Summary
The symbiotes have been a staple of the Spider-Man comics, and Marvel comics in general, ever since their first appearance in 1984’sThe Amazing Spider-Man #252. First used to explain the webhead’s black costume during theSecret Warsminiseries, they’ve grown to become a massive part of the Spider-Man mythos and have appeared next to him in books, animated shows, films, and games.
Some ofthe best Spider-Man video gameshave featured the symbiotes. In some of these games, like the brilliant Spider-Man for PS1, they’re a major part of the game’s plot. In others, the symbiotes impact gameplay, either as a suit for Spider-Man or as playable characters like Venom. We’ve ranked the Spider-Man games that feature the best symbiote gameplay based on how fun/different the actual symbiote gameplay is and how it impacts the game as a whole. We’ve ignored games where symbiote gameplay isn’t much different from normal Spider-Man gameplay as well as Marvel games that aren’t focused on Spider-Man.
Spider-Man: Friend or Foewas designed as a non-canon spin-off of the Sam Raimi films and the trilogy of games based around them. In this beat-em-up, the player uses Spider-Man to defeat the villains of those films, who are then added to the playable roster. That means after defeating Venom, one ofthe best Spider-Man villains ever, the player can control him. Venom isn’t just a bulkier reskin of Spide-Man either; he controls very differently.
Venom’s abilities are much more focused on raw power, whereas vanilla Spider-Man is an agile fighter. His melee attacks are slower but stronger, and he can use his symbiote tendrils to strike multiple foes at once.Spider-Man: Friend or Foeis designed to be played in co-op, and it’s clear that Venom’s combat style was meant to complement Spider-Man’s. The game gets a low ranking because its combat is fairly simple, and, outside of Venom’s moveset, the game doesn’t really focus on any other aspects of symbiote gameplay. Playing as Venom is always a lot of fun, but there’s not much depth here.
Sam Raimi’sSpider-Man 3was a long way from being one ofthe best Spider-Man films, so it should come as no surprise that its video game adaptation wasn’t all that great either. In fact, after the legendary gameplay ofSpider-Man 2, it was a downright letdown. It did have one saving grace, though: its symbiote gameplay was pretty fun. Through the course of the game’s story, the player eventually gains access to the back symbiote suit, which alters Spider-Man’s abilities and combat style.
The specifics varied from console to console, but generally speaking, the symbiote suit made Spidey stronger and faster while upgrading his web attacks and allowing for better melee combos. When wearing the black suit, the gameplay did a great job of emphasizing the increased aggression and strength that the symbiote brings. However, the suit came with a downside. The longer the player uses it, the higher their rage meter is built. If they allowed it to fill completely, it resulted in an instant Game Over. This added a cool risk/reward element to the symbiote gameplay that also reflected the negative effects of the symbiote as shown in the film. All-in-all, the symbiote gameplay was the best thing about an otherwise disappointing game, resulting in a low ranking.
Based on theUltimate Spider-Mancomic series and featuring cel-shaded art that mimicked the books and great combat,Ultimate Spider-Manis one of the most fondly remembered Spider-Man games. There are plenty ofMarvel games with playable Venoms, butUltimate Spider-Manis arguably the best. Players got to choose who they played the story as, either Spider-Man or Venom, with their decision leading to very distinct experiences.
Playing as Venom emphasizes the villain’s sheer raw strength and love of causing destruction. His melee attacks are stronger, and he can use his tendrils to grab and throw enemies. Traversal is also different, with Venom favoring superhuman leaps over Spidey’s web-slinging. To maintain his health, Venom must continuously devour people and objects, which makes sense when one considers the parasitic nature of symbiotes. Lots of games feature a Venom with a slightly different moveset, butUltimate Spider-Manmade Venom feel like a completely separate character. Whatever story mode the player chose, the game ended in an epic confrontation between Spider-Man and Venom which reflected their differing styles. Outside of playing as Venom, the game didn’t feature any other elements of symbiote gameplay, landing it a middle ranking.
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows’symbiote gameplay has a fair few similarities toSpider-Man 3. Players could switch between the classic Spidey suit and the symbiote suit at any time, changing up the gameplay at will. As in other games, the symbiote suit boosts Spider-Man’s physical abilities, improving his strength, speed, and web attacks. Symbiote gameplay encourages a more aggressive playstyle and features tendril attacks that can take out multiple enemies and objects at once.
Spider-Man: Web of Shadowsjust did it all better, and it’s still got one ofthe best combat systems in a Spider-Man game. There were tons of unique abilities depending on which suit the player wore. Most importantly, the symbiote suit was so fun to play with that it constantly enticed the player to use it, even if they were trying to do a heroic playthrough. Perhaps the best thing aboutWeb of Shadows’ssymbiote gameplay, however, is how it impacted the story. Throughout the game, the player is forced to make red (heroic) and black (evil) decisions that ultimately lead to several different endings. If the player lets the symbiote overtake Peter completely, he could turn into an all-out villain.Web of Shadowseasily gets second-ranking.
It wasn’t easy picking betweenMarvel’s Spider-Man 2andWeb of Shadowsfor top place. In the end, it’sSpider-Man 2because it’s arguably the best all-rounder. But it was close. The game’s symbiote gameplay isn’t particularly different from those that came before it. During the story, Peter is infected with the symbiote, gaining the iconic black suit. It significantly alters his combat style, leading to a more aggressive and brutal fighting style. Using the symbiote allows Spidey to use devastating tendril attacks that target multiple enemies, making crowd control much easier.
The best thing about the symbiote gameplay is how visceral it feels.Spider-Man 2is a gorgeous game and the black suit’s finishers are suitably bone-crunching. Of all the games here, this one does the best job of capturing how powerful wielding the symbiote suit should feel. The symbiote also plays a major part in the story, and the writers did an excellent job of exploring its psychological effects on the usually lovable Peter. Brilliantly, this leads to one ofthe game’s best battles, during which Miles has to battle an irrational symbiote-infected Peter. While the game lacks the narrative choices offered byWeb of Shadows, the game still tells an epic story with the symbiote at its center and has the most fun symbiote-powered gameplay.
