5. Ultimate Spider-Man
Until now, we’ve mostly talked about amazing games that put you in the shoes of the wall-crawler himself. However, much like Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage there’s another title that not only allows you to be a marvelous hero but also lets you break loose as the terrifying Lethal Protector. That is none other than Ultimate Spider-Man.
Based on the comics of the same name, Ultimate Spider-Man follows Peter Parker as he tries to uncover the truth behind his parents’ death while also having to deal with Eddie Brock and his monstrous alter ego. As expected, the game lets you be a savior by rescuing civilians stuck underneath a car that’s about to explode or by stopping terrifying villains such as Rhino. However, you also had to feed on people to survive and tear other heroes apart when controlling Venom. It was truly the best of both worlds.
Aside from the gameplay variety that resulted from playing as both Spidey and Venom, one of the game’s greatest strengths is a great story that makes use of many Marvel characters. The Human Torch, Wolverine, Bolivar Trask, and more appeared at different points of a narrative that didn’t shy away from being dark. It even got to the point where Peter Parker himself turned into Carnage, shocking anyone who played through that section of the game.
There are many positives to highlight from Ultimate Spider-Man, but the game will always shine thanks to its unique graphical style. It feels as if pages of a comic book came to life to act out jaw-dropping set pieces (such as the Rhino chase sequence). For a game that came out in 2005, it was filled with explosive moments that kept players entertained through its entirety even when it also suffered from being repetitive (something that even modern Spider-Man games struggle with).
In conclusion, Ultimate Spider-Man was stylistic and action-packed while also telling an amazing story. Venom was completely different to control from Spider-Man, which injected a little variety here and there even if most of the missions played the same. However, its few negatives don’t prevent it from being in the top five Spider-Man games ever created.