5 Best Marvel Video Games Of All Time, Ranked

One of the most beloved shared universes is the superhero-laden Marvel Universe, which includes everyone from the X-Men to the Avengers. Ever since the Atari 2600 era, these heroes and villains have been adapted into the video game medium. All these decades later, whenever a Marvel game is set to be released, it still feels like a big event. The best games based on Marvel characters and stories have a wider appeal and often spread to different genres, showcasing how malleable these properties are.

With so many Marvel games to choose from, we've narrowed it down to our favorites and the clear critical standouts. From immersive open-world titles to delightfully chaotic online games, there is a Marvel experience for every gamer. And the best of these get to the heart of what their fan-favorite characters are all about, tapping into that timeless appeal. Here are the five best Marvel video games of all time, ranked, each interpreting these iconic superheroes in exciting ways.

One of the most imaginative recent games to use the Marvel license is 2022's "Marvel's Midnight Suns," a turn-based tactical RPG that features simplistic-yet-enjoyable deck-building mechanics. The game primarily focuses on the supernatural side of the Marvel Universe, including the majority of its playable roster. Players navigate battlefields in a manner similar to the developer studio's own "XCOM" franchise, while combat itself is determined by drawn cards during skirmishes. The game's story involves the Marvel heroes banding together to stop the demonic Lilith from devastating the world.

Despite its critical success, "Marvel's Midnight Suns" was considered a flop, but it's still well worth checking out. There is a tremendous amount of strategic depth to its unique gameplay style, and quite a bit of DLC continuing the story in exciting ways. The missions are similarly varied enough to keep players coming back for more, rather than quickly feeling repetitive and uninspired. "Marvel's Midnight Suns" brings spirited vengeance in an offbeat and thoroughly rewarding way, and there's definitely no other Marvel like it on the market.

Given just how extensive the number of heroes and villains are throughout the Marvel Universe, a free-to-play online hero shooter like "Marvel Rivals" works incredibly well. In teams of 6v6 or 18v18, players choose from over 50 Marvel characters (and counting), for third-person shooter action. Each character has their own unique abilities and attacks, including Black Panther's vibranium claws and Iron Man's high-tech weapons. The game has since added numerous other modes, including seasonal PvE challenges that feature teams taking on waves of enemies.

It would've been easy to make a generic hero shooter that happens to feature Marvel characters, but thankfully, "Marvel Rivals" is more than an "Overwatch" clone. The action is frenetic and joyously off-the-rails, easy to pick up and play and hard to put down between matches. Supported by regular updates and additional content, including costumes and new characters, NetEase keeps the experience fresh. A beautiful and fun-filled translation of Marvel's greatest characters to the hero shooter format, "Marvel Rivals" is a global phenomenon.

Capcom has had a reputation for creating some of the best arcade fighting games of all time, with several of them based on Marvel properties and ported to home platforms. One title that began for consoles was 2011's "Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3," an updated version of "Marvel vs. Capcom 3: New Age of Heroes."

With an expanded roster and rebalanced gameplay, the title revolves around 3v3 tag-team combat, with a heightened emphasis on stringing together combo attacks. The game features 48 playable characters, split evenly between Capcom properties like "Street Fighter" and "Resident Evil" with Marvel heroes and villains.

"Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3" is a fantastic modern fighter and one that embraces its unique cast's backstories and abilities. Marvel even gets the final boss distinction for the game's arcade mode, with players scrambling to stop Galactus from consuming the Earth. At the same time, the game has fun with its concept, bringing in some of the most bizarre fighting game characters ever, including a memorable appearance from Phoenix Wright. Accessible to hardcore fighting game fans and casual players alike, "Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3" is a vibrantly presented good time.

Really, this entire list could be populated with Spider-Man games, because Marvel's friendly neighborhood superhero has an impressive track record in this medium. For the sake of variety, we're keeping Spidey's list-worthy solo titles to "Marvel's Spider-Man 2," the latest installment in Insomniac Games' acclaimed line of Marvel games. A direct sequel to "Marvel's Spider-Man" and "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales," the 2023 game has Peter Parker and Miles Morales defend New York City from Kraven the Hunter. This battle comes as Peter's old friend Harry Osborn resurfaces in possession of the extraterrestrial Venom symbiote.

"Marvel's Spider-Man 2" is a webslinging masterpiece, taking everything that made the two preceding titles in the series so great and improving upon them. The game not only features an open-world version of Manhattan for players to defend, but also parts of Queens and Brooklyn, making it the biggest Spider-Man experience yet. Both Peter and Miles handle differently enough where they provide unique gameplay thrills, but with enough common mechanics where players don't have to learn two different ways to play. An epic adventure with plot twists set to surprise even the most hardcore Spider-Man fans, "Marvel's Spider-Man 2" is an awe-inducing joy to play.

When it comes to providing fans with an expansive love letter to the entirety of the Marvel Universe, the bar is still set by "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance." The 2006 game is an arcade-style beat'em-up improving upon the foundations established by the "X-Men Legends" titles. The game provides fans with a full tour of the Marvel Universe, from Asgard and Mephisto's domain to Atlantis and the Skrull homeworld. The game has the heroes come together when Doctor Doom leads the Masters of Evil on a scheme to gain unlimited power.

Exploring familiar Marvel levels with teams of four characters, "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance" really touches on the most prominent iconography in the Marvel Universe. This is elevated by a cast of dozens of playable characters, including the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, the X-Men, and numerous solo characters. While perfectly fun to play alone, playing with friends takes the experience to the next level, emphasizing teamwork amidst pummeling waves of enemies. Though the game would receive two sequels, the original "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance" is still the high point in the beat'em-up series — and the best Marvel game of all.