Best Spider-Man Open-World Games

For decades, Spider-Man has been a beloved character in comics and on screen. Over the years, many Spider-Man video games have been created, ranging from classic 2D games to more modern 3D adventures. As open-world games grew in popularity, some Spider-Man titles began letting players freely explore entire cities while completing objectives.

A great open-world Spider-Man game should let you swing through the city, quickly chase criminals, and stumble upon crimes happening everywhere. But creating that perfect experience wasn’t easy, and older games tried different approaches with varying degrees of success.

While overall quality matters, each game’s open-world will be prioritized above everything else.

9. The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Decent Combat and Web-Swinging Can Only Take A Game So Far

Reviews for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 were generally negative, mainly because of numerous problems with the game. It suffered from bugs that caused funny, unintended behavior, and the story felt rushed and poorly written. Because of these issues, it’s hard to recommend. However, if you simply enjoy open-world exploration, the game is passable.

So, swinging around as Spider-Man feels a little different this time. Unlike past games where I could just shoot my webs anywhere and go, I need to be near buildings or other anchor points to really get going. But the fighting is pretty cool! I can mix things up – juggle enemies, web them up, and even sneak around if I want to. It’s not just button mashing, which is awesome.

8. Spider-Man 3

An Underwhelming And, At Times, Broken Follow-Up To A Beloved Game

This game is a sequel to Spider-Man 2 and was originally intended to be based on the movie of the same name, featuring the original actors’ voices. However, the final product significantly differed from the film, and was generally considered a step down in quality. It includes many villains and characters not found in the movie.

As a huge Spider-Man fan, I really wanted to love Spider-Man 3, and I appreciated being able to swing around a big, open city and stumble upon crimes to stop. It definitely felt like a Spider-Man sandbox. But honestly? Compared to how amazing Spider-Man 2 was at the time, this game just didn’t bring anything new to the table. And it hasn’t held up well over the years – it actually feels worse now. While the open world can look good, it quickly gets boring because you’re doing the same things over and over. It feels like a game made to cash in on the movie, rather than a game made for people who genuinely love Spider-Man.

7. The Amazing Spider-Man

A Serviceable, If Unspectacular Spider-Man Open-World Game

Similar to its follow-up game, this title is inspired by the first Amazing Spider-Man movie and offers a thrilling web-swinging experience. Players can quickly swing around buildings, with the camera dynamically following their movements as they launch into the air. The game also features engaging stealth and combat, letting players drop down on enemies, web them up, and pull them back to higher ground.

The Amazing Spider-Man offers extra things to do between its main story missions to give you more playtime, and the fighting is decent. However, with the newer, superior Spider-Man games from Insomniac, and the appeal of older titles, there’s not much reason to play this one now. Plus, it’s no longer available to buy online.

6. Ultimate Spider-Man

Gorgeous Cel-Shaded Visuals And A Comic-Appropriate Story

The Ultimate Spider-Man game draws inspiration from the Ultimate Marvel comic book universe (Universe 1610). It truly feels like playing a comic book, with cutscenes designed like comic panels, a distinctive visual style, and on-screen text effects. Players can also control Venom in certain sections, offering a unique and sometimes difficult combat experience.

The game offers some side activities in the city, but compared to newer titles, they feel limited. Swinging around as Spider-Man feels more like a simple arcade game than the refined experience found in more recent games. Most notably, Ultimate Spider-Man is quite short – you can finish it in just a couple of hours.

5. Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows

Underrated Spider-Man Game With Great Combat

While perhaps not as widely remembered now, Web of Shadows remains a favorite among players who enjoyed it on PS3 and Xbox 360. The game features a variety of powerful symbiote abilities during fights, but it’s also possible to win simply by rapidly pressing buttons, even against bosses.

The game lets players make meaningful choices that impact the story and lead to one of four different endings. Embracing the symbiote side of the character will result in the most villainous outcome, while sticking to the classic red-suited Spider-Man persona will lead to the most heroic. Players will also have to choose a love interest, and this decision will further influence which ending they get.

4. Marvel’s Spider-Man

Set The New Standard For Spider-Man Open-World Games

Beyond having stunning graphics for a Spider-Man game at the time, Marvel’s Spider-Man included many features players now expect in modern games. Spider-Man’s movements – both when fighting and swinging through the city – feel incredibly natural and smooth, with lots of impressive acrobatics and visual effects. Simply traveling around the city using all of these movement options is one of the most enjoyable parts of the game.

Combat in the game is flexible, offering players a variety of options and tools to keep battles engaging throughout the story. Unlocking different suits grants unique powers that further customize your playstyle. As you explore the city, you can also find lots of collectibles. For those familiar with the original, this game shares the same Metascore but features improved graphics.

3. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Same Open-World As Marvel’s Spider-Man, Just With A Christmas Makeover

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales picks up right where the first game left off, giving players a detailed look at how Miles Morales becomes Spider-Man. It’s a shorter game, which is a good thing, making it easy to jump into and enjoy. Like the previous game, you’ll experience the challenges of balancing Miles’s superhero life with his personal life, filled with both exciting action and heartfelt moments. Miles has unique abilities – Venom and Camouflage – that make combat even more dynamic and customizable as you upgrade them.

The Manhattan in Miles Morales uses the same map as Marvel’s Spider-Man, so the cities don’t look very different. However, Miles Morales is set during Christmas, which means the whole world is covered in beautiful snow, giving it a lot of charm and a unique style.

2. Spider-Man 2

The Most Influential And Beloved Spider-Man Open-World Game

Spider-Man 2 lets you experience the story of the second movie in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, where you’ll face off against the villain Doctor Octopus. You can swing freely around a huge city, fighting enemies and enjoying an open-world experience alongside the main story missions.

Because this game is quite old, modern players might find it too simple and a bit awkward to control. Enemies are easily predictable, making battles straightforward – you can often just rush in and defeat large groups with quick attacks and flashy effects. However, it’s important to remember how groundbreaking Spider-Man 2‘s open world was when it came out in 2004, and it heavily influenced the design of many games that followed. Even now, swinging through the city feels fantastic, and the game’s version of New York still looks impressive for a PlayStation 2 title.

1. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

The Biggest And Best Open-World In A Spider-Man Game

As a huge fan, I think the first Marvel’s Spider-Man and Miles Morales just tell better stories overall, so I’d rank them slightly higher. But honestly, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has the absolute best open world of the three games – swinging around the city is just incredible!

While not flawless, and perhaps not as strong as the earlier Marvel’s Spider-Man games in terms of story, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a significant improvement in almost every other way. The previous games had tighter, better-paced narratives, as this sequel tries to cover too much ground and feels a bit rushed with developing its characters. But if you can look past that, the game refines and enhances nearly everything that worked well in the first two installments.

The game’s open world now includes Queens and Brooklyn, making it the biggest open-world experience in any Spider-Man game so far. Web-swinging feels familiar, which is good – the developers didn’t need to change something that already worked well. A major addition is the ability to play as both Peter Parker and Miles Morales for most of the game, and they each offer a unique playstyle. The fighting has also been refined, and there’s more to do in the open world, though it’s still not perfect.

2026-01-23 01:46