by Anthony O’Connor
Worth: $15.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Intro:
… a good game. Not a great game, not an all-time classic and beset by wonky elements that drag the whole thing down a little.
Of all the many and various superheroes out there in the pop cultural ether, none are more bad arse than Wolverine*. Despite being born with the twin disabilities of short arsery and Canadianism, ol’ mate Logan aka Wolverine reigns supreme as a nuggety little doer with his retractable adamantium claws, lightning-fast healing factor that essentially renders him invincible and endless, churning deep wells of rage that make him a menace to anyone who gets on his bad side. And pretty much everyone’s on his bad side.
Obviously, Wolverine has featured a bunch on the silver screen but despite Hugh Jackman’s best efforts (particularly in Logan), the Canucklehead has never been entirely comic book accurate. That is, until now, with Marvel’s Wolverine giving one of the best renditions of the character to date. Unfortunately, the game itself also features some bizarre omissions considering its pedigree, but we’ll get to that in a bit.
Marvel’s Wolverine tells an early story of comic’s favourite stroppy oompa loompa, Wolverine. Ol’ stabby claws is rejoining his Team X chums, Sabretooth and Mystique, as they posse up to rescue their kidnapped boss Nathaniel Essex, who is being held captive by the villainous Bolivar Trask. However, as the rescue is attempted, things start to get complicated and it looks like the solitary Wolverine is going to have to get used to being around people again, particularly if he wants to save their lives.
Featuring a bunch of recognisable comic book characters like Jean Grey (and others we won’t spoil), Marvel’s Wolverine takes our titular hero on a globe-trotting romp that balances light moments with genuinely dark and grim themes, held together with a surprising amount of decently graphic violence. It’s not a bad little story, one that will sustain most people’s interest for the duration, and has enough twists and turns (albeit heavily telegraphed ones) to be worth the price of admission. The presentation, too, is topnotch and other than a few slightly gimpy looking character models, this is a visual treat.
The downside, however, is a little more complicated. See, Insomniac Games, Wolverine’s developers, are probably best known for the previous Spider-Man titles they dropped between 2018-2023. Those games all featured a sprawling open world, multiple side activities, characters you could switch between and a means of traversal that was a true joy to experience. Wolverine, by stark contrast, features a mostly linear story, no other characters you can play, limited traversal and – this is probably the biggest sticking point – a surprisingly shallow array of combat options. Now, don’t get us wrong, the action in the game is loads of bloody fun, hacking up henchmen, flinging their bodies around and pouncing on screaming meatbags is a good time… but it’s undeniably simple and a bit repetitive.
Essentially, if you’re not on board with this fairly on rails, simple-minded and mechanically shallow adventure, you’re going to have a bad time. That said, Spider-Man 2 dragged on way too long, and although its Venom sections were spectacular, the bloat was real and playing MJ was never not a drag. So, Wolverine for some will be pleasingly streamlined and for others, hand holdy and too brisk by half. We recommend seeking out a range of opinions, and watch some gameplay, to find out if this style of experience is for you.
Ultimately, Marvel’s Wolverine is a good game. Not a great game, not an all-time classic and beset by wonky elements that drag the whole thing down a little. However, a solid story, great voice acting and kinetic if simplistic action makes the experience worth a slash if you’re keen to watch Canada’s most psychopathic short king dish out some bloody mayhem.
*With apologies to both The Punisher and Batman
