I was pretty stoked by what I saw with trailers for Marvel’s Wolverine– it tonally contrasted against Insomniac Games’ (developers of Marvel’s Wolverine) Spiderman games in being darker and grittier, showing a more violent edge to the Marvel universe that you won’t find in most of its more mainstream media. Given both are violent pieces of Wolverine-related media, Marvel Wolverine’s marketing material would remind me of the 2017 hit-film Logan, which itself was considered groundbreaking for its time in being a superhero movie that wasn’t afraid to pursue an R-rating, which was pushed by Logan’s director James Mangold and star Hugh Jackman. In Marvel’s Wolverine, you’re hacking and slashing your way through foes, cutting off limbs and impaling enemies- it’s a bloody affair, and it makes sense for a character like Wolverine, given his persona revolves around rage and struggling to balance it against his more human side. 

Excited as I was for Marvel’s Wolverine, I have to say the early reviews that have come out have not painted the best picture for the game. Although Marvel’s Wolverine is not receiving overwhelmingly negative reception, it certainly contrasts against the hype that many had had for this game previously. Many reviewers cite the lack of gameplay variety (especially as the game progresses), that its level design doesn’t offer much, that parts of it feel cliche and derivative of other games, etc. Simon Cardy of IGN would write of the combat that, “There’s no denying that wielding those claws is slick, punchy, and wonderfully bloody. It’s just a shame, then, that halfway through Wolverine’s 15-hour string of missions, I felt like I’d had my fill”. Kenneth Shepard of Kotaku would write that, “Most enemies use the same tactics, and the ones that don’t still have the same vulnerabilities as anyone else. Logan’s claws are sharper than anything his enemies throw at him, so even as Logan gets sick new tricks to pull off, there’s not much reason to vary up your approach.” Finally, Giovanni Colantonio of Polygon writes, “Heroes like Mystique are only developed in passing as the story tightens its focus on Logan and Jean’s relationship, while other underused characters come off as glorified cameos.”

However, not all is bad- the combat has been praised by many, as well as the story itself and visual design. Marvel’s Wolverine may have had some rather lukewarm reception, but according to reviewers it has many great qualities that it delivers well. While I don’t know if I’ll be picking this game up at launch, it’s certainly something I’d be interested in on sale- regardless, if it’s too bad, it’s at least an excuse to go play Marvel’s Spiderman.