Highlights

  • Marvel's Spider-Man is an action-adventure game where players control Peter Parker as he battles villains in Manhattan, New York.
  • Players can level up and earn skill points to improve their abilities in three skill trees: Innovator, Defender, and Webslinger.
  • Key skills to consider unlocking include Charge Jump, Quick Zip, Extended Perch Takedown, Epicenter, Point Launch Boost, Wrecking Ball, Dodge Window, Air Yank, Yank and Throw, Long Strike, Collateral Damage, Throw, Spin Cycle, Payback, Rocket Return, Chain Finisher, and Perfect Dodge.

Marvel's Spider-Man is an action-adventure title made by Insomniac Games; it follows the story of Peter Parker as he tries to stop Mister Negative and other villains after they have all been freed from prison. Peter will need to improve his Spider-Man skills while soaring through Manhattan, New York if he hopes to send these villains back where they came from. Players will gradually level up as they defeat foes and complete quests; the skill points earned from this can be put into three separate skill trees: Innovator, Defender, and Webslinger, which can better improve how the player deals with the situations they face.

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With so many skills to choose from, players may wonder which are to go to skills to earn. This is an understandable dilemma, with most players wanting to save their skill points for something more important and not really wanting to waste them on upgrades that aren't worth their time. For what it's worth, the skills in Marvel's Spider-Man are pretty well-balanced, meaning that players won't feel like they've wasted their points on an ability that doesn't reap any benefits.

Updated October 15, 2023 by Ritwik Mitra: With Marvel's Spider-Man 2 right around the corner, there's no better time for fans to check out the first game and understand why so many people consider it to be the best game to ever star the web crawler. The ability to switch between the two Spider-Men on the fly and the allure of the Black Suit is going to be too irresistible, and it would be prudent to catch up to the story as quickly as possible.

There are many skills in Marvel's Spider-Man that players can unlock to make their adventures as this webhead easier and more enjoyable, although most people would agree that some of these abilities are simply better than others.

18 Charge Jump - Webslinger

spider man falling from building

Free-roaming in Marvel's Spider-Man is a blast, especially with players being able to employ a suite of great abilities that are great fun to cycle through while roaming around the map. Unlocking more techniques to make swinging around New York City fun is also highly recommended.

One such technique is the Charge Jump, which does exactly what most people would expect. Holding R2 and X allows players to leap into the air and start swinging without a care in the world!

17 Quick Zip - Webslinger

Quick Zip Webslinger skill from the Marvel's Spider-Man Game

This skill may not assist in combat or help Spider-Man defend the city, but as one of the first skills readily available to a player of the Webslinger tree, once they get it to the first level, Quick Zip can help players travel across Manhattan with ease.

Quick Travel will become a thing of the past as players can glide between the buildings swiftly and easily get to wherever they need to be. It can also help with maneuverability, as the second quick zip can allow a player to suddenly change the direction they are gliding without too much hassle.

16 Extended Perch Takedown - Innovator

Extended Perch Takedown skill from the Innovator tree in the Marvel's Spider-Man Game

Marvel's Spider-Man players greatly value the use of stealth to get the upper hand in battle. Staying out of sight and taking down enemies from above is a quick way for players to deal with the foes they may face.

Extended Perch Takedown increases the range in which players can take down an enemy from above, making stealth missions even more of a viable option as Peter can reach enemies from farther away, no longer relying on a perch being nearby to an enemy to attack.

15 Epicenter - Defender

Epicenter skill from the Defender skill tree from the Marvel's Spider-Man Game

At the very top of the Defender tree is a skill that will please players of Spider-Man who enjoy jumping into combat first and worrying about stealth later. Epicenter allows a player the power to leap from the air into the middle of enemies with such force that it throws them all aside.

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Due to being one of the last skills that can be unlocked, a player may be waiting a while before they can use this, but once it has finally been purchased, Peter will be unstoppable.

