Highlights
Insomniac Games has a strong track record of creating games with fun and fluid movement mechanics, making traversal a key aspect of its games.
Insomniac's previous game showcased their ability to capture Spider-Man's agility, but Marvel's Wolverine poses a challenge as the character lacks distinctive movement abilities. To overcome this, the developer could emphasize Wolverine's animalistic nature, enhancing his physical prowess to ensure an enjoyable gameplay experience, even if traversal is not a primary focus.
The anticipation surrounding Marvel's Wolverine is enormous due to its connection with Insomniac Games, and if Marvel's Spider-Man 2 meets expectations, the excitement will undoubtedly reach new heights. Insomniac Games previously created an exceptional adaptation of the web-slinger, which managed to maintain its uniqueness while refining ideas from previous games to produce something truly fantastic. However, it is important to note that Insomniac Games has an impressive track record predating its involvement with the beloved Marvel character.
Insomniac Games has successfully ventured into various genres, demonstrating their versatility. They have created outstanding 3D platformers, first-person shooters, and third-person action-adventure titles, making them one of the most diverse companies in the industry. Despite this range, a common denominator among their games is prioritizing movement, ensuring that each project offers enjoyable controls and exploration without feeling overly rigid. Nevertheless, with Marvel's Wolverine, this trend could face a challenge since even Wolverine at his peak offers limited agility.
Insomniac's Traversal is Always Special
When Insomniac, the renowned developer behind Ratchet and Clank, Spyro the Dragon, and Xbox exclusive Sunset Overdrive, announced a new Spider-Man game at E3 2017, the gaming community anticipated greatness. This anticipation was not unfounded, as Insomniac has consistently delivered exceptional single-player IP for PlayStation. One of the reasons why Spider-Man was a natural fit for Insomniac was the crucial element of traversal in Spider-Man games.
The ability to effortlessly navigate through the bustling streets of New York City is essential in capturing the essence of being Spider-Man. While some previous Spider-Man games faltered in this aspect, Insomniac, being the mastermind behind the successful Sunset Overdrive, had the advantage of understanding the importance of a seamless and exhilarating movement system. In 2018, Insomniac's Spider-Man game exceeded expectations, delivering unparalleled web-slinging mechanics and solidifying its position as the ultimate Spider-Man experience. Spider-Man's character perfectly lends itself to a game that prioritizes movement, however, Insomniac's next Marvel character presents a new challenge.
Compared to Spider-Man, Wolverine is Stuck in the Mud
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Being quick, agile, and instinctive, Wolverine lacks traversal-enhancing abilities, such as flight, super speed, or web-slinging, which limits Insomniac's options for player control. Unless the developer introduces a new skill to his move set, controlling Logan will likely be somewhat restricted, making it challenging to create a fun and innovative experience. Balancing Wolverine's agility with his established nature poses difficulty, as comic fans are discerning in their preferences and particular about character consistency.
One solution to this problem lies in embracing Logan's animalistic nature, making him feel more physically capable and ensuring an enjoyable gameplay experience. Traversal in Marvel's Wolverine will require creative solutions from the developers, otherwise it may not be a significant aspect of the game, similar to God of War in 2018. However, Insomniac has a proven track record of harnessing creativity and fluid movement in their games, setting them apart as one of the few AAA studios capable of accomplishing this.
Marvel's Wolverine is in development.
