Web-slinging season is finally upon us. In just a few days, Insomniac’s highly anticipated “Marvel’s Spider-Man” releases for Playstation 4. It’s been about six years since a decent Spider-Man game was released, and hopefully that tracker will soon be reset.
While “Spider-Man” does not directly tie into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it centers around a different version of Peter Parker. There will be a number of easter eggs and landmarks for fans of the film series. Just in the trailer alone, Avengers Tower and Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum are visible in the background of New York City.
The new release prompts a few questions — What if I don’t have a Playstation? What are some other great Spider-Man games to check out? Why should I even care? What if I’m afraid of spiders?
Don’t worry, while this chronological list will keep even the most diehard fans busy, I promise even arachnophobes will find something to love in each of these unique games.
Spider-Man 2, 2004
Originally released for Xbox, PS2 and Gamecube, “Spider-Man 2” is widely regarded as one of the greatest superhero games of all time. Even to this day, fans consider this web slinging to be the most realistic in any game.
Many games try to take the easy way out, letting the hero’s webs simply attach to the sky. Yet, this game reinvented the formula, revolutionizing the way Spider-Man’s webs attach to buildings and other objects.
While the game is loosely based on the film of the same name, there is a much wider variety of villains, including Shocker, Rhino and Mysterio. There’s almost no better way to use the phrase “oldie but goodie.”
Ultimate Spider-Man, 2005
A far cry from the previous grounded experience, “Ultimate Spider-Man” embraces its comic book roots. The game looks, feels and plays like an authentic comic, with a cell-shaded graphic style that personally gives me joy.
In addition to playing as Spider-Man, Venom is a fully-playable character in story mode, which drastically changes the gameplay formula. Venom’s a bit too large to swing around the city, so he has to resort to giant leaps. I promise it’s more fun than it sounds.
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, 2008
While “Web of Shadows” is likely the most contentious pick on this list, I believe this game has earned its spot.
There’s a unique superhero experience to be had, as the game’s plot and graphics actually fail to deliver. In their place, however, is incredibly in-depth gameplay mechanics and intense boss fights, which more than make up for the flubs.
“Web of Shadows” also utilizes a “good and evil” system, which changes the game’s ending depending on player choices.
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, 2010
My personal favorite, “Shattered Dimensions” did the unthinkable by merging four completely different versions of the character who exist in four separate universes.
Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Man 2099 and Ultimate Spider-Man all have separate stories, and must help Madame Web bring the different Marvel Universe realities into balance once again. It sounds a bit over the top, because it absolutely is. It’s all fiction though, it shouldn’t matter either way.
With these stories comes drastically different gameplay. Amazing Spider-Man emphasizes a more traditional, straightforward approach, while Spider-Man Noir uses both stealth and clever black and white graphics. Spider-Man 2099 utilizes his signature acrobatic abilities and free-falling segments, and Ultimate Spider-Man once again focuses on symbiote, Venom-esque gameplay.
There’s something for everyone to love here, and every single level contains a different villain uniquely designed to fit into the particular universe.
The only downside? There are bizarre first-person segments during boss fights where Spider-Man must punch the villain and dodge their attacks. It’s downright weird.
That’s not quite the way of the spider.
The Amazing Spider-Man, 2012
I admit, the game doesn’t quite live up to its name. If I were to describe “The Amazing Spider-Man” using a phrase, it would be “a touch above average.”
Yet, there’s something that just keeps making me come back for more. The game follows Parker as he and Gwen Stacy sneak into Oscorp, suspicious of what is going on after hours. After they are caught, a number of threats are unleashed in the city.
The 2012 release loosely, and boy do I mean very loosely, follows the events of the accompanying film. If you’re familiar with the film, that’s not necessarily a good thing.
What is a good thing, however, is the open-world web slinging. I’m well aware the webs don’t connect to buildings, but sometimes you just have to take the good with the bad.
Even if they do attach to the sky, the traversal is simply exhilarating. The third-person camera is directly zoomed in behind Spider-Man’s shoulder, making it seem almost first-person at points. It might not be game of the year material, but it sure is fun.
Max Rothenberg can be reached at [email protected]