14 Point Launch Boost - Webslinger

Spider-Man swinging through New York by using his web in Marvel's Spider-Man

Point Launching is a great way to spice up traversal in Marvel's Spider-Man, especially if swinging is not all that viable. Players can navigate tighter areas by pulling themselves towards a point and using it to boost their speed without losing momentum, which is a great way to make swinging more engaging than ever before.

Since Point Launching is important for players who don't want to lose any momentum while swinging, it's important to get the Point Launch Boost upgrade that makes this form of traversal more viable than ever before. Sure, it may still not be as fast as diving to the ground before unleashing a web at the last moment, but it's still worth checking out for fans who want to move around as smoothly as possible in New York without missing a beat.

13 Wrecking Ball - Innovator

Brute in Marvel's Spider-Man

The brutes in Marvel's Spider-Man can be some of the more irritating enemies to deal with in the game, with most players attacking them in the heat of battle only to realize that they've made a huge mistake. This makes it important to tackle these huge enemies in a smart manner and not attempt any attack that can be countered by these brutes... which is where the Wrecking Ball skill plays a pretty important role.

Players who are struggling with brutes can generally web them up to make them easier to deal with. Wrecking Ball also allows them to swing these enemies to kingdom come like regular foes, letting them damage these brutes just a bit more... which is invaluable against enemies who take a lot of damage before they eventually go down.

12 Dodge Window - Defender

Spider-Man dodging a bullet

Dodging is one of the most important skills in Spider-Man's arsenal. Failing to avoid enemy hits will lead to the web crawler crumpling like a piece of paper in no time flat. As a result, players shouldn't just punch their foes mindlessly — dodging to avoid unnecessary damage is also important, especially with Spider-Man being made of glass in this game and going down with just a few direct hits.

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Normally dodging attacks is pretty fun as is, but things get satisfying when players land a perfect dodge. Time slows down, and certain abilities unlock follow-up attacks that can instantly KO most foes too! Dodge Window is a skill that increases the window for players to trigger this move, which allows players to become a blur in combat as their foes drop like flies around them.

11 Air Yank - Webslinger

Air Yank skill from the Webslinger skill tree from the Marvel's Spider-Man Game

Air Yank is a useful skill that opens up the potential for further combat that can help a player gain more Focus. Focus is used to complete finishers on enemies, which instantly down them.

Once unlocking this skill at level 2 of the Webslinger tree, players can now throw enemies they are facing into the air to conduct air attacks. These can be incredibly useful for stunning an enemy, preventing them from fighting back as well as opening the door to other opportunities for combat.

10 Yank And Throw - Innovator

Yank and Throw in Marvels Spider-Man

Ranged weapons can prove to be quite annoying to deal with, so it's easy to see why abilities that let Spider-Man yank them out of enemy hands are useful. With Yank and Throw, this ability gains a more offensive use in battle.

Not only can players yank weapons, shields, and rockets, but they can also swing them around before chucking them. Suffice it to say, enemies will flop all over the place when the web crawler decides to even the playing field.

9 Air Marshal - Webslinger

Air Marshal skill in the Webslinger skill tree from the Marvel's Spider-Man Game

Combining Air Marshal with Air Yank can increase a player's potential during combat. Purchasing it at level two of the Webslinger tree for only a single skill point isn't a skill that can be easily passed up.

Air Marshall doubles the damage to areal attacks while also increasing the amount of Focus earned by completing them. This means keeping foes stunned in the air can become a brilliant strategy for dealing with enemies, especially as it also allows Peter to avoid melee combat from other foes while attacking another in the air.

8 Long Strike - Webslinger

Long Strike skill in the Webslinger skill tree from the Marvel's Spider-Man Game

Web Strike is an ability Peter can do that allows him to cast a web at an enemy and pull himself towards them while attacking; this usually has a limited range until purchasing the Long Strike Skill, which increases its range and the damage it can do.

