Best Combat In Spider-Man Games
Spider-Man is, arguably, the most famous superhero of the modern era, with only Batman offering much in the way of competition. Similar to The Caped Crusader, Marvel’s web-slinger has by far the most impressive video game resume, one that spans more than three decades and features plenty of all-time great releases. As web-swinging tends to take center stage, Spider-Man games are often defined by the quality of their movement, with combat sometimes feeling secondary. That said, a good Spider-Man game needs to have at least decent combat, and a few titles deliver systems that go well beyond just “decent.”
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The best Spider-Man games capture the hero’s mobility, speed, power, and resilience, all the while throwing in a few quips for good measure. They might not prioritize complexity, but they can be incredibly fun in a power fantasy sort of way. In some cases, the combat combines with the movement to create a satisfying gameplay loop that reaches some dizzying heights. So, let’s go through Spider-Man’s history and highlight the games with the best combat.
Honorable Mention: Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage
Due to its era and genre, Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage cannot really be compared to modern Spider-Man games; however, it still warrants an honorable mention. A classic beat ’em up, Maximum Carnage‘s combat is fairly typical for the mid-’90s, albeit boosted by the presence of Spider-Man and Venom. Both of them are playable and have unique movesets, which are still relatively simple.
Although not the best beat ’em up from this era, Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage is nevertheless a respected entry in the genre and, also, one of the character’s best releases. The game is extremely hard, though, so I would only recommend checking it out if you are really into these types of games.
8
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
An Undisputed Classic Where Punching Is Priority Over Dodging
Whilst many will remember Spider-Man 2 fondly for its ground-breaking web-swinging mechanics, it should also be known that the combat for the game was also pretty fun. Spider-Man’s punches felt great on the PS2, and further upgrades to his combat abilities could be made through leveling up, allowing players to craft their own Spider-Man capable of different kicks and punches.
Spider-Man 2 truly feels like the blueprint for how to make a good Spider-Man game, and how the combat should be, as the variety of punches, kicks, dodges, and midair attacks helps to make Spider-Man 2 stand out from other action-adventure games of the era.
7
Spider-Man: Friend or Foe
Button Mashing Attacks, But With A Friend
A fun game for two players, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe didn’t take on many lessons from prior Spider-Man games, but still managed to hold a sense of fun, especially for younger players. The combat was easy to learn, as it was mainly about punching by spamming the buttons like a classic hack-and-slash title.
Whilst not as detailed or varied in fighting styles as other Spider-Man games, the mixture of fighting and parkour helps to make Spider-Man: Friend or Foe an enjoyable ride, even if the battles can get a tad repetitive with the mixture of punches and webs, but fighting alongside Spidey with a friend adds to the fun.
6
Spider-Man: Edge of Time
Classic Hack-and-Slash Fun
Surprisingly, Spider-Man: Edge of Time feels somewhat like the classic hack-and-slash God of War games, as this time around, Spider-Man has a set of moves that only grows with each chapter of the game, and players are more reliant on spamming the buttons to unleash a flurry of hard-hitting punches and kicks, along with a mixture of web moves to build combos to an impressive number worth raising up for a boast.
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A mixture of punches and abilities helps Spider-Man’s combat to feel more fluid, as they can easily evade attacks and keep themselves on the move. However, the camera style and priority of punches, rather than the famed spider senses, leave a lot to be desired during mindless combat.
5
Ultimate Spider-Man
Exploring the Ultimate universe as Spider-Man can be a lot of fun, and the same can be said for the combat. The combat doesn’t utilize the majority of Spider-Man’s web tech, but the ability to web up enemies and take them out for the count without punching their lights out adds an interesting mechanic to Spider-Man games that would return in later variations of the character.
The true downside of Ultimate Spider-Man’s combat comes from the camera, as it can make the fighting feel rather disorientating, especially when it swings towards an enemy, giving the other opponents an advantage, since they can swing and shoot from off-screen. Nevertheless, Spidey has an acrobatic performance, and his movement feels very light, allowing for free movement and jumps.
4
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
Multiversal Potential With An Aggressive Style Of Offense Rather Than Defense
There’s a lot of mindless fun in the combat of Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, a title where it feels great to just hit things, as it feels like they hit back with pillows. Getting hit, or even evading attacks, might not feel the most responsive in Shattered Dimensions, but the range of different attacks across a multiverse of different Spider-Men helps to make each combat encounter different enough.
Attacks in Shattered Dimension are all about a range of attacks, building combos to raise the numbers, where different enemy types will further challenge the movement and attack style of players as they slow time, utilize spider-sense, and single out targets for fantastical combat.
3
The Amazing Spider-Man
Combat With A High Focus On Acrobatics & Agility
The Amazing Spider-Man is more than just a tie-in game, and the combat solidifies that, as plenty of experience and desire for an acrobatic Spider-Man were placed into this title, allowing for the famed Wall-Crawler to be a tad more flashy with his moveset, which would only evolve the more players invested into the combat potential of this new rebooted Spider-Man.
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Despite existing around the same time as the Batman: Arkham games, a series known for its riveting combat, The Amazing Spider-Man did its own thing, and Spider-Man could easily be overwhelmed by a gaggle of goons, but never bested in the hands of experienced players, who could utilize dashes, dodges, and quick punches to make sure every foe got a smackdown or two.
2
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
Brutal Combat That Delves Into Spidey’s Charisma & Symbiote
A more detailed look into the fighting style of Spider-Man, Web of Shadows had a great combat system, thriving with some incredible options for every player. There’s a wide variety of choices in combat, where players can chop and change their fighting style based on being a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man or one influenced by the Venom Symbiote.
Regardless of choice, players could juggle enemies in the air, use them as skateboards, or just lay down a vicious set of attacks to keep them out for the count. There were so many abilities to make combat more engaging, and the mixture of attacks varied from Spider-Man and the Symbiote’s arsenal, with acrobatic and aggressive attacks taking center stage.
1
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Two Spider-Men With Different Skill Sets In A Highly Revised Combat System
Insomniac made a strong impression with their take on the wall-crawler, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 goes above and beyond to advance the combat of their first title and the Miles Morales spin-off. In the sequel, Peter and Miles have their own fighting styles, complete with a set of different moves and skills to make every combat situation feel fun, fluid, and free.
Whether it’s utilizing an assortment of Spidey gadgets or simply punching things until they stop moving, Spider-Man’s combat in this Insomniac Games title is memorable and addictive, as players can freely juggle targets in the air as they unleash a mixture of punches, kicks, and web attacks.
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