Given Insomniac Games' impressive performance in creating a unique experience for players in Marvel's Spider-Man, it was only right for them to continue in the same vein. 2021's PlayStation showcase revealed a sequel to the title after the addition of Marvel'sSpider-Man Miles Morales, along with the now highly anticipated Marvel's Wolverine, which will add to rumors of the studio building its own Marvel universe.
Despite the slight confirmation of Marvel's Wolverine being an R-rated title via the game's creative director Brian Horton confirming the game will contain a 'mature tone', this still does not completely guarantee a full mature rating that most fans may be anticipating.
5 Realism & Immersion
One of the most important reasons behind Insomniac ensuring Wolverine is mature-rated, is the level of immersion and realism that fans will be able to indulge in. Many fans are aware of 20th Century Fox's Logan and the many years of requesting a movie that featured Hugh Jackman in a more accurate representation of the character, and it managed to tick most of the boxes. It was far more successful in comparison to all the previous renditions and was a befitting end to Jackman's journey portraying the character.
If Insomniac is able to follow the steps of 2017's Logan, this would increase the chances of a high and positive reception from fans. With the graphical fidelity of Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man Miles Morales, Wolverine may end up becoming the studio's best-looking title and will aid the level of immersion many fans are hoping for.
4 Opportunity For Combat Variety
Due to the more age-appropriate Spider-Man games which are understandable on a larger scale, some may have felt that the combat abilities were much more limited in comparison to other titles such as Spider-Man Web Of Shadows. Whilst this may not be a result of the age rating considering there is hardly any difference between them, labeling them with a mature rating gives more room for creators to give their all in making combat as brutal as possible. This resonates much more in the case of Marvel's Wolverine as many will know that Logan is a very violent, brutal, and aggressive character.
Some of the move sets and attacks that would have been toned down to match their age rating such as the Spider-Man titles, will now be able to flourish to their full potential in this case in light of Marvel's Wolverine maintaining a mature age rating.
3 Freedom For Developers
Akin to the opportunity of exploring combat like never before, Insomniac Games will give themselves the freedom to showcase aspects of a mature-rated game like never before. A large majority of mainstream Marvel movies or games typically tend to stray away from deep and dark themes in their stories, but this could change this time around. Not only can this help the game's combat, but it may contribute to its story, characters, dialogue, and story-telling allowing for more room in exploring Logan's origins and more.
With this, developers won't have any restraint on how far certain plot lines could go, or how far aspects such as dialogue may go, potentially taking inspiration from both the X-Men Origins Wolverine game and the Logan movie.
2 Opportunities For Future Marvel Games
Not only will Marvel's Wolverine having a mature rating benefit the game itself, but depending on how successful this could turn out to be, it may be heavily influential for future Insomniac Marvel games. Many fans have requested titles for characters such as Daredevil and Doctor Strange, and would more than likely be able to contain R-ratings in their creation. Marvel's Wolverine would be a catalyst and a pioneer in fully opening up an Insomniac Marvel universe, as it would contain both standard and mature age ratings.
Most R-rated games are often frowned upon with some believing that they are too violent or too realistic for players, with games such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Callisto Protocol banned in some countries. Regardless, this should not stop creators from opting for mature tones, especially with the development of Marvel's Wolverine.
1 Spider-Man Cameo
With Marvel's Spider-Man 2's release on the horizon in 2023, it could be the perfect transition to the eventual release of Marvel's Wolverine. Its trailer teased both Miles Morales and Peter Parker up against Venom, leaving many excited about their showdown. This could mean Logan may indeed show up in this title to fight Venom as some fans may recall from the Ultimate Spider-Man game, or depending on the events which play out in Spider-Man 2 in lead up to its ending, Peter Parker may very well be in the cast of Marvel's Wolverine possibly with the symbiote attaching itself to him. It would open the door for a more violent and aggressive showcase of Peter overridden by Venom.
This would be a perfect opportunity for Insomniac Games to kickstart their own overarching story, potentially involving other characters such as members of the X-Men in the game. Whilst there is no guarantee of the two games being directly linked, it is highly likely that this is indeed the case, and will open the door to sequels and future franchises.
Marvel's Wolverine is in development for PlayStation 5.