Man, it’s easy to see why Insomniac Games would take inspiration from it years later.
5
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
Marvel’s Civil War In Video Game Form
Spider-Man joined a giant roster of heroes again in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, but this time, the plot was a bit thicker since it was an adaptation of the Civil War storyline. In the aftermath of the first Ultimate Alliance, the Superhuman Registration Act was established, dividing Marvel’s heroes into the factions of pro-registration and anti-registration.
There is way more focus on characters and dialogue in Ultimate Alliance 2, since the game is split into two different campaigns for both factions in the war. It’s a much darker storyline, showcasing both sides’ pros and cons. It demonstrates why the heroes being divided is a bad idea, no matter their disagreements.
4
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Twice The Power Comes Twice The Responsibility
There are a few pacing issues in this game’s narrative, as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 tries to put so much into its main story between Kraven the Hunter and the new version of Venom. However, that doesn’t stop Insomniac from delivering an emotional story about responsibility for Peter Parker and Miles Morales.
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Both heroes in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 struggle with the problem of taking on too much responsibility, which can stretch a life too thin. Kraven, Venom, Mister Negative, and Sandman make for the bombastic action sequences, but they also further the plot, thus advancing the two Spider-Men arcs. Although a great overall sequel, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 tries to cram in a bit too much, resulting in a more muddled but still enjoyable story.
3
Spider-Man: Edge Of Time
A Great Sequel, Too Often Forgotten
Some might see a sequel focusing on fewer Spider-Men than Shattered Dimensions as a downgrade, but that is not the case with Spider-Man: Edge of Time. With the past and future colliding, Peter Parker and Miguel O’Hara of 2099 have to partner up and fix the timeline in a game that fans often neglect.
Spider-Man: Edge of Time spends more time on the character development of the two Spiders. Miguel starts as a colder version of Spider-Man who learns to be a better person under the mentorship of the original Spider-Man. The story is also much darker, with more twists and turns that elevate the already excellent gameplay from the first game.
2
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
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Despite the vibrantly colorful superpowers and more comic book-like villains such as Prowler and Rhino, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales tells a more grounded story for the younger Spider-Man. It showcases Miles’ issues of taking care of New York City while Peter Parker is away, and taking care of his friends and family while coming of age.
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The holiday setting of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is important because it’s Miles’ connection to everyone around him as a person and as Spider-Man that helps him tremendously. Miles’ plot with Prowler is one of the best stories in this new Insomniac universe, and their new take on the Tinkerer is arguably more interesting than the character ever was in the comics.
1
Marvel’s Spider-Man
A New And Sensational Universe
Insomniac Games did what many fans asked for by taking the open-world superhero template that the Batman: Arkham games established and creating their take on the Spider-Man mythos. Marvel’s Spider-Man features a veteran Peter Parker who is eight years into his career, allowing fans to see a pre-established Spider-Man universe without needing an origin story.
With a plethora of villains, a new take on Miles Morales, and so much heart put into the story, Marvel’s Spider-Man became an instant hit. It has great free-flow combat and web-slinging, but it’s the story, characters, and strong voice-acting that made fans laugh, smile, and cry. While Miles Morales might have more emotional moments, Marvel’s Spider-Man is arguably the perfect Peter Parker story, one that captures the hero’s personality and appeal almost perfectly.
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