The Best Spider-Man Game No One Played

2. A Game Where Choices Matter

For those unfamiliar with Web of Shadows, the concept is fairly simple. Spider-Man, having bonded with a piece of the Venom symbiote after yet another chastening encounter with Eddie Brock, is thrust straight into an apocalyptic version of New York riddled with all sorts of symbiotes. The game then flashes backwards to about four days before, showing Spidey encountering the symbiote once again and being given the ability to switch between either costume at will.

This is where the game really sets itself apart, as both the red and black suits bring with them their own gameplay advantages. Donning Spidey's classic costume allows the player to swing around at a quicker pace, dodge attacks more easily and generally just be a lot more agile; the black suit, on the other hand, grants Spider-Man access to a selection of devastating attacks. Health is also boosted, but movement is slower and that in itself presents its own issues for the player to deal with.

But, more importantly, it also caters to two different kinds of play-styles. You can opt for the traditional approach of fast, fluid attacks ala the Spidey games of old, or become a one-man wrecking-ball using the symbiote. How and when you use the costumes then also influences the story, with the symbiote influencing Peter's decisions for the worse - if the player so chooses.

This of course grants the title a certain kind of replayability others from the wall-crawler's history somewhat lack, and though there's little nuance to the decisions players are forced to make - being given the option of becoming either a friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, or an absolutely awful one - it adds an interesting element to the story and helps Web of Shadows stand apart from its contemporaries.