Highlights

• Spider-Man games are beloved for their web-swinging mechanics, which are unmatched by other superhero games.
• While some games in the franchise have received negative reviews, they still offer enjoyable web-swinging experiences.
• The latest main game in the series, Marvel's Spider-Man, is considered the best Marvel superhero experience, with exceptional web-swinging.

Superhero games have been around for as long as anyone can remember. In the 90s, there were popular titles such as Pepsiman, The Flash, Maximum Carnage, X-Men: Children of the Atom, Captain Commando, etc. However, from the beginning of the 2000s, one superhero game series trumped all the others: Spider-Man.

In the last two decades, there have been over 15 different Spider-Man games, including Marvel's Spider-Man and Miles Morales. One reason why Spider-Man games are so famous is because of how versatile the character is without being super overpowered. His quick-witted attitude and swift abilities are also entertaining for most players. However, the biggest reason why most gamers play Spider-Man games is web-swinging.

Updated on November 28, 2023 by Ritwik Mitra: It's hard to imagine any Spider-Man game not having great web-swinging mechanics that compel players to explore the worlds of these games to their heart's content. There's a reason why Marvel's Avengers was criticized to the moon and back for having half-baked swinging mechanics for everyone's favorite webhead — the most beloved Spider-Man games around are revered for their web-swinging mechanics, even if the rest of the package may not be up to the mark!

12 Spider-Man (2000)

Metascore: 87

It's easy to look back on 2000's Spider-Man and call it a dated product. Sure, the graphics, combat, and level-based design may not have aged all that well, but the game more than makes up for it with its sheer heart and a great understanding of what makes Spider-Man so riveting as a character.

Swinging around in this game was a ton of fun at the time, and can still be pretty fun despite its on-rails approach and lack of realism. Still, there's something oddly charming about watching the web crawler shoot his web into the high heavens and swinging forward, even if it does look a bit comical.

11 Spider-Man 3

Metascore: 63

In 2007, Spider-Man 3 was probably the most awaited superhero movie for fans. Hence, its tie-in game was also one of the most intriguing games of the year. Moreover, players were super excited to play Spider-Man 3, as it was from Call of Duty developer Treyarch. Unfortunately, the game disappointed everyone due to its odd pacing, poor mission structure, and mediocre storyline.

The negative reviews became a big reason many players didn't even try the game. It was sad because Spider-Man 3 offered pretty good gameplay and an even better web-swinging experience despite its flaws.

10 The Amazing Spider-Man

Metascore: 69

The Amazing Spider-Man is a 2012 superhero game that ties in with Andrew Garfield's movie. However, it offers a much different story that starts months after the incidents in the film. The Amazing Spider-Man is one memorable game as it finally brought back the open world that was missing from the past few entries in the franchise.

The game focused on letting players solve crimes in Manhattan as side content while completing linear scenarios to progress through the story. The swinging in the game was completely revamped as well, with an automatic third-person view camera that would adjust the field of view based on Spider-Man's actions while swinging.

9 Spider-Man: Edge Of Time

Fun Web Swinging, Even If The Levels Are Linear

Spider-Man: Edge of Time was released one year before the Amazing Spider-Man tie-in game. It offered much more restrictive gameplay and a linear mission design. In the game, players assume control of two renditions of Spider-Man. One is the Spider-Man 2099, Miguel O'Hara, and the other is the Amazing Spider-Man, Peter Parker.

Edge of Time had a unique gameplay concept: players switch between the two superheroes and change the past to alter the future. Despite its linear design, the game offered a pretty decent web-swinging mechanism.

8 Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2

Amazing Swinging Mechanics For A LEGO Game

The more we say about Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2, the less it is. The popular Lego game is a one-of-a-kind action-adventure title that offers players a huge variety of superheroes to play. One such character is Spider-Man, who packs all his classic moves in the Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2.

Anyone who has played the Lego games knows they are famous for building detailed characters with authentic attributes. Hence, Spider-Man feels extremely fun to play and comes with a top-notch swinging mechanism that works for the game.

7 The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Metascore: 49

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is the sequel to the first game with the same name and is also a tie-in to the second Andrew Garfield movie. The game came out in 2014 and improved everything that made the first one good. It also featured a different story, with more characters, enemies, and a plot surrounding the infamous supervillain Carnage.

While the game isn't as good as the newer Spider-Man titles, it did much groundwork for the upcoming games. The web-swinging in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is pretty fun and feels much better than its prequel.

6 Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows

Metascore: 68

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows may be one of the most experimental superhero games of all time. It’s a third-person action-adventure title that is heavily focused on a karma system, where players’ actions will change the course of the game. In Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, players control an alternate version of Spider-Man, who wears the symbiote at all times.

Hence, gamers can easily switch between the symbiotic suit and the regular one based on how they want to tackle a situation. The game came out in 2008 but still holds up in various areas, including the web-swinging mechanics.

5 Ultimate Spider-Man

Metascore: 77

Ultimate Spider-Man is a 2005 game that is famous for its comic-book art style and visual design. It’s an open-world game with an emphasis on beat-em-up combat and a free-roam mission structure. The game’s story is centered around Venom and Spider-Man, and it is up to players to pick which character they want to use to finish the missions.

Ultimate Spider-Man offers a unique gameplay design, where both the characters play completely differently. Venom uses his symbiote tentacles to travel around the city, while Spider-Man uses his web to swing across skyscrapers.

4 Spider-Man 2

Metascore: 83

Spider-Man 2 was the go-to game for anyone who wanted to feel like a true web-crawling superhero. The 2004 game defined what it meant to be Spider-Man with its open-world gameplay, flawless mission structure (at the time), and web-swinging mechanics that inspired the newer games in the franchise.

The game also popularized gameplay features such as power jumps to wall-running, which truly make it stand out compared to other Spider-Man titles. Apart from the amazing console version, Spider-Man 2 has a few alternate versions that aren’t so great. These include the Microsoft Windows version and the PlayStation Portable version.

3 Marvel's Spider-Man

Metascore: 87

Marvel’s Spider-Man (not to be mistaken for the 2000s Spider-Man game) is an open-world action-adventure title that is the best Marvel superhero experience on the market at the moment. The game first came out in 2018 exclusively for PlayStation 4 and later made its way to the PlayStation 5.

Recently, Sony pushed the game to Windows, widening their horizon in the PC gaming community. Being the latest main game in the franchise, Marvel’s Spider-Man does everything right, be it the story or the gameplay design. However, the best thing about this game is its web-swinging, which is unmatched by every other game on the list, except its spin-off.

2 Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Metascore: 85

Speaking of the spin-off, here is Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales​​​​​​, which came out in 2020. The game picks up a year after the end of 2018’s game and shows a brand-new superhero, Miles lacing up his boots as Peter Parker’s protégé. Much like the original PlayStation 4 game, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is all about great storytelling, tight-knit combat design, and open-world gameplay.

Apart from that, the spin-off game features the most fun web-swinging mechanics that are unparalleled to anything out there. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is currently available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.

1 Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Metascore: 90

Expectations were high for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 to blow everything out of the water when it launched, and the game certainly didn't disappoint! Featuring two Spider-Men, improved combat, diverse traversal mechanics, and some of the best set-pieces in any Spider-Man game, it's easy to see why so many people loved this title when it came out.

The introduction of Venom makes things even more engaging, with Yuri Lowenthal absolutely killing it as an angry Spider-Man. The addition of web wings makes traversal more engaging than ever before, making players really think about the moves they want to pull off as they swing through the game's massive map.