Andrew Garfield Spider-Man and Tom Holland Spider-Man may have been psyched by Tobey Maguire Spider-Man’s organic web shooters. But that doesn’t mean tech can’t improve on that. Marvel’s Spider-Man has mechanical ones that come with a range of additional perks that can help in battle.
However, some gadgets in Marvel's Spider-Man are more versatile than others. So, which ones should players prioritize upgrades for? Which ones are better in a fight? Here’s a quick ranking of all the gadgets in order of usefulness.
8 Suspension Matrix
The gadget with the fanciest name is the least handy compared to the others. It’ll send any enemy floating hopelessly in midair, leaving them vulnerable to air combos and other attacks. With enough upgrades, it’ll affect multiple enemies and help keep the heat off Pete if he’s being crowded.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t do any damage on its own. It’s more of a set-up device for other attacks and gadgets. On rooftops, it can be especially handy as the player can just smack them off the edge. Still, the other gadgets are more direct and less situational.
7 Concussive Blast
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Shocker is regarded as one of Spider-Man’s lesser villains, but he was onto something when he came up with concussive wave attacks. The Concussive Blast lets Spider-Man hit foes with a hard sonic boom that sends them flying away. Combined with the Suspension Matrix, it can help clear out rooftops quite well.
It’s much more limited indoors though. Sure, it does damage, though not as much as a sturdy combo. It could keep bigger foes at a distance, and control crowds. But just as there are better villains than Shocker in the game, there are better gadgets than the Concussive Blast too.
6 Electric Web
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The Electric Web does what it says on the tin: they’re webs with an electric charge. They operate the same as the basic web shooters, except they can also stun enemies and keep them in place. The charge can also zap any other foes close to Spidey’s original target, so it’s good at giving the player breathing space.
Its area-of-effect can expand to the point where it can shock entire crowds. Still, bigger enemies can shrug it off more easily than mooks, so they’ll take more zaps to subdue. While it’s not that much better than the standard shooters, thinking players can use it to their advantage.
5 Web Shooters
Don’t ignore the standard shooters. They’re more useful than their vanilla status would suggest. Splatting enemies with multiple shots will slow them down, or even stop them in their tracks. Once stopped, Spidey can grab them with a web line and swing them around against other enemies.
Spidey can also instantly finish off foes if they’re close to a wall or other stationary object. Just hit them with multiple shots, and they’ll get stuck to it, though this only works with basic foes on a target-by-target basis. Bigger enemies will just get gummed up for some extra hits or a Focus Attack. It’s not as flashy, but it’s handy.
4 Trip Mine
Thinking players can get much out of the Electric Web, but they’ll get more out of the Trip Mine. Set it in place, and anyone walking on or by it will get instantly stuck to the nearest surface. It’s particularly good in stealth sequences, where canny use of it can clear a room quickly.
However, it can also be handy in combat. Throw an upgraded one into a crowd, and it can pin multiple enemies down. Still, it requires strategic thinking to get the most out of it. Once the player knows the ins and out of a section, it could be one of the most rewarding gadgets to use.
3 Spider Drone
If it takes some thought to use the Trip Mine, how about a gadget that requires little to no thinking at all? The Spider-Drone can be brought out to crawl, leap and fly around, fighting any foes on its own before the player finishes them off or deals with their own threats. It's not as cute as the sidekick in the Miles Morales game, but just as handy.
It’s only temporary though. Once it’s done, the player will have to wait for it to recharge again. Upgrading it will give it more charge and increase its damage output. The drone appears fairly early into the game too, so it’s handy for newcomers having trouble with large groups of thugs.
2 Web Bomb
This is exactly what it sounds like: a big bomb that blasts webs everywhere when it explodes. It’ll instantly gum up all standard mooks and stop bigger enemies in their tracks long enough for a combo. It can even take out most foes, if not all of them, by sticking them to walls, cars, and any other surface if they're close enough to them.
Upgrades will increase the number of bombs Spidey can use, and how wide its area of effect is. So, it’s definitely a gadget to prioritize. Still, it doesn’t have much use outside of combat sections and doesn’t have a lot of charges. This is why it has a smaller, more focused equivalent.
1 Impact Web
The Impact Web is basically a mini-Web Bomb, in that it’s a big shot of web that instantly gums up a foe on a target-by-target basis. Unlike the standard shooters, it can instantly gum enemies up against the wall, or send them flying off rooftops like the Concussion Blast. It can also gum bigger enemies against objects with multiple shots and gets stronger with each upgrade.
Players get it fairly early in the game too, so they’ll have plenty of time to make the most of it. Sure, the Web Bomb is better for large hordes. But the Impact Web is better at picking off single foes at a time in stealth sections, dealing with smaller encounters, and as a backup for picking off stragglers. So, when it comes to upgrading gadgets, the Impact Web should be the first one to focus on.
Marvel’s Spider-Man is out now on PS4, and in the Remastered edition for PS5 and PC.