By Ronald Gordon

There’s never been a game that’s made me as excited as Marvel’s Wolverine. When it was first announced, I’ll admit I was skeptical about Insomniac Games’ capabilities when it came to capturing the violence that Wolverine is known for. Then, as every snippet and trailer slowly drip-fed fans like myself, those doubts were dashed against the rocks to nothingness.  

Here, the veterans behind the Marvel’s Spider-Man series let you play rough from the get-go as the five-foot tall powerhouse Wolverine. You rip, tear, and shred through anything and everything that would dare get in your way. As a vital part of Team X, a group of Mutants seeking to change the way the world sees people like them, Logan wages all out war against cybernetic enhancements and the scrutiny of men who call themselves superior. 

While it might seem like a cliche fight against prejudice, Logan’s journey within the game is a gut punch if I’ve ever seen one. As an amnesiac who doesn’t even remember where he came from, Team X feels like the only family Logan has ever had. Still, he can’t stay close to them, as we learn that he’s been having strange flashbacks of a life he can’t imagine as his. Every time there’s a glimpse into the past, the present Logan falls into an uncontrollable rampage, unable to discern friend from foe. He’s dangerous, both him and Team X are aware of it, and while he would love to keep his distance, an evil man named Trask gives him enough reason to rejoin the team. So, he takes on one last job: do whatever it takes to eliminate Trask before he succeeds in eliminating Mutantkind with his cybernetically enhanced Reavers.  

There are three versions of Wolverine that I would never dream of coming to blows with; The first is any version that has fought the Hulk, for obvious reasons. The second is any version played by Hugh Jackman – due to his appearance on the silver screen being almost too perfect as the Wolverine. Last, but most certainly not least, is for sure this game’s version of Logan. Not only is he somehow fast with a full metal jacket over his bones, he’s also able to leap across the battlefield, drop kick enemies into walls, and use the environment for creatively gory kills.

Logan’s kit may seem simple to most. The claws tend to be the only thing folks should worry about. But he’s got so much more to work with thanks to the game’s various skills and adaptations. Aside from upgrades that let you kick enemies like a Spartan or channel your inner assassin and stealth kill more efficiently; Logan also gets a number of techniques that all do something special in combat. You become a whirlwind of claws with Tornado Spin, absolutely destroy an enemy’s chin with the Knee Breaker, truck through a line of foes with Overwhelm, and that’s only half of them! 

The one mechanic that truly makes this game feel like you’re THE Wolverine is Rage. Beneath the health bar is the Rage meter, indicating exactly how much anger Logan currently has to unleash. Every attack fills the meter a certain amount until it overflows into the next tier, and while Tier 1 might not do anything, Tier 2 offers an instant adrenaline boost. The screen greys at the edges for a moment, your attacks begin to deal more damage, and should you take a fatal blow, you’re allowed a Last Stand in which you burn Rage to heal back up and keep shredding. 

Tier 2 is the standard of Wolverine combat, but it gets even more exhilarating if you’re able to enter Tier 3. Fill the meter once again and the backdrop greys completely, the only color you see is the light of your enemy’s attacks and the red of their veins ready to be exposed to the open air. In Tier 3 Logan is fully enraged, dealing even more severe damage than Tier 2 and executing gruesome finishers on staggered, low health, or intimidated enemies. Rage begins to trickle down once Tier 3 is reached, but it can be extended by continuing the slaughter for as long as you can, turning your enemies to paste before they can attempt to stop the unstoppable. 

I have to hand it to Insomniac Games for capturing the sheer brutality of Wolverine in not just the combat mechanics, but through the diabolical levels of character model gore. Logan’s suit, and any of the various costumes you can put him in, can become absolutely tattered from battle damage. Even Logan himself can be worn down to the chrome dome if you take enough damage, showing bits of shining adamantium ribs through the holes in his torso. It’s even worse for the enemy models, with limbs popping off as if they were Lego pieces and enough blood to paint a battlefield if you space yourself properly. 

Aside from the bloodier bits, the overall look of the game is as stunning as one would expect. The various locals you see, from the Canadian Rockies to the bustling streets of Shinjuku, feel as though they’re perfect renditions of their real-life counterparts, the only noticeable thing being the claw bearing bruiser crawling up walls in a frenzy. The music helped to accentuate these points brilliantly, capturing the picturesque savagery of a Wolverine adventure with guttural metal in his most charged moments, and softer tunes in his more vulnerable instances. 

One major credit I wish to give this game was the way in which it pulled me towards finding its collectibles. I’m never usually the type to pursue one hundred percent of any game, but there was something about Wolverine’s collectibles that felt more natural, and that’s because they were liquor bottles. When I think about Logan in any rendition, three things come to mind: Claws, anger issues, and alcohol. The game draws attention to the last one by giving Logan specific bottles of hard liquor that he can find that detail a moment of his time with Team X, both the highs and the lows. It was in collecting these bottles that I felt a touch closer to understanding Logan less as a killing machine and more as a person who can’t share their feelings without a bottle in their hand. He’s troubled, and sometimes he’s even scared, but you’ll only ever get that if you’re lucky enough (or tough enough) to share a drink with him. Needless to say, I hunted down every bottle within the game, and I encourage others to do so. It’s surprisingly easy when you start thinking like Logan and ask yourself, “Where, oh where, would they hide the booze?” 

Marvel’s Wolverine might just be my game of the year, and I’m not afraid to say it. Not only did the game keep me hooked for days as I scoured the maps for bottles or ran through Reavers like candy, but it also showed a refreshing yet painful take on Wolverine’s story. This game singlehandedly made me tear up twice, and that’s not something that happens often when it comes to games. All in all, Insomniac Games hit it out of the park with Marvel’s Wolverine, so much so that I’m tempted to start over and get to slashing one more time. I may end up doing so on a day where I need to blow off some steam. 

Ronald Gordon is a New York Videogame Critics Circle Member and Mentor. He was the first of our writers – or any intern anywhere – to complete an internship at Rockstar Games.

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