* CompleteMonster: ''Web of Shadows'' has, depending on the version, different components of ComicBook/{{Venom}}:
** [[Platform/MicrosoftWindows Windows]]; [[Platform/Xbox360 360]]; [[Platform/PlayStation3 PS3]]; UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} version: [[Characters/MarvelComicsVenom The Venom symbiote]] itself has grown so powerful that it has nearly completely overridden Eddie Brock's mind and become its own threat. Spreading symbiotes across New York while [[ToServeMan gorging itself on innocents]] and threatening Spider-Man's loved ones, the Venom symbiote transforms most of New York into an apocalyptic wasteland where almost all citizens have been turned into its symbiote zombies. Boarding a ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} Helicarrier, the Venom symbiote plans to traverse the globe and infect all life on Earth with its taint to assume absolute dominion.
** ''Amazing Allies Edition'' (Platform/{{PS2}} and [[Platform/PlayStationPortable PSP]]): [[Characters/MarvelComicsEddieBrock Eddie Brock]] himself is [[AdaptationalVillainy nothing]] like [[AntiVillain any]] of his [[AntiHero usual]] incarnations. Hating Spider-Man for untold reasons, Venom allows [[MadScientist Jackal]] to experiment on him in order to speed up his symbiote suit's growth rate, then spreads his symbiote across Manhattan, infecting hundreds of people, including Spider-Man's friends, and turning them into mindless, hate-filled zombies. After manipulating many of Spider-Man's foes into assisting him in destroying the Wall-Crawler, Venom reveals he plans to allow his symbiote to spread across the planet, infecting every human around the world once Spider-Man is dead.
* CriticalDissonance: It's considered to be one of the better Spider-Man video games by fans, but critics gave it much weaker reviews.
* DemonicSpiders: The police between when your first fight with infected civilians and when the Symbiotes completely take over the city. Whenever you run into them, they will continuously shoot you even if you are just passing by or already dealing with either Fisk's men or the Symbiotes. Worse yet, if you choose to kill them if you are finally having enough, it will add more to your black suit morality and possibly ruin your red suit playthrough.
* EvilIsCool: [[SuperpoweredEvilSide The black suit Spider-Man]], for lots of reasons. Many players agree that [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration the black suit's combat feels more powerful than the red suit]], enough to be tempted to stick with it for the entire game. Then there are the black choices throughout the game that players consider cooler than the red ones, including [[spoiler:''[[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe tearing Symbiote Wolverine in half]]'']]. And there are the endings where Spider-Man forgoes his usual friendly neighbourhood tendency and becomes what is basically a ''[[EvilOverlord symbiote overlord]]''. Oh, and the best part, you can get [[MsFanservice Black Cat]] on your side too!
* HarsherInHindsight: In the game, Black Cat shows concern when Spider-Man shows willingness to harm innocent civilians. A few years later, the comics would controversially change her character into wanting to kill Spider-Man no matter the cost, including a willingness to kill innocent civilians if it helped her further her goal.
* JustHereForGodzilla: Almost everyone played the game and choose the evil options just to be with [[EnsembleDarkhorse Black Cat.]]
* MemeticMutation: The opening shot of Spider-Man sullenly walking across the rooftop as the world falls apart around him, all set to the ''Moonlight Sonata'' of all things, has become this recently. As well as an acoustic rendition of ''[[Manga/TokyoGhoul Unravel]]''.
* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: The seventh-gen version has Venom voiced by Creator/KeithSzarabajka, who is praised for having one of the best voices for Venom across media.
* {{Narm}}:
** A sizable number of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxqagtbtS90 QTE fails]] are fairly comical.
** The intro of a depressed Spidey walking and web-slinging through an ongoing battle between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Symbiotes to a piano tone is pretty melodramatic yet sets the tone for the DarkerAndEdgier storyline. What doesn't settle well is when he helps one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to an ambulance in the aftermath -- and then proceeds to lose his shit, yelling questions at surrounding agents about where Luke Cage and the volunteers like Mary Jane are, before immediately deciding they're useless because they didn't answer fast enough. He's supposed to be desperate for any good news, but instead comes off as aggressively whiny in the moment. Heck, the rapid fire InMediasRes story elements can come off as ''too'' quickly paced, as nothing makes sense until after the intro is over but the player gets no context for anything in the meanwhile.
