Summary
- Spider-Man games have featured multiple playable characters for decades, including Venom and other well-known Marvel characters.
- Some notable titles like Maximum Carnage and Separation Anxiety allow players to control both Spider-Man and Venom.
- Marvel's Spider-Man offers gameplay with Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Mary Jane Watson, each bringing their own unique abilities and perspectives.
Over the past few decades, Spider-Man has become a massive gaming icon, which is quite impressive for a character/IP that didn’t even originate from this medium. People really enjoy playing as one of the biggest and most recognizable comic book superheroes in human history.
However, Spidey himself is not the only character players want to control, seeing as his franchise has introduced numerous other heroes and villains that have become incredibly popular as well. Fortunately for their fans, some of the best Spider-Man video games out there feature multiple playable characters. These titles are the most prominent examples.
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1 Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage & Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety
Play As Spider-Man And Venom
Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety
- Released
- May 15, 1995
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Beat 'Em Up
Spider-Man games have featured more than one playable character for decades. Acclaim’s classic beat 'em up, Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage, is an example that’s still beloved by many fans to this day. Based on the classic comic book arc of the same name, this 2D sidescroller allows the player to choose either of its titular characters to play in their fight against Carnage.
A year later, Acclaim released a direct sequel titled Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety. The game brought back Spidey and Venom as main playable characters, alongside the much-needed addition of a two-player co-op mode. These two old-school beat 'em ups may not seem all that impressive today, but they’re still fun and accessible video games.
2 Ultimate Spider-Man
Play As Spider-Man And Venom
Ultimate Spider-Man
- Released
- September 22, 2005
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T // Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
Needless to say, Venom has always been one of Spider-Man’s most recurring reluctant allies, and this is reflected by the fact that he’s a playable character in many games. Another perfect example of their ever-lasting rivalry is Ultimate Spider-Man. This open-world adventure is reminiscent of the Spider-Man 2 movie game, but with a more colorful, cel-shaded art style that’s based on the comic book series of the same name.
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As cool and satisfying as it is to roam around the map as Spider-Man himself, Ultimate Spider-Man is fondly remembered for being one of the very first 3D games in the franchise to feature a fully playable Venom. The symbiotic monster has his own set of abilities that differentiate him from Spidey. He’s a lot slower and less agile, but he’s also stronger and more durable, not to mention that he can also fight by wielding his powerful tendrils.
3 Spider-Man: Edge Of Time
Play As Spider-Man And Spider-Man 2099
Spider-Man: Edge of Time
- Released
- October 4, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Beenox, Other Ocean Interactive
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
The mid-2000s and early 2010s were filled to the brim with licensed Spider-Man games, whether they were based on a live-action movie or not. One of the most remarkable projects released during this time was Spider-Man: Edge of Time, a time-traveling adventure with two playable incarnations of the arachnid hero: Peter Parker and Miguel O'Hara.
Both Spider-Men have their own set of unique abilities and powers that set them apart from each other. But Edge of Time’s most interesting feature is its “Quantum Causality” mechanic, which means that every decision Peter makes in the past affects Miguel in the future. Edge of Time is a solid action-adventure title with a unique twist, but it feels a lot less ambitious or creative than its predecessor, Shattered Dimensions.
4 Marvel's Spider-Man
Play As Spider-Man, Miles Morales, & Mary Jane Watson
Marvel's Spider-Man
- Released
- September 7, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World
The release of Marvel's Spider-Man in 2018 was a monumental event for fans of this superhero, because legendary developer Insomniac Games managed to make the best Spider-Man game ever made up to that point. In this AAA adventure, controlling Peter feels amazing. The combat is fast-paced and satisfying, the web-swinging is perfect, and he even has all sorts of gadgets, skills, and suits that he can use to explore, investigate, and fight criminals.
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Marvel's Spider-Man is also famous for featuring a few segments in which the player takes control of two non-superpowered humans: Miles Morales and Mary Jane Watson. While these segments are very suspenseful and do a great job at fleshing out the story in ways that wouldn’t even be possible if Peter was the only playable character, they can admittedly feel slow and tedious, especially during subsequent playthroughs.
