The proper reveal trailer for Marvel's Wolverine caught my attention, and not just because I've been a long time fan of both Wolverine and the X-Men (I'm a brown suit kind of guy), but because the pounding snikt-snikt-snikt punctuation of violence just feels so different from the superhero gaming I've become accustomed to. It, ahem, cuts through the noise. With Marvel's Wolverine due as soon as Fall 2026, there's not long to wait, either.
Which doesn't mean the also Insomniac-developed Spider-Man games are completely tame, but when Peter Parker or Miles Morales deliver a comically destructive pounding to a regular guy, flipping them off a rooftop – a web-gadget will always stick them to the wall so they don't fall to their certain death. The distinction between that, and fountains of blood gushing from enemy skulls in Wolverine really says it all.
Bub'ling away
I realize that Marvel's Wolverine, Insomniac Games' latest expansion to the PlayStation exclusive line-up of superhero titles, is majorly riffing on fan favorite X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Uncaged Edition. Rated Mature, thrilling set pieces and bucketloads of blood made this a big step up from the terrible movie it was based on. But, releasing on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 in 2009, that was a long time ago. Back when movie tie-in games for console were a regularity and they couldn't release superhero games fast enough.
These days, with ballooning blockbuster budgets and spiralling sequel costs, superhero games are few and far between – which makes getting an equally bloody Wolverine title feel like a treat. Seeing the "likely Mature 17+" notice at the start of the trailer made me rub my hands and lock in. Frankly, restricting the audience of Wolverine and not going for something that is purely broad appeal (the recent Spider-Man games have all been T for Teen), is a bold move in some ways – but it means Insomniac Games aren't holding back, firmly making the game they want to make.
After all, the bloke does have knives on his hands. Wolverine never claimed that what he's the best at was very nice – in fact, he has only owned up to the contrary. Much has already been made on just how detailed the blood splatter is on ol' Logan's face, and how it even gets stuck between his teeth – Wolverine does little to hold back on the violence. Sure, many dismemberments involve mechanical limbs so far, but he still rips a man in half at one point and hits multiple dudes with the classic 'three adamantium claws through the chin, up through the brain, and popping out of the skull'. After Logan releases enemies from their mortal coil, they even go limp for like a second before he tosses them off of his blades, which is extra gnarly.
Wolverine goes further than other superhero games, and will see him face off against some iconic villains, but it's not the only one to play with a certain level of grim violence. Even Marvel's Spider-Man 2 had its moments, particularly around the introduction of the villainous Venom – though camera clever cuts hide the extent of the slaughter he commits during his rampage (Venom game, when, by the way?).
In an era where the mostly family friendly Marvel Cinematic Universe still reigns supreme over the comic publisher's image, it's great to see a continued commitment towards allowing Wolverine to be gritty. After all, Deadpool & Wolverine was R-rated – and this game even won't be (hopefully) tinged by Deadpool's camera-winking irony, focusing on a more serious story instead. Hey, don't get me wrong, comics are comics, but I don't need everything to be audience-aware. And this is coming from someone who has a soft spot for the 2013 Deadpool game, in which Wolverine also cameos.
Though DC is often considered the grittier of the big two comic publishers, we're not exactly living in an era with heaps of games based on their comics either. The Batman Arkham games did relish in the power of, well, being the Batman – right the way down to x-ray vision showing thugs' bones getting messed up. Only the final game, Batman: Arkham Knight was M-rated, and we've not had a new one in a decade. Spiritual successor Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight might look an awful lot like more Arkham but it is, well, a Lego game. While the recent Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League spin-off did relish extreme violence, that was mostly against a larger than life alien invasion and, after all, you play as villains (forced to do good on pain of bomb).
Wolverine seems to be taking Logan seriously – and that's what really excites me.
It's not just that Marvel's Wolverine is violent for the sake of it. What's exciting is how it takes that bloody tone and treats it seriously. The bombastic gore Wolverine can participate in is exciting, sure, especially as he has a healing factor that allows himself to weather most pummellings. But, on a journey spanning Tokyo, Canada, and Madripoor, it's about who Wolverine actually is (and so far, actor Liam McIntyre is doing a great job at making Wolverine feel three-dimensional) whether clad in the iconic X-Men aligned yellow suit or just some jeans.
Bouncing off other fan favorite characters like Mystique and Omega Red, Marvel's Wolverine's is still focused on the guy himself. The fact that for him the violence is just another day being Wolverine, someone who doesn't think of themselves as a hero, is the point. And for once, this story doesn't have to be tongue in cheek about what Wolverine does or constantly lampshading him with jokes. Wolverine seems to be taking Logan seriously – and that's what really excites me.
Take a look at our best Marvel games list for more comic capers!
