After a long wait, the Spider-Man game for PS4 has swung its way into players’ hands and into many a fan’s heart. One of the most talked-about side-stories of Peter Parker’s PlayStation extravaganza is all the many suits he can collect. Drawing from the comics, movies, and even video game history, there are no less than 28 suits to unlock in this adventure, and each one has its own character in terms of fashion and power-ups. To be fair, Insomniac Games pulled out all the stops when it comes to the over two dozen costume choices.
They can’t all be winners, unfortunately. There are those that look really cool but add literally nothing to the power column. Then there are those that are hard to look at but have serious level-up abilities that just blow the bad guys away. Your mileage may vary, but after carefully taking each version of Peter Parker’s gear into consideration, the good, the bad, and the ugly can be identified.
Updated on December 6th, 2021, by Kevin Pantoja: Although it has been a few years since the release of Marvel's Spider-Man on PlayStation 4, there are still gamers playing it to this day. Considering all of the side missions, things to find, photos to take, and trophies to collect, some players are still trying to get that 100% mark on it. While replaying, they're bound to switch up costumes as often as possible but of course, not all are going to be in the rotation. That means it's still relevant and pressing to try and figure out what the best suit in Spider-Man PS4 actually is.
ESU Suit
The ESU Suit is just a college kid sporting a school spirit T-Shirt he bought at the university bookstore, with a cheap Spider-Man Halloween mask on. That makes it pretty basic and uninteresting.
Not only that, but players have to uncover a secret challenge to acquire it. Considering it provides no special powers like most other suits, it certainly ranks as something that nobody really wants to use.
Homemade Suit
Some may think this is blasphemy, but out of all the homespun versions of Peter Parker’s original attempt to make a Spider-Man outfit, the one from Spider-Man: Homecoming is truly the most unappealing of all, clearly being sewn by someone who isn't that great at it.
And the power-up? There is no power-up. That makes it a suit that is difficult to see someone wearing unless they really love the MCU film.
Spider-Punk Suit
Creating something of an alternate universe Spider-Man-- one who slings a guitar and hits the mosh pit-- it looks pretty much like what your parents think a punk rock hero would be.
Another holdover from the comics, the “righteous sound” power-up may be somewhat effective but sounds anything but righteous.
Scarlet Spider
This suit reminds fans of some of the loose threads from the “Spider-Clone” saga, one of the most memorable storylines in the published history of the character, though a strange one for sure.
Between all the Peters, Gwens and other carbon copies left behind by arch-villain The Jackal, the New York hero infrastructure was loaded up with more Spider-drama than fans could hack! The power is yet another “clone” (actually an illusion) which distracts and stuns foes.
Dark Suit
Now this suit is definitely a nice-looking design. It takes how fans see Spider-Man and adds a night-prowling, almost ninja type of flair. This is an outfit that would totally fit at a rave, at Fashion Week, and when fighting crime.
The issue is that all the player gets is some eye candy. It seems that this is a missed opportunity for a truly cool and unique ability to be combined with a stunningly handsome set of threads as the lack of powerup is a problem.
Spider Armor Mk III
The MCU is big on showcasing the special suit that Tony Stark designed for Spider-Man. In a lot of ways, that’s what this Spider Armor Mk III outfit looks like.
It's different but clearly along the same lines of being something special. The power? Bullets bounce off and fly back at shooters-- except for snipers and since there aren't many snipers in the game, it's not a bad power at all.
Undies
Now it’s time for some childish comedy relief-- but that's sometimes what you get from the hero! Yes, it’s Spider-Man in his underwear, ladies and gentlemen! And yes, he wears briefs with a pattern of his own head!
The joke wears thin fast, however, and players soon find they wish they could just get the kid to put on some pants. The power-up is pretty heavy, though: an “equalizer” ability that takes foes out with one blow. The only problem is that the power can be reciprocal against you, too. That’s a major trade-off and not really worth being forced to look at those gangly legs for so long.
Velocity Suit
Take the classic Spidey suit, make it out of molded plastic with trenching cuts at the shoulders, and basically make it look like a hastily-painted Stormtrooper figure from the Kenner Star Wars line, and you get the Velocity Suit.
The powers are fun – basically The Flash’s speed abilities – but this is just so not Spider-Man at all, to the point where it’s distracting. It's much more fun web-swinging than it is running.
Spider-Man 2099 Black
The “black” version of the suit is, in fact, the design which appeared in the debut issue of Spider-Man 2099 back in 1992 and has been most synonymous with it since. It certainly doesn't look black, though.
The anti-gravity ability gained has its uses but the true gift is likely playing as a character who will be part of the Into The Spider-Verse sequel.
Spider-Man 2099 White Suit
Once again, a spider-suit design from an extremely divisive version of the wall crawler. Spider-Man 2099 was a '90s take on the hero about 100 years into the future. It’s not Peter Parker this time, but Miguel O’Hara. As part of a larger “2099” line from Marvel Comics, origins are all-new, as are many powers and conflicts.