5 Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
Play As Amazing Spider-Man, Ultimate Spider-Man, Spider-Man Noir, & Spider-Man 2099
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions
- Released
- September 7, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
Many years before the legendary Spider-Verse event was introduced in the comics, Beenox and Activision worked on their own multiversal Spidey adventure, titled Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. By taking advantage of this brilliant premise, players can control four different Spider-Men: Amazing, Ultimate, Noir, and 2099. While they all feel quite similar to each other, their respective levels have completely different gameplay styles that keep things fresh and interesting.
On top of that, each level takes place in a different dimension, complete with its own unique art style and strange reinterpretations of classic Spider-Man villains as bosses. Despite some minor flaws, Shattered Dimensions is one of the best and most beloved games in the franchise. It should be no surprise that it was a major source of inspiration for the Spider-Verse comics.
6 Spider-Man: The Video Game
Play As Spider-Man, Black Cat, Hawkeye, & Namor
Spider-Man: The Video Game
- Released
- October 1, 1991
- Developer(s)
- Sega
- Genre(s)
- Beat 'Em Up
Old-school beat 'em ups have always been perfect for gamers who want to take control of multiple Spider-Man characters, and this could already be seen in one of the oldest games in the franchise: Spider-Man: The Video Game. In this classic arcade beat 'em up developed by Sega, up to four people can play as Spider-Man, Black Cat, Hawkeye, and Namor at the same time.
While Spider-Man: The Video Game is one of the few games in the franchise that features other Marvel superheroes as playable characters, it's still technically a Spider-Man game. Gameplay-wise, the combat system still holds up today for such an old beat 'em up, and it's elevated by the detailed and colorful sprite work.
7 Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Play As Two Spider-Men, Mary Jane Watson, Hailey Cooper, & Venom
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Released
- October 20, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Drug Reference, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Insomniac Games
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Action-Adventure, Superhero
Marvel's Spider-Man 2’s biggest selling point is the inclusion of two Spider-Men — Peter Parker and Miles Morales — as its two main playable characters. This sequel carried over the excellent combat system and impeccable web-swinging mechanics from its predecessor, but each Spider-Man now has his own set of unique abilities that set them apart from each other. Miles has his invisibility and his Venom Blast (both of which were introduced in Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales), while Peter slowly learns how to use the deadly abilities of his new black symbiote suit.
The MJ segments were brought back, but this time around they feel a lot more dynamic and engaging. There’s also a brief but inventive side quest in which players take control of Miles’ deaf friend, Hailey Cooper. Lastly, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 features a violent and over-the-top segment with a playable Venom that was disappointingly short. Fans are now begging Insomniac Games to give this character his own spin-off adventure with a similar playstyle.
8 Spider-Man: Friend or Foe
Play As Spider-Man, Black Cat, Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, Iron Fist, & Many More
Spider-Man: Friend Or Foe
- Released
- October 2, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E 10+ // Cartoon Violence
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Adventure, Beat-Em-Up
Spider-Man has always had one of the best rogues galleries in the comic book industry, so it is no surprise that at least one mainstream video game features many of his iconic villains as playable characters. Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is a relatively modern 3D beat 'em up. Players initially take control of Spidey himself, but they can eventually recruit some of his most iconic rivals as allies (or “sidekicks”).
Spider-Man: Friend or Foe has over 15 different playable characters, the highest number in any game in this franchise. Its roster includes both classic Spider-Man villains and other Marvel heroes. Up to two players can take control of Spider-Man, Black Cat, Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, Scorpion, Iron Fist, Rhino, Lizard, Sandman, Venom, New Goblin, Prowler, Silver Sable, Carnage, Electro, and Blade, although it’s important to point out that some of these characters are exclusive to specific ports of the game (like on PS2 and/or PSP). The best part is that all these characters have a cinematic “Super Move” that they can perform alongside Spider-Man.
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