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This ability can be purchased early into a playthrough, as it can be unlocked at the first level of the Webslinger tree. Long Strike becomes an incredibly useful feature when dealing with flying foes, such as the flying Sabre Agents, that can be quite difficult to reach otherwise.

7 Collateral Damage - Innovator

Collateral Damage skill from the Innovator skill tree from the Marvel's Spider-Man Game

Spider-Man can throw heavy objects at his enemies, to begin with, but unlocking the Collateral Damage perk at the first level of the Innovator tree for two skill points will allow him to throw all nearby objects in a flurry toward any enemy he can see.

Although this skill doesn't seem as useful in single fights when surrounded by a group of enemies, this skill can help deal damage to a wide range of them in its flurry of throwing objects, knocking out, or throwing back even the biggest of brutes.

6 Throw - Defender

Spider-Man throwing a web in an enemy's face in Marvel's Spider-Man

While punching away at enemies might be fun in its own way, players might want a faster way to deal with the weaker enemies in this game. This is where the Throw ability comes into play.

Throwing enemies is pretty useful when it comes to chucking them off of rooftops. It's fun to see Spidey manhandle his enemies and show just how strong the webhead really is.

5 Spin Cycle - Innovator

Spider-Man webbing an enemy in Marvel's Spider-Man

Chucking webbed enemies around the arena makes for a great time, and Spin Cycle enhances this enjoyment even more. Throwing enemies becomes both an offensive technique and a way for players to catch their breath as well.

Mashing Triangle while throwing enemies increases the time they're swung around Spidey, eliminating any threat from surrounding enemies. It's also quite entertaining to pull this move off, making Spin Cycle a great move that's worth checking out for players who want more combat techniques to experiment with.

4 Payback - Defender

Payback skill in Marvels Spider-Man

Dodging attacks is critical for Peter to survive most combat encounters in Marvel's Spider-Man. Without adequate dodging skills, it's only a matter of time before players run out of Focus and get a game over.

Thankfully, certain abilities can turn dodging into both a defensive and offensive maneuver, such as Payback. This ability lets players take down ranged enemies instantly after perfectly dodging their projectiles.

3 Rocket Return - Innovator

Rocket Return skill from the Innovator skill tree from the Marvel's Spider-Man Game

When progressing in the story of Marvel's Spider-Man, the difficulty of the foes will start to increase as they improve the weaponry they use, especially favoring rocket launchers. Early game, a player would be able to easily rip the weapon from their hands, though at a distance, this can become harder.

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With Rocket Return, Peter can send the missiles back the way they came, dealing a great amount of damage to an enemy and the foes that surround them, making it great to use during large battles.

2 Chain Finisher - Defender

Chain Finisher skill from the Defender skill tree from the Marvel's Spider-Man game

As mentioned, finishers can instantly down an enemy once enough Focus has been obtained. This, unfortunately, usually only strikes one enemy, and then the Focus bar must be refilled again.

With Chain Finisher, after the bar has been filled with Focus, a player can aim at one enemy to finish them and then automatically also finish another without needing to gain more. This can be incredibly beneficial in later battles when a player may get easily overrun by the foes they face and therefore need to deal with them quickly.

1 Perfect Dodge - Defender

Perfect Dodge skill in the Defender Skill tree from the Marvel's Spider-Man Game

By far, the best skill for players to purchase is one that they don't even have to wait long to get, as it is the first perk available to them after completing the Defender Skill Tree.

Perfect Dodge is a vital skill that will keep Spider-Man alive while facing his most feared enemies. Dodging at the right time will not only increase the player's Focus bar so they can get closer to committing a finisher but also allow the player to counter-act the attacks of others with a Web shot.

Marvel's Spider-Man
Marvel's Spider-Man

Platform(s)
PS4 , PS5 , PC
Released
September 7, 2018
Developer(s)
Insomniac Games
Genre(s)
Action , Adventure , Open-World