Summary
Spider-Manis Marvel’s most recognizable hero for a reason, and this wall-crawling web-slinger has featured in more than his fair share of video game titles over the years. Whether it’s in his own games, in LEGO format, or as a fighter in another series,Spider-Manhas been all over the world, going beyond just New York City to provide players with an intense bout of action-packed combat.
The bestSpider-Mangames often allow players a range of fluid mobility and combat variety, showcasing Spider-Man’s talents and powers with his spider-sense, web shooters, and of course, his powerful pulled punches.Spider-Mangames have evolved over the years, and the combat has certainly gotten significantly better, with these entries being a popular set of favorites.
Whilst many will rememberSpider-Man 2fondly for 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 2truly feels like the blueprint for how to make a goodSpider-Mangame, and how the combat should be, as the variety of punches, kicks, dodges and midair attackshelp to makeSpider-Man 2stand outfrom other combat games.
A fun game for two players,Spider-Man:Friend or Foedidn’t take on many lessons from priorSpider-Mangames, 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 otherSpider-Mangames, the mixture of fighting and parkour helps to makeSpider-Man:Friend or Foean 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.
Surprisingly,Spider-Man:Edge of Timefeels somewhat like the classic hack-and-slashGod of Wargames, 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.
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.
Exploring the Ultimate universeas 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 toSpider-Mangames that would return in later variations of the character.
The true downside ofUltimate Spider-Man’scombat 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.
There’s a lot of mindless fun in the combat ofSpider-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 inShattered Dimensions, but the range of different attacks across a multiverse of different Spider-Men helps to make each individual 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 to fantastical combat.
The Amazing Spider-Manis more than just a tie-in game, and the combat solidifies that, as plenty of experience and desire foran acrobatic Spider-Manwere 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.
Despite existing around the same time as the Batman: Arkham games, a series known for its riveting combat,The Amazing Spider-Mandid 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.
A more detailed look into the fighting style of Spider-Man,Web of Shadowshad 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 influencedby 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.
Insomniac has made strong impressions with their take on Spider-Man, andMarvel’s Spider-Man 2goes above and beyond to advance the combat of their first title, and the Miles Morales spin-off. InMarvel’s Spider-Man 2,Peter and Mileshave 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 addicting, as players can freely juggle targets in the air as they unleash a mixture of punches, kicks, and web attacks.
