Summary
Marvelhas become a household name, and that’s also true for many of its superhero characters. Ergo, it’s resulted in many open-world games within theMarvelmultiverse. Games such as Insomniac’sSpider-Manhave seen great success, essentially epitomizing what anopen-world Marvel gameshould look like.
As fans wait for the likes of Insomniac’sWolverineand Motive’sIron Man, gamers can experience some open-world Marvel games that are already out, ranging from huge LEGO games to story-driven adventures. Some may be better than others, but there’s no doubt that any Marvel fan will appreciate every title in some way.
Updated June 06, 2025, by Melody MacReady:It would seem that open-world Marvel games are not going anywhere anytime soon, with Marvel’s Wolverine confirmed to be open-world and Motive’s new Iron Man title rumored to be an open-world title as well. Even the upcoming Marvel 1943: Rise Of Hydra potentially could have Captain America and Black Panther roaming the war-torn frontiers of France freely. It just goes to show how much Marvel games have continued to embrace the gimmick of an open-world for over twenty years, and while not every game is a bestseller, Marvel has still made plenty of great titles that allow for exploration of a world as a Marvel superhero.
Though it may share the same title as the 2012 Marvel movie,The Amazing Spider-Mantakes place after the events of the movie. With The Lizard in jail, other villains are created using cross-species genetics, such as Rhino, Vermin, Iguana, and Scorpion. Though far from the bestSpider-Mantitle, it is a competent attempt to make a Spider-Manclone of theBatman: Arkhamgames.
The objective ofThe Amazing Spider-Manis simple: swing around the open world, beat up enemies to build up a combo counter, perform takedowns, find collectibles, and take on an assemblage of villains. It provides nothing new, but it does nothing particularly bad either.
Featuringa large open-world New York City,LEGO Marvel Super Heroesallows players to assume the role of iconic characters such as Hulk, Iron Man, and even Spider-Man. It all takes place in a large open-world setting that is fully explorable and highly destructible, but this time, with the collecting and action of typical open-world LEGO games of the past.
This title features some great humor, akin to some ofthe best LEGO video gamesever made. It features a fun and wholesome story for all ages, great combat, engaging platforming gameplay, and a huge roster of characters to unlock and collect.
Similar to theX-Men Origins: Wolverinegame,The Amazing Spider-Man 2tells the overall events of the movie it’s based on but goes about it in its own way. For example, Electro and Harry Osborn are villains, but the game also features Kraven the Hunter, Kingpin, and Carnage as main antagonists in an open-world setting.
As a result,The Amazing Spider-Man 2, though still flawed, features a story that is in many ways superior to the movie. However, just like the first game, the gameplay is nothing untried except fora new take on the web-swinging mechanic. Other than that, though,The Amazing Spider-Man 2is a standard but fun open-world superhero affair.
A direct sequel to the first LEGO title,LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2introduces a wide variety of Marvel characters from across time and space to a huge open world and an exciting story featuring the villainous Kang the Conqueror. This is a proper superhero title through and through, featuring great superpowers and abilities that vary greatly between each distinct character.
Couple this with its excellent open-world, andLEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2is a surprisingly great game. The only major issue here is that it adds nothing new at all to its predecessor, making for a somewhat let-down of a sequel. However, this is still a highly enjoyable title with great characters and an even better open world to explore.
In 2004,Spider-Man 2was a significant landmark title when it was released, as it’s widely recognized as being the first superhero video game to incorporate a full open-world design. Even today,Spider-Man 2is influential in superhero games, allowing players to traverse through New York City and take on a variety of side quests.
The game takesan iconic roster ofSpider-Manvillainsand goes beyond the plot of the film to deliver an exceptional narrative that truly thrusts the player into the world of the webslinger. The gameplay mechanics are polished and still feel good today. This is a rare example of a game that has aged like fine wine and is easily on par if not better than its movie counterpart.
At its core,TheIncredible Hulk: Ultimate Destructionis pure carnage candy. Itcreates a larger open world but with a fully destructible environment, an impressive mechanic for the PS2 era, leading to some satisfying experiences via Hulk’s powerful combat while still providing a faithful adaptation of the characters.
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destructionactively encourages exploration with various unique abilities. Featuring villains such as Abomination and General Ross,Ultimate Destructiondid a lot of good for the Hulk character, even to the point where multiple attacks and special moves from the game were implemented intoThe Incredible Hulkmovie.
WhereSpider-Man 2invented the open-worldSpider-Mandesign,Spider-Man: Web of Shadowsrevolutionized it with two versions of the wall-crawling hero to play at once: Red or Black. Peter has classic agile combat with web-based attacks as the red Spider-Man, whilethe black symbiote Spider-Manfeatures a unique brutal form of combat with tendril-based attacks.
With many Marvel characters,the biggest open world for a superhero gameat the time it was released, and the ability to choose between heroic and villainous branches in the story,Spider-Man: Web of Shadowsfurther evolved the world ofSpider-Mangames. Even future titles would take inspiration from it, showing just how ambitious it truly was.
Everything inMarvel’s Spider-Manwas a perfect upgrade forSpider-Mangames, from the web-swinging to the visuals, the combat, the characters, and the story. The voice acting of Spider-Man here is also particularly excellent. This is a genuine masterpiece of a video game and a triumphin open-world superhero gaming, proving that the genre is still strong.
Insomniac knocked it out of the park with this title, delivering on its core promises and going above and beyond to create an exceptional open-world. It may take a lot of gameplay and storytelling beats from theBatman: Arkhamgames, but it executes them in just the right way to not feel like a rip-off.
The first time another Spider-Person has ever gotten their own game,Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Moraleswas a surprise, featuring some ofthe best storytelling inSpider-Mangames. Miles Morales proves to be just as strong of a lead, with many emotional scenes that result in a more grounded Marvel story while still featuring threats to the entire city and a focus on neon colors.
Featuring an excellent soundtrack, polished combat that somehow improved from the first game, and a holiday-set version of New York City for a colorful adventure,Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Moralesbuilds on the foundation set by its predecessor. It may not be as long, but playing through the main story is more than worth the effort. Like the first installment, the New York featured here is still a blast to explore.
Creating a sequel to a masterpiece is no small task, and it’s sad to say that so many follow-ups often fall short of their predecessors. In this instance, however, that’s not the case, asMarvel’s Spider-Man 2takes everything good from the first title, makes only a few small tweaks and changes, and delivers something on par with the first game that is even superior in some aspects.
Insomniac took everything good about both the first title andMiles Moralesand combined them to make a darker story thatfeatures villains such as Venomand Kraven the Hunter. Despite a few shortcomings, such as Venom’s story feeling rushed in the last half,Marvel’s Spider-Man 2does continue to showcase how much Insomniac cares about these characters. Introducing gliding mechanics, too, exploring this version of the open-world has never been so fun.