** While Venom's voice in the Wii/360/[=PS3=]/PC version, Creator/KeithSzarabajka, ''is pretty damn'' [[EvilSoundsDeep excellent]], his voice in the ''Amazing Allies Edition'' ([=PS2=]/PSP) is vastly underwhelming. It's one of the rare instances where Venom ''does not'' have any filters added to his voice, thus sounding more human than he should. Compare this to the [[VideoGame/SpiderMan2000 2000 game]] -- another game where Venom's voice was not digitally altered. However, while Creator/DaranNorris was able to create a legendarily memorable voice for Venom in that game with a goofy but threatening deep, growling voice, whoever voiced him in [=PS2!Web=] of Shadows wasn't even going for that: instead just spouting out his lines in what vaguely sounds like a commercial spokesperson impression. Not only does this voice not fit Venom's design at all, but it sounds much more fitting for J. Jonah Jameson rather than Venom, or ''any other villain'' for that matter. Even in the final boss fight, [[spoiler:where Venom is now what only can be described as a gigantic blob-shaped HiveMind, he ''still'' retains this entirely human voice, sounding even far more out of place.]] It doesn't exactly help that the [=PS2=]/PSP iteration of Venom does everything he did in this version of the game simply because he hates Spider-Man [[ForTheEvulz for no explained reason]] (see above), unlike the next-gen versions of the game where it's implied that Venom was ''very much'' DrunkWithPower; and even [[spoiler:realizes [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone the damages he's done]] and [[HeroicSacrifice atones]] for his commitments]] unlike [=PS2=]/PSP Venom. In comparison, the ''Amazing Allies'' Venom overall is just...''pathetic''.
* NarmCharm: The black suit option after beating Wolverine; Spidey [[spoiler:''tears him in half'']]. It's an absolutely insane moment, but its sheer absurdity makes it a very memorable one.
* NightmareFuel: Venom, due to his deep, scary voice and the fact that he takes over the entire city with an army of symbiote creatures. Not to mention in any other game, the fact that his mouth doesn't seem to move in time with his lines would be SpecialEffectsFailure. Here, it's downright ''creepy'' and the fact that only remnant of Eddie Brock seen in the entire game is his mouth doesn't help matters.
** Wolverine Symbiote is as scary as it sounds.
** [[spoiler:The Venom hydra, which has a deep, booming voice and multiple heads.]]
* SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames: Fans consider this as one of the better Spider-Man video games.
* OlderThanTheyThink: The game's main gimmick is the ability to [[StanceSystem switch between the classic red costume and the symbiote at the press of a button]]. The same thing was done in the ''VideoGame/SpiderMan3'' tie-in game on [=PS2=] and Wii. However, it works much more smoothly and instantaneously in this game, since there is no QuickTimeEvent needed to transform from one suit to the other. Plus ''Spider-Man 3'' would only let you use the Black Suit for a limited time before you ran the risk of dying; whereas ''Web of Shadows'' encourages you to just use whatever suit you like best indefinitely.
* PortingDisaster: Glows are broken in the PC port, which renders the Spider-Sense (which is supposed to highlight enemies, allies, and civilians in danger through walls and from a distance) entirely useless, as well as makes collectible spiders harder to spot.
* TearJerker: [[spoiler:Venom's HeroicSacrifice, when it's not a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome. With his DefiantToTheEnd parting words with the symbiotic mass he had created, and the way he just tosses Spider-Man out of his way to ensure that he cannot be saved - it's very sad to see him go. Even despite him being the BigBad, Spider-Man's rogues gallery will never be the same without him.]]
* VindicatedByHistory: While ''Web of Shadows'' has always been held in high regard by the Spider-Man fandom, the game saw an uptick in popularity thanks to ''VideoGame/SpiderManPS4,'' especially thanks to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxg-2icC0uo Whitelight's video essay.]] The combat systems especially are regarded as having aged exceptionally well.
* {{Waggle}}: The Wii version's Quick-Time Events forces you to use motion controls instead of buttons like the other versions. The motion controls for the QTEs can be pretty unresponsive as you have to wave the Wii Remote or Nunchuck in the direction shown with the quickest reaction time possible, otherwise you'll be stuck failing the same thing over and over again.

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