Marvel’s Wolverine is a significant departure from Insomniac’s Spider-Man game. The mechanics could offer a great opportunity to make some changes.
Marvel’s Spider-Man has changed the way Insomniac Games makes video games that feature characters from Marvel Universe. Other developers have followed suit and created games that offer a new experience for Marvel’s characters. Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a recent example. It saw its heroes flourish in a turn-based strategic environment. Marvel Spider-Man 2 has been released. Insomniac, however, has expanded its reach by tackling a new hero with Marvel Wolverine.
Marvel’s Wolverine is a significant departure from the previous Insomniac Games games. The most noticeable change is the Mature Rating, which the game will adopt to give a true Wolverine experience. Marvel’s Wolverine is going to require major changes from the Web-Head’s mechanics. However, Marvel’s Spider-Man foundations could be easily modified to accommodate Wolverine’s gritty adventures.
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The Location Could Make Wolverine’s Traversal More Layered
Given that Wolverine is not known to swing from webs to reach his destination (should the game maintain an open-world setting), traversal would need to be modified significantly to allow players to explore. According to the trailer, the game will be set on Madripoor island, which is known for its sprawling, but compact, setting. Players could therefore expect a parkour-based aspect to traversal. Wolverine can climb buildings with his claws and use rooftops for transportation. There’s another method in God of War that allows for precise locations to be explored without having to travel too far, as in Marvel’s Spider-Man.
Logan’s Healing could Revolutionize Combat and Stealth
Marvel’s Spider-Man required players to use their Spider-Sense, speed, agility, strength, webs, and other gadgets to stealthily clear a room or fight for it. Wolverine, however, has never had any of these abilities and has instead relied on his brutality as well as the healing factor that has made it almost immortal. It is possible to approach combat like Marvel’s Spider-Man, but only to a certain extent. Wolverine, for example, is known to rush head-first into combat. However, when it comes down to stealth, he could take cues from Spider-Man and distract his enemies while luring them into traps. A brutality like that of God of War would be more appropriate for the character. So, the focus should not be on flair or combos. using his Berserker Rage to stop enemies may be the best way for an authentic experience. With his healing ability, the goal is to inflict maximum damage before he becomes unconscious. The style would be sacrificed for aggressive combat to capture Wolverine’s essence.
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NPC Interactions may open up paths to getting information
Marvel’s Spider-Man had a lot of NPCs who helped to keep New York alive. They were designed more to provide brief interactions while on the streets or give the player side missions. Marvel’s Wolverine could go further and give the NPCs of Madripoor an even more important role, as they could provide information. While the ultimate goal of Wolverine’s story would be to promote it and carry outside missions, he could use a classic disguise such as Patch to infiltrate areas and gain the information he wouldn’t otherwise be able. If he chooses to be more brutal, interrogation may also be an option. This would allow him to gain intel from NPCs. The goal is to provide variety among NPCs to achieve the same results and to further the narrative.
Wolverine’s past could influence player choices
Marvel’s Spider-Man was a straightforward story that allowed the players to enjoy it without any surprises. Marvel’s Wolverine has a more complex and darker character. This could allow for more choices in how the player plays the game. The choices could be made to embrace Wolverine’s brutal side or to stick to the straight and narrow. There may also be different endings or a post-credit sequence that is tied to these choices. This could be tied to Logan’s past as WeaponX, and the fact that he couldn’t fully free the animal from him. This could be an extension of Marvel’s Spider-Man narrative style, allowing players to choose how much and what part of Wolverine’s backstory they want to explore.