PlayStation's 10 most influential video game characters, ranked
By Mark Lynch
![Marvel's Spider-Man 2 screenshot, Image courtesy Insomniac Games Marvel's Spider-Man 2 screenshot, Image courtesy Insomniac Games](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2560,h_1440,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImageExchange/mmsport/308/01hmrcmvd5b17xdmvjj1.jpg)
9. The Spider-Men
Video games: Spider-Man 1 and Spider-Man 2
"Love the optimism. But in my experience, when it looks bad, it's usually worse." - Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
After the Arkham series ended, gamers craved a new comic book video game. Spider-Man came right on time. People were all in as soon as the trailer was released. All players knew was Peter was the main character. As the game progressed, Miles made his debut. After that, he got his own game. Now Miles is *the* Spider-Man going forward.
Spider-Man influenced other comic book games to step things up. Name recognition wasn’t enough anymore. Basic fighting mechanics and repetitive action get old quickly. This is why Gotham Knights and Marvel's Avengers didn’t do well. Without Spider-Man, the comic book games would have taken a hit. This is why Insomniac Games is in charge of Wolverine and future X-Men games.
8. Cole MacGrath
Video games: Infamous 1 and Infamous 2
"I don't know if you've ever let someone down, got your *** kicked or straight up failed, but those are the moments that define us. They push you further than you've ever thought possible, and force you to make choices... no matter what the cost." - Cole MacGrath
Controlling your destiny was one of the biggest additions to video games. Infamous may have done it better than anyone. Not only could you choose what direction your character went, but the conclusion wasn’t subtle. You were either the hero people loved or the destroyer of worlds. Even your powers changed. They would look and act heroic or they'd represent darkness.
Without Cole MacGrath’s popularity, choosing a destiny wouldn’t have been as popular. Unfortunately, he hasn’t returned. It’s easy to see that he survived in Infamous 2 regardless of your choice.