Despite the heavy focus and attention placed on the upcoming Marvel's Spider-Man 2, the announcement of Insomniac Games' Marvel's Wolverine, has left fans eager to hear more. As the title was announced back in 2021 at Sony's PlayStation Showcase, there have been no updates or any reveals other than the initial reveal trailer, but this has not stopped fan discussion and speculation.
Considering the style of gameplay in both Marvel's Spider-Man, and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, many have wondered how Insomniac Games will handle the shift to a completely different character and fighting style. Whilst there are currently no details regarding how Marvel's Wolverine will play in both gameplay and narrative elements, there are a plethora of successful titles over the years that can be used as templates for another potential hit from Insomniac Games.
5 God of War (2018) & Ragnarok
With Santa Monica Studios' recent addition to the God of War franchise in 2022's Ragnarok, one of its gameplay aspects and character traits in Kratos could very well be useful for Marvel's Wolverine. The use of spartan rage when overwhelmed by enemies or when in need of some extra damage, is incredibly useful and epic within every moment of both games. Considering the huge similarities in mannerisms in the spartan rage ability between Kratos and Logan, this would be a very suitable addition to Marvel's Wolverine.
If Insomniac Games' aspires to have Wolverine a fully mature-rated title, a similar ability to Kratos' spartan rage that allows players to take down enemies at a rapid pace in relentless fashion would certainly suffice. It remains to be seen how far the suggested mature rating will go on this occasion, but if it goes in the direction most fans anticipate that it will, the God of War titles would be great to follow.
4 Marvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac)
Since Marvel's Wolverine is also under development by Insomniac Games, Marvel's Spider-Man is a no-brainer of a game to follow the steps of. While the fighting styles and mannerisms between Peter, Miles, and Logan are drastically different, there are still attacks and maneuvers that can be transformed to an aggressive standard. As there has been very little shown between the upcoming Spider-Man 2 and Wolverine, some have speculated that Logan may make his first appearance in the Spider-Man (2018) sequel.
Whilst there is almost a certainty that elements within its UI will remain or at least be changed to fit a different character, Insomniac should look to maintaining the flow of combat that is present in the Spider-Man games.
3 Batman Arkham Trilogy
When looking at the most recent modern titles that include hand-to-hand combat or combat that includes weapons, each of them has taken the main element of combat from the Arkham series. From the finishing moves, counters, and special abilities of characters, to the flow of each combat encounter, development within gaming has taken inspiration from Rocksteady Studio's trilogy. This is very much present in both the aforementioned Spider-Man titles, and it appears as though Marvel's Wolverine may maintain this trend.
As a large majority of Logan's combat within other adaptations is centered around an onslaught of enemies and massive waves of attacks, the Arkham trilogy is the perfect foundation to build from and has the opportunity to be far more brutal than ever.
2 Ghost of Tsushima
The closest title of most recent times that is aligned with what most fans anticipate Marvel's Wolverine to play like, is Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima. While the samurai-like gameplay and the nature of fighting won't be present here, the gore and how players hack and slash enemies, perfectly fit Wolverine's adamantium claws. The mild dismemberment that is present in Sucker Punch's title is something many fans wish to see improved within its sequel which is yet to be officially confirmed, but Insomniac Games has the opportunity to emulate this and double down on the action.
Considering Wolverine's wild and aggressive nature not only in dialogue and as a character, this would be the perfect game for Insomniac to take after, especially considering its hack-and-slash nature. It would potentially mean a parry system and timed counters would also enter the mix, and push for the most realistic Wolverine gaming experience yet.
1 The Last of Us Part 1 & 2
While the two worlds and narratives are complete opposites, The Last of Us Part 1 and 2 are stories that are both grounded in reality, and depict character interactions and combat in an authentic and brutal manner. In comparison to the Spider-Man games, many fans would expect Marvel's Wolverine to have a less light-hearted or joyous tone, and one more serious and impactful. This does not mean the game will have to take a full turn into an emotional and dark narrative like The Last of Us series, but rather blend in its bleakness with the fun and excitement that Marvel is known for.
Depending on the direction developers take Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and whether fans will be introduced to Wolverine in the upcoming game, it would be pleasing for Marvel's Wolverine to give another take on narratives.
Marvel's Wolverine is currently in development for PlayStation.