Wolverine Could Move Marvel Games Out of Batman Arkham's Shadow
Despite the popularity of Marvel's Spider-Man, the console exclusivity of the titles severely restricted its audiences and the gameplay failed to escape the shadow of the Batman Arkham series. Marvel's Wolverine's has apparent exclusivity to PlayStation 5, but there are many things the game can do to set Marvel's games apart from Batman Arkham. Early glimpses of Marvel's Wolverine shown at the PlayStation 2021 Showcase suggest similarities between the two. However, the lack of a definite release date suggests the game is still in the early throes of development. These stages in the game's lifespan could determine whether Wolverine becomes a clone of Batman or Spider-Man, or separates itself and other Marvel titles from the genre's expectations and formulaic downsides.
Insomniac Games has revealed few details about its Marvel's Wolverine project. The Wolverine reveal trailer hid many Easter eggs suggesting hints toward the game's story, setting, and cast of characters. Like Batman and Spider-Man, Marvel's Wolverine may occupy urban landscapes. More specifically, Marvel's Wolverine will likely take place in Madripoor, a city center known for its criminal activity. Other Easter eggs suggest the Incredible Hulk might appear, and Insomniac Games recently confirmed Spider-Man and Wolverine occupy the same universe.
Marvel's Wolverine has a chance to set Marvel's single-player games into a unique position in the genre. Instead of mirroring different systems from Batman and Spider-Man, Marvel's Wolverine could embrace unique gameplay and character development. Wolverine is a much different character from Batman and Spider-Man, originating from a darker life and pursuing a morally ambiguous lifestyle. If Insomniac Games continues to ignore Marvel's films in Wolverine, then the game could embrace more anti-hero qualities that would improve storytelling and secure the Marvel games' identities outside the intimidating shadow of the Batman Arkham series.
A common feature present in Spider-Man and the Batman Arkham series is the emphasis on vertical traversal. Batman's grappling hook and cape allow players to travel Gotham efficiently, regularly using gliding mechanics to initiate aerial attacks. Similarly, Spider-Man utilizes his Web-Shooters to swing through New York and subdue his enemies. Both heroes utilize verticality in their attacks, often engaging their foes from above during combat. However, Wolverine should embrace fighting goons and thugs face-to-face without the use of fancy gadgets. This would also emphasize Wolverine's Adamantium claws in battle, arguably the biggest highlight of the hero's powers. By avoiding acrobatics, Wolverine embraces a dirtier, less fancy form of combat.
Unlike Batman, who refuses to kill his enemies, and Spider-Man, who embraces a similar mindset, Wolverine has no qualms against killing. Despite the severity of some attacks in Spider-Man and Batman Arkham, neither character canonically killed any opponents. Marvel's Wolverine's bar fight showed many opponents in questionable states, but Insomniac Games should allow Logan to kill his enemies. Not only is Madripoor filled with unsavory, violent individuals, but Logan fails to show restraint in combat. In both the comics and films, the Wolverine is capable of intense acts of violence and should kill his enemies in-game.
Spider-Man is an understandably kid-friendly hero, living up to his "friendly neighborhood" moniker. Conversely, the Batman Arkham series embraced a darker narrative befitting of the DC universe. Batman regularly faces psychopaths who aren't afraid to torture and kill innocents to draw their nemesis out. However, no matter the situations Spider-Man and Batman faced in their respective universes, their language was often overly censored. There was little to no cursing to reflect the severity of different conditions, and injuries that would realistically create debilitating pain caused nothing more than grunts.
Marvel's Wolverine needs aspects of Logan Howlett's character like cursing, smoking, and a violent temper to match the dangerous areas of Madripoor the game might take place in. These character traits are often considered undesirable, especially with someone who is supposed to be a hero. However, Marvel's Wolverine's mature tone could use these to its advantage by highlighting some of Logan's many flaws. The Wolverine is not like Captain America or Professor X and represents the darker side of a cruel, unforgiving world.
One of Marvel's biggest teams is the X-Men, whom Wolverine was once a prominent member of. Spider-Man and Batman belong to superhero teams, but neither the Avengers nor the Justice League was mentioned in either game. References to the Justice League appeared throughout Gotham, such as Queen Industries shipping crates and various voicemails left by Lex Luthor. Similarly, the Avengers Tower is present in Spider-Man: Miles Morales alongside some merchandise, but the team never appears. Marvel's Wolverine could break this trend and embrace the world beyond its gameplay by implementing appearances or direct interactions between Logan and the X-Men. Characters like Professor X and Hank McCoy have commonly reigned in Logan's temper and could serve as an anchor for when Wolverine is getting too bloodthirsty.
Like most comic book characters, Wolverine has embraced different appearances throughout his career. Players could collect unique appearances in Spider-Man after milestones in the campaign or locating various landmarks. In Batman Arkham Knight, players could unlock a collection of Batsuits to wear while fighting crime in Gotham's streets. Unfortunately, these appearance changes were limited and unable to allow players to make the characters their own. Marvel's Wolverine could introduce a similar customization system to Red Dead Redemption 2, where the character's appearance and outfits differ between playthroughs to make the storytelling unique.
Given the diverse markets of Madripoor, Marvel's Wolverine could easily give players access to a hairdresser, tattoo parlor, and armor dealer where players can customize Wolverine's facial hair, hairstyle, outfit, and markings. Giving fans customization over their Wolverine could also increase immersion, as customizations could appear during in-game cutscenes. Compared to other heroes, Wolverine has always adopted a more rough-and-tumble look. Embracing the theme of Madripoor's less-than-polished lifestyle would further settle Wolverine's presence in the city and allow the character to become better suited to the game's overall aesthetic.
Despite the success of the Batman Arkham series, Marvel's games need to begin setting themselves apart from its shadow. Insomniac Games' Spider-Man built a new Marvel universe but failed to stray from the overall impression of Batman games. Marvel's Wolverine needs to embrace unique gameplay and the darker aspects of Logan Howlett's character to give the game its own identity. Setting itself apart from Batman Arkham's impression and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine can set Marvel's Wolverine apart from other single-player superhero games.
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