Do you need to play first Spider-Man?

As a long-time superhero gamer and Spider-Man fanatic, I strongly recommend playing 2018‘s seminal Marvel‘s Spider-Man first before jumping into Miles Morales or the upcoming Spider-Man 2. The initial game sets up and grounds so many fundamental characters, narratives, gameplay systems, and open world locations that anchor the rest of the series. Without it, you lose critical backstory context and origin buildup that gives the sequels exponentially more impact.

Trust me – start at the spectacular beginning with Peter Parker‘s journey to fully appreciate the soaring arcs and connections as the epic Spider-Saga unfolds!

Peter Parker‘s World as Core Foundation

Marvel‘s Spider-Man focuses on classic Spidey alter-ego Peter Parker protecting New York City while balancing work, relationships, and identity. As shown below, it firmly cements core characters and storylines that evolve moving forward:

For example, Peter‘s complex dynamic with ex-girlfriend Mary Jane builds over a decade of history while Aunt May anchors his personal motivation. These bonds shape pivotal choices Peter struggles with as he evolves past naive high schooler towards iconic superhero in his prime.

Meanwhile, Peter‘s mentorship of upstart fan Miles Morales lays the groundwork for Miles eventually becoming Spider-Man himself later on. This passing-of-torch could not nearly resonate as much without the preceding game developing their relationship from the start.

You further get to battle fan-favorite rogues like Vulture, Electro, Rhino, and mysterious Mr. Negative in spectacular setpieces that highlight Spidey‘s varied abilities against colorfully powerful foes. Seeing these enemies return later down the line has much more gravitas specifically because you witnessed their debuts firsthand.

This firm bedrock of world-building and characters simply does not hit nearly as hard if you jump straight into Miles Morales or a hypothetical Spider-Man 2. Too much presumed history and missed plot development remains unseen.

Evolving Gameplay Gadgets, Suits, and Settings

Beyond its excellent base stories and inhabitants, Marvel‘s Spider-Man also opens up Peter Parker‘s high-flying, web-slinging traversal across New York City while introducing signature Spidey gameplay mechanics that then evolve later on:

For example, you organically unlock gadgets like Trip Mines or the Suspension Matrix to tactically restrain enemies mid-fight without any prior knowledge assumed. Core combat flows from simplistic melee brawling into a frenetic ballet of juggling multiple enemies with environment web attacks. And Spidey canvasses New York‘s skyscrapers to unlock token upgrades towards stylish suits with unique bonus abilities without any existing backstory needed beforehand.

This measured gameplay progression curve and rewarding metagame directly feeds forward. All suits, combat moves, gadgets, and fundamental web traversal carries over into Miles Morales. Yet the inaugural game establishes Peter‘s era first without needing to rely on predecessor knowledge.

In contrast, plunging straight into Miles risks missing a full gameplay arc of mechanical advancement and skill progress already undergone by Peter‘s journey. Why start at the halfway checkpoint when you can experience the full marathon from scratch?

Peter Parker‘s New York City as Marvelous Marquee Playground

Perhaps Marvel Spider-Man‘s crowning centerpiece comes through its sublime recreation of the Big Apple itself as Parker‘s personal jungle gym. Simply exploring the bustling metropolis grants viewpoints like:

Whether catapulting off Avengers Tower or investigating labyrinthine subway tunnels, Spider-Man‘s Manhattan atmosphere bubbles alive through delightful environmental puzzles and secrets. For example, an obscure coffee chain franchise peppers hidden backpacks with journal mementos to uncover across neighborhoods. Andlandmarks like Central Park or Trinity Church host key missions while hiding optional challenges to accomplish when simply free-roaming about.

Much of these self-contained open world activities, collectibles, and recreations of authentic NYC receive callbacks in Miles Morales as nostalgic touches. Yet these references lack fangs without the initial exposure from Peter‘s base game setting the scene firsthand. Piggybacking straight off Miles risks missing the full kicks.

So in summary while Miles Morales offers a emotionally charged sequel and Spider-Man 2 plans an ambitious expanding scope, neither truly replaces the original game‘s launching point. Too much history, gameplay mechanics, world-building, and setup stems from Marvel‘s Spider-Man to skip as mere prologue.

Peter Parker earns spotlight as leading man for kickstarting Spidey‘s modern mythos before passing mantle to successors. Much as classic comic runs told his early years before the likes of Miles, Parker charts fledgling territory first in many ways within the games as well.

Trust me – sink web lines into New York City from the beginning to fully appreciate blossoming arcs for key characters, relationships, enemies, abilities, suits, locations, and moments building on that foundation. The initial Spider-Man gifts a grander grail glimmering ahead in follow-ups. But for maximum impact, start at the start with Peter‘s journey!

What do you think? Does the first Spider-Man game set necessary table stakes? I‘d love to hear fellow fan perspectives in the comments!