Over the years, the different tales may vary in quality, but this basic costume design remains intriguing. The power – a concussive blast – is pretty sweet, which only adds to how well this works.
Wrestler Suit
Many fans have a soft spot for the “Wrestler Suit” based on the first Spider-Man movie back when Tobey Maguire played Peter Parker. Highly reminiscent of that debut film appearance, it harkens back to that moment when the newly-powered hero sought to make a buck using his arachnid abilities to win a local wrestling contest.
There’s nothing wrong with the look here, but it’s pretty unexciting. That goes for the power-ups, too. Being able to snag bad guys without webs is helpful, but not something that'll be used often.
Electrically Insulated Suit
In terms of the way it looks, this suit isn't all that great. Most players seem to agree that it's not the best looking one. Originally designed in the comics for a showdown against Electro, the insulated suit is not supposed to be a prize winner.
However, the power-up does charge up Spidey’s fists for some punching fury, so it’s definitely worth having for the fighting abilities.
Spirit Spider Suit
If the Silver Surfer's and Ghost Rider's DNA were spliced up and recombined into a new character, it would almost definitely look very much like the Spider Spirit Suit. This variation is just out of left field, not Spider-Man-like at all, and imbues Petey with magical powers of the damned.
Yes, it can be a very useful feature to take out baddies with manga-style “Spirt Fire” attacks, but it feels like an entirely different personality that has nothing to do with ol’ Webhead, even if this did first appear in the comics. Still, the cool look makes sure it doesn't rank at the bottom.
Stealth ("Big Time") Suit
This may be somewhat divisive, but the “Big Time” storyline in the comics introduced this particular Spidey-suit – and many fans absolutely love it. Many others also totally hate it. Either way, fans have a desire for a design that kicks fisherman boots accents on the upper thighs and a green-glowing spider emblem.
The stealth power is fairly cool – it hides you from most enemies – but not if they’re altered, so it’s ineffective against the more powerful supervillains.
Noir Suit
In one of the many alternate universe storylines in the comics, Spider-Man actually appears not in modern times but back during the Great Depression. As such, this “noir” look is inspired by heroes from stories like The Rocketeer and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
The power-up is effective but kind of subtle: a “sounds of silence” mode prevents thugs for calling for backup. It’s good, but not really one of the better bells and whistles in the game. If only it was in the animation style of the great character from Into The Spider-Verse.
Stark Suit
Avid moviegoers who just can’t get enough of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will recognize the so-called “Stark Suit," one of many designed by Tony Stark. Serving as the debut wardrobe for Peter Parker’s initiation into the MCU, it was first seen in Captain America: Civil War.
While fans all love seeing this one in action, the power-up is kind of lame. It’s the “Spider-Bro,” a mechanical buddy who helps zap the bad guys. Still, it's such a great visual suit!
Vintage Comic Book Suit
Sometimes, it’s not the overall effect of a costume design that helps gamers love an alternate suit, but just the effort to add an unexpected quirk to an otherwise “serious” gaming experience. Based on the very first appearance of Spider-Man in Amazing Fantasy #15, this one actually looks like a Silver Age 4-color comic book character.
It’s straight-up homage with the very best of intentions, even if it ultimately looks goofy against the modern-style backgrounds. The power-up is cheesy one-liner jokes that are so terrible, enemies are momentarily stunned!
Advanced Suit
A variant of Spider-Man’s classic suit, this one just ruins the overall effect of that subtle perfection by adding stark white accents around the forearms and hands, with a matching white spider emblem.
While the design may feel like an afterthought, the power-up this time is a tantalizing one. The “Battle Focus” ability allows for self-healing as well as generating some awesome finishing moves to quickly end prolonged fights. It’s very much a mixed bag, but the unique power is a standby for RPGs, which seasoned players will feel very happy to wield.
Classic Suit - Damaged
Everyone loves the Classic Suit look, and when players get started, this is what they’re wearing. It’s torn, dirty, and degraded from battle. It’s a great way to cue video heroes: they’ve already earned their credit. After all, for most gamers, this isn’t their first super-rodeo.
Alas, it suffers from having no power-ups at all. Yes, there are many lower-ranked costumes that get less love despite their stronger powers but with great power comes great fashion responsibility!
Fear Itself Suit
Verily, valiant warrior, this particular costume doth fare from the golden realm of Asgard itself! Crafted by both Iron Man’s alter ego Tony Stark and the Dwarves of Nidavellir – not too far from Thor’s own zip code – this magical powerup was used to take on The Serpent, an earth-destroying demigod.
In the game, it gives a pretty nifty power0up: super-brutal Quad Damage. This enhanced level of beatings is ideal for slugging it out with some of the stronger supervillains in the game, without having to dance around avoiding hits as much.