Marvel's Wolverine - A brutal but surprisingly easy experience
Insomniac has already done a pretty good job with its Spider-Man games, so I was interested to see how they'd approach a character like Wolverine. He's obviously quite different from Spider-Man, particularly when it comes to his personality and fighting style. Having played the game, I think Insomniac did a good job capturing what makes Wolverine interesting, although there were a few things that held it back for me.
Story (Spoilers)
The story starts with Logan on a mission to rescue Michael Essex from Omega Red, in a world where mutants are actively being hunted and discriminated against. Throughout the game, Logan works alongside other mutants including Mystique and Sabretooth, while gradually uncovering more about his past and the memories he's lost.
One of the biggest reveals is that Essex was actually responsible for manipulating Logan's memories and orchestrating much of his trauma. The story eventually leads to a confrontation with Essex, now revealed as Mister Sinister, who's attempting to use the Helix Engine to control thousands of mutants around the world.
The ending sees Jean use her Phoenix powers to remove the influence of Apocalypse from Logan's mind, but this also causes him to lose his memories once again, including those of Jean. It leaves Logan on his own again and sets up an interesting direction for future X-Men stories.
Gameplay and Combat
Combat was easily one of my favourite parts of the game. It's incredibly violent and gory, which is exactly what I'd expect from a Wolverine game. The finishers in particular didn't disappoint, and I think Insomniac did a good job making his attacks feel brutal.
Movement was a little limited compared to what I'm used to in the Spider-Man games, although that's understandable considering how differently the characters fight. It still felt good overall, and the combat was enjoyable even without the same level of mobility.
The rage mode was another mechanic I enjoyed, allowing Logan to become considerably more powerful for a short period of time. His healing factor was also handled really well, particularly how he can recover from injuries during combat. The downside is that these abilities made an already fairly easy game even easier.
What worked
One thing I particularly liked was the way Insomniac handled the violence. Wolverine is a character who's known for being brutal, and the game doesn't really hold back when it comes to showing that. The combat animations and finishers do a good job reflecting his personality, rather than making him feel like another superhero with a different set of abilities.
I also liked the presentation of the Hand, particularly their fighting style and overall aesthetic. Their movements and combat techniques felt quite different from the other enemies, which made encounters with them more interesting.
What didn't work
My biggest criticism is that the game was incredibly easy. Even with the different enemies and combat mechanics, I rarely felt particularly challenged. Logan's healing factor and rage mode are obviously important parts of his character, but they also make it difficult for enemies to pose much of a threat.
I also wasn't a huge fan of the skill progression system. Some of the upgrades felt strangely implemented, particularly the way increasing Logan's health was tied to purchasing suits. I would've preferred a more straightforward progression system where improvements to his abilities and attributes were separate from cosmetic unlocks.
The other thing I wasn't particularly impressed with was the Phoenix storyline. It's something that's already been explored quite a few times throughout X-Men stories, and I would've preferred Insomniac to take a different direction. It wasn't necessarily bad, but it did feel a little familiar.
The characters
I think Insomniac did a good job portraying Logan, particularly when compared to his personality in the comics. He's still the violent and aggressive Wolverine you'd expect, although he does come across as slightly softer at times. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, especially when the story is being told from his perspective and needs to explore more of his personality beyond fighting.
Mister Sinister was probably one of my favourite characters in the game. His involvement in manipulating Logan's memories gives their conflict a much more personal element, rather than simply being another villain for Wolverine to fight. The reveal that Essex was actually Mister Sinister was fairly obvious to me, although that could partly be because I'm already familiar with the character from Marvel comics.
The supporting cast includes Jean Grey, Mystique and Sabretooth, who all have their own connections to Logan. I liked that the story involved other mutants rather than focusing entirely on Wolverine, as it helped establish the wider world and the conflicts surrounding them.
Final thoughts
Overall, I enjoyed Marvel's Wolverine, particularly the combat and how well Insomniac portrayed Logan. The violence, finishers and healing mechanics all felt appropriate for the character, and Mister Sinister was a good choice for the main villain.
However, the lack of difficulty was a pretty big issue for me, and I wasn't particularly impressed with some of the progression systems or the direction of the Phoenix storyline. It's still an enjoyable game and a good adaptation of Wolverine, but I don't think it quite reaches the same level as Insomniac's best Spider-Man games.
Verdict: 7/10
